Outcome Four

Models critical and creative thinking skills in all areas of his or her professional life.

Project Description:

The screencast I made to introduce the four major themes in Of Mice & Men was developed on a Prezi and narrated as it moved from slide to slide. The screencast sets up the major assignment dealing with the four themes introduced in the video, and is made available for students to go back and re-watch whenever they need a refresher as they follow the theme they choose throughout the book. Although it is a simple introduction to the themes and the project, including the essential questions that needed to be addressed for each theme, the screencast serves as a resource for students to use to help them build an understanding of the themes of the book. It also reinforces the requirements of the assignment, and clearly communicates what’s expected of each student as they complete their work with one of the themes.

Demonstrates Mastery:

This screencast uses images and audio to enhance the text presented in a way that will help students understand each theme, and the directions of the assignment. It addresses multiple learning styles through its use of multimedia, and provides a constant resource that students can use to clarify any issues as they work. As an addition to the standard directions and class presentation of the assignment, the screencast works as an extra service for students and helps ensure that they have the understanding necessary to be successful in follow their theme throughout the book.

Reflection:

This screencast was created three years ago to introduce I project I was already assigning to my students as we read Of Mice & Men. The assignment was generally successful in helping students see how a theme was developed over the course of a novel, but after initially introducing the assignment in class students were expected to complete the assignment individually. They were encouraged to ask questions if there were things they didn’t understand, but that didn’t usually happen and some students did poorly because they didn’t fully understand an aspect of the assignment. With this screencast students were able to re-visit the directions and have each theme re-explained anytime they needed and that has cut down on the misunderstandings a great deal. This screencast has been a beneficial addition to my teaching and my online resources.

Project Title: Themes in Of Mice & Men Screencast

Class: DMET 540

Project Title: Technology Plan

Class: DMET 526

Project Description:

The major project of the Organization & Administration of Instructional Technology class, the Technology Plan served as a look into the inner workings of the administrative technology team. Working with members of the technology department, including Technology Director Kurt Paccio and High School Technology supervisor Jeff Fragnito I was able to put together a comprehensive plan that accurately depicts Northampton High School’s current technology situation and sets forth specific and reachable goals for the next seven years. The plan begins by determining where we are, and describes the district and analyses the current levels of success in reaching the goals of the previous tech plan. An inventory of the school’s current technology assets, infrastructure, and employee skills helped to build a picture of where the new technology goals should be set as well as providing a starting point in planning for success. The goals and objectives set forth in my technology plan are based on the information from the inventory and the districts real world plans moving forward, including the short throw projectors and 1:1 initiative. The budget and the funding are realistic, and in certain cases taken directly from information obtained through the technology department. Some of the other aspects such as the monitoring procedures are theoretical, but realistic as we have monitored other aspects of the school and curriculum in similar ways.

Demonstrates Mastery:

The Technology Plan demonstrates my understanding of the needs of my current school, its teachers, and students in order to continue to provide a to notch education based on 21st century educational principles. The goals I have set are realistic, but show a creativity and innovation in many of the steps listed to carry them out. The 1:1 initiative is a real thing happening this coming year at the high school, and it will be necessary for many teachers to receive instruction on using all of the new technology and taking advantage of the new options that it provides. My solutions for these problems show a creative but practical solution using Schoology to build classes where teachers can learn about different aspects of 21st century teaching skills and show their mastery of the new technology using the LMS that they are expected to use extensively with students starting the year. In all, the plan showcases many practical solutions to possible problems that could cause the new technology to be less than successful.

Reflection:

I learned great deal in completing my Technology Plan. It allowed me to get a look at how the technology department operates, and exactly what kind of difficulties they face on a yearly basis. The hardest part of the process was to set realistic goals that could be clearly articulated and successfully completed in the next few years. I believe it was able to do that by using our actual district’s plans and building off of that with a few extra additions that could really be good for the school and the students. I did see some of the problems we currently have in a much different light, and through my plan feel that there are ways to improve those areas. As a teacher, I see everything we do from one specific point of view, and having the chance to put myself in the shoes of the people who are focused on providing the technology we use on a daily basis helped me to gain a better understanding of the things that are truly missing and need improvement.

Technology Plan