Running head: EDUCATIONAL REPORT ETEC 5303

Educational Report ETEC 5303- Computers in K-12 Classrooms Beashua D. Spearman University of Arkansas

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Abstract The final project of the ETEC 5303 Learning with Computers in K-12 Classrooms required me to accumulate course assignments and projects that I had created during the course and place them into a completed website or electronic portfolio. The purpose of the assignments and projects were to educate K-12 teachers how to utilize computers in the K-12 classroom. There were four components in the course, for example, instructional software, productivity software, technology integration, and tool-based software. To understand these four components, I first had to understand the past, present, and the future trends in technology use in schools and the controversial issues that surround the field of educational technology. I learned about the five main components of using technology in the K-12 classroom: instructional software, productivity software, technology integration, and tool-based software. First, I learned about five different types of instructional software and how to evaluate in addition to reviewing them. Second, I gained knowledge about the four types of productivity software and third, during the technology integration project, I learned how to integrate a variety of technology into four content areas. Fourth, I learned how to complete a lesson plan based upon integrating tool-based software into an adult education classroom.

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Project Description During the Learning with Computers in K-12 classrooms, we began the semester learning about hardware, operating systems, and networks. To understand how to use computers in K-12 classrooms, I had to first understand the past, present, and the future trends in technology use in schools and the controversial issues that surround the educational technology field. In addition, we learned how to create a personal technology statement that we revised throughout the semester. The purpose of the technology statement was to defend the use of technology in education. During this assignment, I researched known educational technology experts such as the U.S. Department of Education-Educational Technology, M.D. Roblyer, and Paul Saettler. Upon completion of my research, I began to ponder upon my thoughts about defending technology and I created my technology vision. As the semester progressed, I learned about technology integration models aligned with major theories and the importance of creating a relative advantage chart that I used later in the course. In addition, we learned how technology is funded in education and how educators may research funding options. The main assignments we focused on were application and instructional software. During this assignment, we created five presentations about the various types of instructional software. I chose drill and practice, instructional games, problem solving, tutorials, and simulations. To complete this task, I was assigned to research the instructional software and create a website page with the included information. In addition, I was assigned to list at two-three examples of each instructional software. The second series of assignments included productivity software, to illustrate, I created four projects about the following productivity software: assistive technologies that adhered to the W3 Schools accessibility standards, in addition to the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). The second productivity software that we researched was internet tools. I researched various course management systems and how they influence a educational institution. In addition, I learned

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about their vast features, functions, and their advantage and disadvantage of using them in a educational intuitions. The next productivity software we learned about was titled internet safety and during this component, I researched how to establish internet rules, cyber bullying, texting, online personal safety, creating safe passwords and creating safe online boundaries. In addition, I learned the importance of maintaining internet safety in the classroom. Upon the completion of my research about each productivity software, I created an online presentation as if I were a professional development instructor who was educating K-12, adult education, and higher education teachers. As I continued to gain additional knowledge of computers in K-12 classrooms, I began to progress into technology integration. During this learning process, I gained skills in learning how to conduct a technology integration in a educational institution. First, I learned that the purpose of technology, integration is to discuss the definitions, relative advantage, and the brief description of each content area. Second, we were assigned to conduct technology integration of four content areas. To illustrate, we had to choose four different content areas and conduct a technology integration that consisted of internet integration opportunities, tool-based software, instructional software available and productivity software. I chose the following four content areas of Art, English Language Learners (ELL), Language Arts, and Social Studies. To complete this task, I had to discover a problem an educator had and that technology could solve. For example, during the art technology integration, I discovered the educator did not have enough digital storage space or physical classroom space to store an art collection in the classroom. Next, I determined an integration strategy, in addition to a relative advantage of why using the technology was fitting to that content area and an expect outcome as well as the resources to integrate into a classroom. In addition, I had to determine the tool-based software available, the instructional software available, in addition to the productivity software available.

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Program Identification

Standard 2: DEVELOPMENT Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to develop instructional materials and experiences using print, audiovisual, computer-based, and integrated technologies. 2.2 Demonstrate ability to integrate instructional materials that utilize two or more forms of media. During this course, we had to learn how to integrate technology into four content areas. I chose Art, English Language Learners (ELL), Language Arts, and Social Studies. Within these content areas, we had to determine the following: Internet integration opportunities, tool-based software, and instructional software available, and productivity software available. For example, for the art content area, I integrated technology into all four components of the technology integration. To begin, I had to select a problem, an integration strategy, relative advantage, expected outcome, and resources. To illustrate, I created the following problem to solve, Teachers lack large storage space to store art examples for teaching art history in their classrooms. Teachers do not have a large closet or storage space in their classrooms; they need a way to store thousands of images without filling their file cabinets or closets. The next step was to list an Integration Strategy: Integrate the use of online art collection databases into the art curriculum; include a variety of online art collections including modern art collections that reference modern artwork. Integrate a free or reduced online digital storage site to allow teachers to store their digital images to retrieve using the internet. I then selected a relative advantage, to illustrate; the benefits of integrating an online art collection database provide instant access for the teacher and improve productivity within the classroom. Teachers will spend less time viewing tedious search engines and spend more time preparing quality, interesting, and encourage students to learn the material. Next, I selected an expected outcome, for example, Expected Outcome: Teachers will utilize online art collections, they will create bookmarks of art collections within their online browser, and they will utilize the school's online art collection database. Teachers will continue to instruct their students in learning how to create an online art collection database utilizing class wikis and websites; teachers will allow their students to build upon the online art collection (Class-Wiki) database each semester or school year. Standard 3: UTILIZATION Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to use processes and resources for learning by applying principles and theories of media utilization, diffusion, implementation, and policy-making.

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3.3 Demonstrate ability to develop and implement effective policies related to the utilization, application, and integration of media-based learning in a specific institutional or organizational context. During the Learning with Computers in K-12 classrooms, I developed a technology vision statement. This vision statement was a reflection of how I viewed technology in education. In addition, I rationalized the reasoning of utilizing technology to communicate and collaborate in this globally diverse world. I included examples that confirmed the rationalization of applying And integrating technology, for example, to allow the U.S. education system to remain competitive in a globally diverse world with ever-changing technology.

Educational Reflection When I began the Learning with Computers K-12 course, I was excited about learning how to use various technologies with in a K-12, adult education, or higher education institute. During this class, I learned about some of the technologies that I had grew up using but I did not know the technical term or why it was used in technology. As an student in public school, I often used Instructional software such as the drill and practice software for reading and mathematics. This course taught me how to narrow down the technologies to use in the classroom, previously, I thought more technology was better but I soon learned that too much technology might overwhelm an educator and his or her students. I learned how to utilize technology as a supplemental resource to assist the educator in enhancing his or her classroom. In addition, I learned how to utilize technology in K-12, adult education, and higher education settings. During this course, I learned how to create effective multimedia presentations that consisted of social media, websites, and videos. I became more proficient in this skill and as the course progressed, I continued to advance in gaining more knowledge about using computers in the classroom. I learned that I must consider the content level, educational functioning level of an adult learner, and the educators technology use within the classroom. Third, an educational technologist must learn how much technology to integrate into a classroom. According to M.D.

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Roblyer, an educational technologist or educator must research, investigate, and create a relative advantage of the content level technologies in comparison to similar technologies (Roblyer, p 252). An overexposed amount of technology may create confusion for the educator in addition to his or her students. If a course is crammed with technology, the technology may overshadow the content and because of this, the transfer of knowledge is not evident. During This course, I learn how to utilize technologies in a hands on approach that allowed me to play with the technologies, learn how they are utilized, their purpose, and how an educator may use that technology effectively. In addition, I learned that some technologies seem great and look great but some of the bells and whistles do not secure it as a great technology to supplement in an educational environment. Throughout this course, we learned how to create a relative advantage, to determine the advantages and the disadvantages, in addition to including live resources to all an educator to use immediately. One of the projects that I thought was challenging was the technology integration strategy. As I researched various technologies for a particular content area, I soon learned that not all technologies are created for the purpose of supplementing education. Some of the technologies were difficult for an educator or student to use and other technologies were great resources. During the technology integration project, we had to integrate four different technologies into one course. For example, internet integration opportunities, tool-based software, instructional software available, and productivity software available. In addition, we had to determine a problem, integration strategy, relative advantage, expected outcome, and resources. To overcome this challenge, I learned how technology can alleviate some barriers such as space constraints, time and financial resources such as technology budgets that allowed me to research free technologies for the K-12 content areas I researched. Each week, I enjoyed opening each assignment to learn more and to continue learning about new and existing technologies. My favorite assignment is when we were assigned to a

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role-play as our favorite learning theorist and we had to create a presentation as if we were that person. The person I chose was Jean Piaget, the reason why I chose Piaget is because I wanted to learn more about his cognitive development theory. I enjoyed this class and I have gained a lot of great experience, skills, and knowledge of using technology in the K-12 classroom and beyond.