Dylan Dyer

IT 6750-Futures Reflection
November 1, 2009

Technology and Education in the 21st Century

Introduction:

My name is Dylan Dyer and I am a social studies teacher at Colorado’s Finest

Alternative High School in Englewood, Colorado. I am currently a graduate student
enrolled in the Information and Learning Technologies: K-12 Teachers Master’s program
at the University of Colorado, Denver.
In December of 2003, I graduated from Colorado State University in Fort Collins,
Colorado, with a Bachelor’s degree in History along with my secondary social studies
teaching license. In 2004, I accepted a teaching position at an alternative high school in
Englewood, Colorado. It was not my original intention to teach in an “alternative”
educational setting, but after spending five years at this school, I cannot imagine myself
working elsewhere. I feel very fortunate to work at the school that I do, and I believe that
I have learned tremendous lessons from my teaching experiences at Colorado’s Finest. I
believe that teaching is an excellent career path, and I am constantly realizing how lucky
I am to have chosen the profession that I did. In the educational field, you are always
presented with new challenges and obstacles, and you also have the opportunity to
continue to learn, grow and develop, both as a person and as an educator.
In five years, I would like to become an educational technology leader primarily
in my school, but also in my entire school district. I want to be the person that people go
to when they need help, advice or assistance using technology in their classrooms. Since
I am devoted to my social studies curriculum, and the work I do as an educator, I would
like to remain in the secondary educational setting. It is my goal to become an authentic
and legitimate technological leader and coach in my high school. I want to become
someone that contributes positively and productively to students and staff in terms of
technology integration and implementation.
One of the biggest worries that I have with my career is that I will become bored
or unchallenged with what I am doing. However, I believe that as a teacher, you are
always presented with new challenges and obstacles to overcome and you are always
working with different and unique people. I believe that having the opportunity to think
about my future in terms of where and what I want to be accomplishing in my career can
be very beneficial. Therefore, I am completing the Futures Reflection in order to
speculate on what my goal would realistically look like for me five years from now.

Future Forecast:
 Many things have changed in the last five years. The year is now 2014 and I am
working at the district level as a technology advisor and coach in my school district,
Englewood Schools. I have found a home in this district and thoroughly enjoy the
company of my colleagues and the professional atmosphere district-wide. Rather than
working in one specific location, such as the district administration offices or a particular
school, I am allowed to work on-site at all of our schools. This allows me to fully
interact with the entire Englewood staff and assist all teachers with their technology
needs. Currently, the district has enough money in their budget to provide at least one
technology trainer/coach for every school in the district. This allows for a lot of
flexibility of where and whom I will be helping. Teachers have the opportunity to contact
me directly in order to address any and all of their technology questions. I travel to their
school and provide them with services that enrich their knowledge of how to infuse
technology into their curriculum in effective and engaging ways.
The teachers in my district are all very eager and ambitious when it comes to
learning new tips, tricks and tools for mastering educational technology. The majority of
teachers are interested in integrating the latest Web 2.0 tools that encourage and facilitate
collaboration, communication and community between students and staff. Among the
countless number of Web 2.0 software, tools such as Google Docs, Sites, Calendars, and
Groups are most popular for their ability to promote organization, productivity, and
teamwork, editing skills. Google Docs provide endless opportunities for students and
teachers alike (“Google for Educators,” 2009). “Students appreciate the ability to
collaborate online in their own time frame” and “Google Docs enables teachers to
observe the projects as they unfold, giving students feedback prior to the final outcome”
(Cheryl Davis, “Google for Educators,” 2009).
In addition to free, web-based teaching tools, our district has been awarded a
generous grant that has provided every student in the district with the latest model of an
Apple Macbook. The ability for students to have their own computer has tremendously
increased student achievement in terms of technological literacy. Along with the laptops,
every classroom has been equipped with Smart boards and hand-held wireless clicker
technology. These tools and technologies have greatly reinforced the teacher’s efforts of
helping our students become proficient readers, writers and mathematicians by providing
direct instruction using best-practices instructional strategies and immediate feedback.
Not only are our students proficient in their core subjects they are also competent 21st
century learners. Developing 21st century learning skills means that the learner has
successfully developed “learning and innovation skills, life and career skills, and
information, media and technology skills” (Partnership for 21st,” 2004). These skills are
all being incorporated into core content subjects and because students see a relevance and
importance in what they are doing in the classroom, huge gains are being made. It is
clear that the “integration of technology into instruction has a strong, positive impact on
student achievement” (“The Indelible Link, 2009).
These skills are being taught and continuously encouraged because all teachers in
Englewood Schools have fully embraced the instructional strategy of project-based
learning. Project-based learning has proven to work seamlessly with new collaboration
and social networking technology tools that teachers have whole-heartedly embraced.
Students have realized the power in these technologies and are using them to their fullest
when it comes to working together, sharing ideas and solving real-world problems.
Problem-based learning has had remarkable improvements amongst our students. “For
many students, the appeal of this learning style comes from the authenticity of the
experience” because “students take on the role and behavior of those working in a
particular discipline” (Intel Teach Program, 2007).

Reflecting Thoughts:

After reflecting on my future, it has forced me to think about my present situation

as an educator. I am convinced that education is the profession that I want to be in, but I
am also aware of the challenges and opportunities that I will be presented with in the
future. When I imagine my future, I want to believe that it will be what I have explained
above, however, I am unsure if that is truly the case. I realize that I must work very hard
to achieve the goals that I have set for the next five years. It is up to me to create the
future that I want to live and work in and I want the scenario that I explained above to
become my reality in the next five years.
I believe that I have the ability to attain my goals by continuing to learn and grow
in the field of educational technology. The ILT program will provide me with the
opportunities to excel and become a technology leader in my school and district. I also
believe that the educational profession is the perfect setting to set goals and actually have
the opportunity to achieve them. There are always new ways to improve and make a
difference in student’s lives.
References:

1. Designing Effective Projects. (2007). Intel Teach Program. Retrieved October 27,
2009, from
http://download.intel.com/education/Common/ro/Resources/DEP/projectdesign/D
EP_pbl_research.pdf

2. Framework for 21st Century Learning. (2004). Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
Retrieved October 28, 2009, from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

3. Google Docs. (2009). Google for Educators. Retrieved October 28, 2009, from Google
website: http://www.google.com/educators/p_docs.html

4. The Indelible Link. (2009). International Society for Technology in Education [ISTE
Policy Brief]. Retrieved October 28, 2009, from
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Advocacy/Policy/Policy.htm