Technical Growth

The technical skills learned through the Educational Technology (EDTC) program at

Azusa Pacific University (APU) have given me an advantage in dealing with an increasing

workload as a special education teacher and case carrier. Collaborative skills have helped me to

become a more productive communicator and more efficient service provider. Hyperdocs,

infographics, and instructional videos have made my lessons more interactive and

engaging. Evaluation methods of educational apps have helped me to analyze data, differentiate

lessons, gamify activities, and track student achievement.

Using Google Forms to work collaboratively with other teachers has enabled me to find

out what is working in the classroom and what else I can do to promote student growth when

setting goals during the individualized education plan (IEP) process. Combining skills and tools

learned in previous course work within EDTC 527, Special Topics: Integration of Web

Resources, with Effinger (2018), enabled me to be a more productive communicator and more

efficient service provider when using information received in Google Forms, to create media rich

lesson plans accessible to all learners. The creation and use of hyperdocs and infographics,

combined with audio/video components created with Screencast-o-Matic and iMovie, helped

guide more independent student learning, provide differentiation, and gave opportunities for

building knowledge together by including collaborative tools such as Google Docs and Slides.

Tech elements such as these empower young learners to enhance their educational experience

and gain the skills necessary for success in the 21st century workplace environment and beyond.

Skills used in EDTC 520, Managing Tech Supported Curricular Tools, with Silver (2019),

supported the use of tech in the classroom by providing a framework (Triple E Framework) as a

tool for evaluating tech function and usefulness in a particular lesson or class. Introducing apps,
such as Nearpod for differentiation and Kahoot for gamification, gave me a chance to observe

students’ ability to use tech appropriately, while also collecting valuable data that could be

analyzed to assess my own delivery and planning methods, as well as track student progress and

understanding, in real time.

As a beginning teacher and case carrier, the technical skills obtained throughout the

EDTC program have allowed me to become a more collaborative, productive, and efficient

educator and case carrier. Combining collaboration tools, educational apps, and research-based

methods for developing lesson plans, has given me more options and abilities to provide higher

quality educational services to every student. Being able to evaluate and use tech tools and apps

to engage learners, differentiate lesson plans, and analyze data has created more positive

outcomes for student academic success. Not only has this experience empowered me as an

educator and case carrier, but it also has enhanced student learning outcomes as a result.
 References:

Bacer, K. (2018). EDTC 511: Foundations in Educational Technology. Master of Arts in

Educational Technology. School of Education. Azusa Pacific University, CA. Retrieved

from https://sakai.apu.edu

Effinger, K. (2019). EDTC 527: Special Topics: Integration of Web Resources. Master of Arts in

Educational Technology. School of Education. Azusa Pacific University, CA. Retrieved

from https://canvas.apu.edu

Google Drive. (2019). Google LLC (Version 4.2019.44204) [Mobile Application Software].

Retrieved from http://itunes.apple.com

iMovie. (2019). Apple Inc. (Version 2.2.8) [Mobile Application Software].

Retrieved from http://itunes.apple.com

Kahoot. (2019). Kahoot AS (Version 3.6.7) [Mobile Application Software].

Retrieved from http://itunes.apple.com

Nearpod. (2019). Nearpod Inc. (Version 11.9.3) [Mobile Application Software].

Retrieved from http://itunes.apple.com

Screencast-O-Matic. (2019). Big Nerd Software, LLC (Version 1.2) [Mobile Application

Software]. Retrieved from http://itunes.apple.com.

Silver, E. (2019). EDTC 520: Managing Tech Supported Curricular Tools. Master of Arts in

Educational Technology. School of Education. Azusa Pacific University, CA. Retrieved

from https://canvas.apu.edu

Wilson, T. (2019). EDTC 524: Instructional Design and Development. Master of Arts in

Educational Technology. School of Education. Azusa Pacific University, CA. Retrieved

from https://canvas.apu.edu