Gail Davis

December 5, 2017

EDTECH 592

Reflection Paper

The Finish Line

If you dont finish what you start, your success rate will always be zero - Suman Rai

In late 2008, as I was busy planning for the birth of my second son and working full time

as an Administrative Assistant for the Army Reserves while roughing it on the weekends as an

Army Lieutenant, I thought to myself, Is this what I really want to do?, and I should use my

degree in Education for more than this, right? I knew that I loved to work with computers,

students and make the world a better place. Therefore, I looked through the available graduate

courses at Boise State University and began my Educational Technology courses in the Fall 2008

semester.

The courses seemed easy enough, but the time it took to complete the assignments to the

best of my ability took very long! In addition, the multitude of reading assignments, reflections

and blogs were also taking much time away from my young son and husband after work. I also

began to feel like my peers, enrolled in the same courses, had so much more experience than I

did, and many of the assignments were not military or administratively related. I felt

overwhelmed, lost and unsure of my decision. Therefore, I quit near the end of the semester. I

would have had an A in each class, if I finished. Sadly, I did not. I gave up, and that to me now,

is completely unacceptable.

1
 Eight years later, after retiring from the Army, I decided to finish what I had started.

Therefore, I re-enrolled in the Educational Technology program at Boise State University for the

Spring 2016 semester. I have taken classes each semester since then, earning all A grades, with a

current GPA of 3.79. Not only am I succeeding in school, but I am succeeding by showing my

boys to never give up, do your best and finish what you start.

Lesson One: Reflections on Learning

Learning occurs differently for a variety of students, just as varying instructors teach

differently, based on what theyve learned, coupled with their prior experiences. Teaching and

learning is based on a multitude of theories, including Constructivism, Behaviorism, Cognitivism

or Connectivism, and it can occur through lessons that are presented in different ways, including

differentiation, as a flipped classroom or project based learning, for example.

According to Pritchard, "Whilst most teachers are skilled in providing opportunities for

the progression of children's learning, it is often without fully understanding the theory behind it.

With greater insight into what is currently known about the processes of learning and about

individual learning preferences, teachers are better equipped to provide effective experiences and

situations which are more likely to lead to lasting attainment" (2014). In order for learners to

really comprehend any material, the teacher must first understand how they learn and then apply

that particular style or way of teaching for each applicable student. This means that an initial

assessment, followed by a series of various formative assessments, ending with a final

summative assessment should be completed for each lesson, in order for the teacher to

understand his or her learners, so that each lesson can be presented in a way that will support

2
each learners comprehension. Evaluating the learner will then occur repeatedly, throughout the

school year, as formative assessments.

I have always known that everyone learns differently, but until I was provided an

in-depth understanding about the various learning theories, instructional methods and various

assessments through the Educational Technology program, I didnt really understand how to

figure out who learned in what manner, what that was called and what to do next, or I at least

lacked an understanding of the various theories of teaching and learning. \

When I student taught a 5th grade class in 2002, I was really only using a Constructivist

way of teaching, which didnt help all of my learners. At that time, the district had just

implemented Science tubs that were to be passed around the district to every class. The only

time students used the Macintosh computer was to complete a reading assessment and the

teacher only used it to record grades. The teacher that I assisted was even set on completing

spelling lessons using the projector in the same manner each day. There was little change from

year to year in her classroom, and as a twenty-seven year teaching veteran, I wasnt going to

change her mind. Fortunately, I was able to instruct an advanced Mathematics course, complete

a few foreign language lessons and teach a few science lessons. By that time in the semester, I

understood how my students learned and what I could do to change my instruction to better assist

them in learning.

Today, for example, I would teach Mathematics to students using the flipped classroom

model, I would use an online Mathematics sites, such as Khan Academy to help them better

comprehend Mathematics ideas, followed with assignments that challenge them. Furthermore,

According to Zengin, The flipped classroom approach designed with using both the Khan

3
Academy and mathematics software increased student achievement in double integral. It was

also found that this learning approach enhanced students' understanding and provided

visualization in mathematics teaching. Moreover, it was revealed that this approach promoted

retention and made understanding much easier (2017).

Lesson Two: The Art & Science of Teaching

Teaching and learning together are an intricate web composed of both Art and Science.

Teaching is not simply the act of handing out an overused, readily available worksheet to a

variety of students seated in columns and rows, assuming that the learners understand the

concepts in the same manner, will complete the worksheet in the same way and that they are all

at the same educational level. We as educators need to provide our students with materials and

technology that a learner will comprehend based on what we as educators believe they know and

what is appropriate for their learning needs, while using tools such as differentiation and

purposeful technology, challenging the student by involving Constructivism methods. This then,

results in prepared learners ready for the next level of their educational experience, resulting in

successful careers in the 21st century.

In my day as a k-12 student, I recall sitting in the exact same seating order, in rows of 8

students long by 4 students wide, year after year, with no chance of collaboration or use of

technology, impatiently watching the clock until class was over. There was little to no Internet at

the time, no Smartphones, Chromebooks, apps, Google Drive or Gmail that I can recall.

However, when technology was later introduced into my education, as a Freshmen in college in

1997, I was able to quickly comprehend how to use it effectively to finish my research papers

and powerpoint presentations. How did that happen? Well, I believe that I was motivated to

4
conquer this new concept known as technology, which I still do to this day, and I firmly believe

that many students today feel the same way that I do.

Cognitivists believe that prior knowledge and mental processes play a larger role in

education than previously thought, and according to Friesen & Freenberg, It (education) is

understood in terms of the support of the effective processing, representation and structuring of

information by the students cognitive apparatus (2007). In other words, a learners prior

knowledge assists him or her in completing new tasks and the way that the new material is

presented by the teacher plays a large role in whether or not the learner will understand it.

According to Purdue University, Many instructors use social media to communicate

directly with their students, or to form forum-style groups for students to communicate with each

other, and the method seems to be proving valuable in providing one-on-one attention to

students questions and concerns (2017). Learners today typically use social media to

communicate or blog with family and friends, therefore the student should then be able to use the

blog feature within their Google classroom. This concept can then be used to introduce new

tasks to the student, such as checking the classroom calendar for assignments and due dates,

collaborative exchanges with classmates, and submitting assignments such as videos, to name a

few.

Technology has evolved and continues to evolve from word docs and powerpoint to more

versatile and collaborative tools, such as Google Classroom and Google Drive, to Edmodo and

Prezi, for example. As teachers, we must continue to learn more about technology and also ask

ourselves, What purposeful technology can be integrated into my lesson plan that my students

can comprehend and use to collaborate?, and What are the newest options of today?

5
Lesson Three: The Design and Evaluation of Instruction

Learning can now occur online, from home or from work, rather than inside of a brick

and mortar building. Furthermore, learning can even be completed through a combination of the

two. Online courses can now be constructed using a variety of sites, such as Weebly, Wix,

Google, Schoology, forums and wikis, etc. that can afford the student the ability to learn on their

own device at any time or place, as long as there is an Internet connection available. Students

that attend a physical location daily can be afforded the opportunity to learn and collaborate

outside of school, whether at home, at work or even while on vacation. Skype or instant

messaging allows everyone to access their peers for collaborative activities, in addition to tools

like Google Drive, Slides and Sheets, where they could collaborate on a group project from

completely separate locations.

Furthermore, a study conducted by Biasutti determined that, As a general conclusion it

is not possible to state the superiority of one tool over another because each has its own

characteristics and could be used with different purposes. Forums and wikis could have

complementary functions and should be organized to complete each other for scaffolding

students self-regulated strategies and learning (2017). With so many tools available, it isnt the

question of Will I allow my learners to go online?, but Which tools can best be used

purposefully?

According to Wen-Li, Over the past two decades, teaching and learning processes have

been influenced by technological, instructional and pedagogical advances (2017, pp.11).

Therefore, not only can instruction occur through a variety of ways based on advances in

6
teaching and learning, but so should evaluations. Evaluations must occur frequently throughout

a semester in order to judge each individual learners level of comprehension and progression.

This could include the completion of surveys or accessing group projects through Google Drive

to grade participation or completion, conducting debates using Skype, grading comprehension

through project based learning activities, such as interviewing locals about their thoughts on

recycling, to name a few. All of these methods will help a teacher better understand the learners

and therefore design their lessons and instruction to continually challenge their students.

Lesson Four: Networking & Collaboration

Networking & Collaboration, in addition to knowledge & experience, are probably two of

the most important aspects of effectively teaching learners in the 21st century. Newer,

inexperienced teachers must connect with their peers, more experienced in the art of instruction,

in order to become better, more effective teachers. Although I have not had the opportunity to

partake in a professional learning network or PLN, professionally, I have had the opportunity to

do so through the EdTech program. Due to networking and collaborating with my peers

throughout my education, I believe that I have benefited greatly. For example, sharing ideas

about teaching & learning theories and practices during Moodle forum discussions has helped

me to better understand them and therefore improved my teaching. I have also been able to view

a variety of lessons and artifacts created by my peers that allow me to add more variety to my

own lessons and artifacts, such as my PBL Garden Plots lesson, where students would end the

lesson by creating and maintaining a school garden.

7
 Yet, I wonder about those who do not have access to the Internet and therefore may not

be able to network and collaborate. According to Lapham & Lindemann-Komarova, The

revolution that the Internet represents for the pedagogical community was best described by a

foreign-language teacher from a village in Khabarovsk (Russia): Most people in our village are

unemployed. The Internet is important. Life before the Internet was stagnation. I cant imagine

life without it (2013).

Furthermore, when I think of collaboration & networking, I additionally think of the

students. How can they collaborate among their own class, what can they do to network with

peers outside of their class, and how will this all benefit them in their education? Students

already utilize social networking, including blogging, and teachers should therefore utilize sites

that allow such methods, like Schoology, Google Classroom, etc. I understand that when I

instruct my own class, I will leverage the students prior knowledge to support their own learning,

as in Cognitivism. According to Morgan, Blogging in school can be beneficial for students and

teachers in many ways. Using this technological resource can increase student motivation and

collaboration with their peers and help students improve in literacy. Pupils may benefit from

interacting with an outside audience.. (2015).

Lesson Five: The Research-Practice Connection

One of the first artifacts that I created, which I remember most, is a Prezi slide show

displaying my interpretation of the definition of Educational Technology. In this Prezi, I chose

to use a large image of an iceberg. At the top of the iceberg, where only a small portion is

visible, is the basic definition of Educational Technology. As the presentation progresses, one

8
can see that there is much more to Educational Technology than using technology in a

classroom. This is similar to a new teacher, where at first she may only concentrate on grades

due and upcoming testing dates, when in reality, there is much more to being an effective teacher

than simply having students pass tests.

In addition, throughout my time as a student in the MET program at Boise State

University, I have conducted many hours of research about teaching & learning, learning

theories, lesson planning, differentiation, PBL, etc. From this experience, I understand that in

order to be an effective teacher, I must understand the background of teaching, while also

continually learning about new ideas and learning theories, etc. In fact, one teaching method that

has been discussed quite often in our Moodle forums is the Flipped Classroom model. In this

model, students complete learning activities at home and return to school to collaborate and

discuss the lesson in class, to further strengthen their comprehension. According to Kostaris, et

al, The recurring research evidence that the Flipped Classroom approach can enhance students'

learning experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) K-12 education

(2017).

Yet, what about special needs students that may need extra help with the Flipped

Classroom approach or learning fully online? What can I do to draw special needs students and

their families into the world of online learning and how can I help them? The answer to those

questions are Research & Practice. I worked with my peers to discuss the Digital Divide and

also Assistive Technology for those less fortunate. Teaching special needs students now, I have

found that each individual student requires their own form of assistance and may not be capable

of learning online. It appears that more research is needed in this area. According to Vasquez,

9
While research indicates that distance and online learning can be equally effective as compared

to more traditional learning environments for many students, there is little empirical evidence to

suggest that previously validated face-to-face best practices can be effective in the online

environment or if students with disabilities have similarly parallel experiences (2012).

Closing Thoughts

There is much that I have learned throughout the Educational Technology Program at

Boise State University over the last two years. So much, that to write down everything would

take at least half that time. I have accumulated numerous resources, notebooks full of notes and

writings, articles that I have saved, books, etc. I have also been fortunate to have made a few

friends or atleast professional networks along the way that will continue to be very helpful for

me as I continue to learn and develop as a teacher in the 21st Century.

For those that might be apprehensive about the time and cost of this program, please do

not be. I too was intimidated, at first, by the amount of work when I began, but found that what I

was doing was enjoyable, and what I was learning about was benefiting my students and

therefore, it was all worth it in the end.

Thank you to all of the instructors and their late nights, working during holidays and

weekends, answering questions that have answers someplace in Moodle and allowing me to

partake in your program.

10
References

Biasutti, M. (2017). A comparative analysis of forums and wikis as tools for online collaborative

learning. Computers & Education, 111158-171. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2017.04.006

Friesen, N., & Feenberg, A. (2007). Ed tech in reverse: information technologies and the

cognitive revolution. Educational Philosophy & Theory, 39(7), 720-736.

doi:10.1111/j.1469-5812.2007.00314.x

Kostaris, C., Sergis, S., Sampson, D. G., Giannakos, M. ., & Pelliccione, L. (2017).

Investigating the potential of the flipped classroom model in k-12 ICT teaching and

learning: an action research study. Journal Of Educational Technology & Society,

20(1), 261-273.

Lapham, K., & Lindemann-Komarova, S. (2013). (Re)thinking teacher networking in the

russian federation. European Education, 45(2), 75-93.

doi:10.2753/EUE1056-4934450204

Morgan, H. (2015). Creating a class blog: a strategy that can promote collaboration, motivation,

and improvement in literacy. Reading Improvement, 52(1), 27-31.

Pritchard, A. (2014). Ways of learning: learning theories and learning styles in the classroom

(3rd ed.). Routledge.

11
The evolution of technology in the classroom. (2017). Retrieved September 26, 2017, from

http://online.purdue.edu/ldt/learning-design-technology/resources/evolution-technology-c

lassroom

Vasquez III, E., & Serianni, B. A. (2012). Research and practice in distance education for k-12

students with disabilities. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 31(4), 33-42.

Wen-Li, C., Pei-Di, S., Yi-Chun, C., Jau-Bi, L., & Chia-Wen, T. (2017). Exploring the effects of

online academic help-seeking and flipped learning on improving students' learning.

Journal Of Educational Technology & Society, 20(3), 11-23.

Zengin, Y. (2017). Investigating the use of the khan academy and mathematics software with a

flipped classroom approach in mathematics teaching. Journal Of Educational Technology

& Society, 20(2), 89-100.

12