EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

EDTC-670: Teaching and Leading Beyond Boundaries Project

D’Vore Brittingham

University of Maryland Global Campus

Dr. Timothy Green

EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

Capstone Reflection

My time in the Instructional Technology program here at the University of Maryland

Global Campus (UMGC) has shifted my thinking as an educator. Starting this program I

considered myself to be a seasoned teacher with my instructional techniques down pat. However,

from the first course I took and the closing of my Capstone Project the words “there’s always

room for growth” never rang more true. This program has pushed me to become a better teacher

and leverage technology in a way that benefits not only students but teachers. There were a lot of

eye-opening moments, assignments, and knowledge that I plan to wholeheartedly transfer into

my everyday teaching setting and beyond. As I bring the final piece of my program path to a

close, I know that who I am as an instructional technology leader is not yet set in stone. If there’s

anything I’ve learned it’s that technology as well as education is ever evolving and changing, and

I must continue to grow with it.

While I reflect I plan to show you what I’ve accomplished throughout this program, how

I’ve mastered and continue to work with the ISTE Standards for Coaches, and how concepts in

UMGC’s Conceptual Framework have helped shape my identity as a technology leader in

education. Not only am I a teacher but I am also a special education teacher. A lot of my job is

ensuring that education is accessible to all learners. The Instructional Technology program has

shown me how to leverage technology to achieve this goal. I plan to use the new skills and

knowledge I’ve gained in order to push the teaching and learning inside my classroom.

UMGC’s Conceptual Framework

EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

As an education professional my goal for students is an equitable learning experience. The

UMGC Conceptual Framework has been aimed at teaching me how to provide this to my

students. There is an overarching goal of “Teaching and Leading Beyond Boundaries” within

this frame. Simply put this means that we figure out how to provide high-quality instruction and

education to all learners despite social or economic backgrounds. The objectives of the

framework are:

1. Teaching for Learning

2. Analysis, Reflection and Continuous Improvement

3. Technology Integration and Digital Citizenship

4. Creativity, Innovativeness, and Adaptability

5. Local, National and Global Community

6. Instructional Leadership

Each objective of the framework has lent itself in preparing me for a life as a technology

integration leader in schools. The following are the three objectives that I feel have really pushed

me in my craft: Teaching for Learning, Technology Integration and Digital Citizenship, and

Creativity, Innovativeness, and Adaptability.

The objective Teaching for Learning focuses not only on my content knowledge but also

my knowledge of my students and their varying levels of ability. “While educators must deeply

understand their own disciplinary field and the way in which the field is connected with other

related subjects, they must also be able to integrate that disciplinary knowledge with a deep

understanding of the learner and his/her life in order to design meaningful instruction”
EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

(University of Maryland Global Campus, 2013, p. 13). This objective puts me in the mindset of

“addressing the needs of the whole child.” Often as a special education teacher I am tasked with

meeting my students where they’re at academically and working from there. This objective

pushed me to continuously promote a high level of learning for my students while also

addressing their individual needs. Inside of my classroom, I now implement a multitude of web

2.0 platforms, assistive technology, and differentiated instruction when working with my

students.

The objective Technology Integration and Digital Citizenship focuses on my ability to

select the right technology to integrate into my classroom and how well I prepare my students to

be global citizens. I am completing this degree program in an unprecedented time. A portion of

my learning and teaching has been done through a global pandemic, which forced the world to

go digital. Because of this crisis it was more important than ever that I taught my students about

global citizenship. Students spent an extraordinary amount of time on the internet and on

computers for learning. As an educator I spent my time ensuring that I was selecting the right

technology programs for our classroom and also making sure that I integrated each program at

the correct time and gave students choice in their online learning. I also spent time ensuring that

students knew how to conduct themselves digitally with their peers locally and globally.

Teaching students online decorum helped prepare them for the real-world complex situations that

they will face.

The objective Creativity, Innovativeness, and Adaptability has also been prominent in me

learning to provide equitable instruction to my students. Working with 21st century learners, it is
EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

important to capitalize on using technology and digital tools to leverage learning for students. I

have found that technology integration inside of the classroom has allowed me to give more

student choice in the learning and has also created independent learners. It is also important to

foster a learning environment where students are not afraid to fail and know that “mistakes” are

just a piece of the learning process. This has been my biggest push for my students and my

growth. Working with middle school aged kids, they are all virtually afraid to fail or take risks in

front of each other. This has made me push my creativity inside of the classroom. I’ve looked for

ways to show that “failing” is not always a negative thing and have turned these into teachable

moments for students.

ISTE Standards for Coaches

My coursework and field experience during this program has afforded me the opportunity to

work with the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) standards for coaches. In

this next portion I will address my proficiency with each standard and it’s various indicators with

clear evidence. The assignments that I have completed to aid me in my development will also be

provided for proof. I will also elaborate on the ISTE standards that I believe I still need further

growth with, and my plan for meeting the standards needs in the future.

Standard #1: Change Agent – “Coaches inspire educators and leaders to use technology to
create equitable and ongoing access to high-quality learning”.

Standard 1 of the ISTE Standards for Coaches focuses on coaches being able to “inspire

educators and leaders to use technology to create equitable and ongoing access to high-quality

learning.” When looking at this standard I would consider myself to be proficient. This standard

has the indicator of “facilitating equitable use of digital learning tools and content that meet the
EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

needs of each learner. ( International Society for Technology in Education, 2021)” As my time as

a special education teacher I’ve been able to work with multiple general education teachers and

administration in order to use technology to accelerate learning for students.

Through my time at UMGC I’ve exhibited proficiency with this skill with the development

of my School Technology Plan completed in EDTC 630, and my District Technology Training

Plan that I completed in EDTC 640. The School Technology Plan was created with my

classmates from the course and demonstrated our expertise with indicator 4.1.e which is

“connecting leaders, educators, instructional support, technical support, domain experts and

solution providers to maximize the potential of technology for learning” ( International Society

for Technology in Education, 2021). My District Technology Training Plan allowed me to access

the school and the district's needs as a whole, in order to put in a plan that supported teachers and

students with technology inside the classroom.

School Technology Plan – LINK

EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT
EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

District Technology Training Plan - LINK

District Technology Training Plan (School

Board Presentation) - LINK

Standard #2: Connected Learner –

“Coaches model the ISTE Standards for
Students and the ISTE Standards for
Educators, and identify ways to improve
their coaching practice”.

Standard 2 of the ISTE Standards for

Coaches focuses on coaches being able to

“model and identify ways to improve their

coaching practice.” When looking at this

EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

standard I would consider myself to be proficient. This standard has the indicator 4.2.a “pursuing

professional learning that deepens expertise in the ISTE Standards in order to serve as a model

for educators and leaders” ( International Society for Technology in Education, 2021). It is

important for educators and leaders to model what is expected. I believe that I am proficient in

this standard.

During my time at UMGC I’ve modeled what is expected to improve practices by the

completion of the Global Lesson Plan project in EDTC 645. I’ve also spent an extensive amount

of time interacting with indicator 4.2b., “actively participate in professional learning networks to

enhance coaching practice and keep current with emerging technology and innovations in

pedagogy and the learning sciences” ( International Society for Technology in Education, 2021).

I’ve participated in a Professional Learning Network (PLN) in the EDTC 600 course. In my role

as an educator I am always modeling what is expected for my students inside of the classroom as

well. Over the course of this program I’ve been committed to expanding my PLN. A PLN is

described as "a network of people and resources that support ongoing learning" (Morris, 2018).

As an educator I am constantly looking for resources that help improve my practice. I’ve

attended multiple professional developments, web seminars, and continuously read education

newsletters to improve my practice.

Education is a field that is ever changing

and evolving, therefore my PLN is

constantly growing as well.

Global Lesson Plan - LINK

EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

Standard #3: Collaborator – “Coaches establish productive relationships with educators in

order to improve instructional practice and learning outcomes.”

Standard 3 of the ISTE Standards for Coaches focuses on coaches being able to “establish

productive relationships with educators in order to improve instructional practice and learning

outcomes.” This standard has the indicator 4.3.b “partner with educators to identify digital

learning content that is culturally relevant, developmentally appropriate and aligned to content

standards” ( International Society for Technology in Education, 2021). When looking at this

standard I would consider myself to be proficient. As a special education teacher I have worked

alongside general education teachers and administration in order to find ways to best service

children. As a budding technology specialist, in my school I’ve also been tasked with finding

new digital tools (hardware, software, website, etc.) that promote and facilitate learning as well.

During my time at UMGC I’ve been able to research extensively new assistive technology

that would benefit students as well. This aligns with indicator 4.3c., “partner with educators to

evaluate the efficacy of digital learning content and tools to inform procurement decisions and

adoption.” I’ve also demonstrated my ability to do this in the EDTC 625 course with the

completion of my Assistive Technology Case Study. My Project Based Learning assignment

completed in EDTC 605 also gave me the benefit to determine the efficacy of digital learning

tools as well.

Assistive Technology Case Study - LINK

EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

Assistive Technology Interview -LINK

Project Based Learning -LINK

EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

Standard #4: Learning Designer – “Coaches model and support educators to design learning
experiences and environments to meet the needs and interests of all students”.

Standard 4 of the ISTE Standards for Coaches focuses on coaches being able to “model and

support educators to design learning experiences and environments to meet the needs and

interests of all students”. I believe my time at UMGC has now made me proficient with this

standard as well. As a special education teacher I spend a lot of time planning lessons that will

provide my students with equitable access, and also figuring out things that will engage all

learning modalities. My experience in this program and as an educator has greatly assisted me in

this initiative. This standard has the indicator 4.4.a “collaborate with educators to develop

authentic, active learning experiences that foster student agency, deepen content mastery and

allow students to demonstrate their competency”.

Inside of the classroom my co-teacher and I have been using a multitude of platforms

digital and classroom based to engage students in learning. These things range from project
EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

based learning assignments, station learning, and independent web based learning. My

Classroom Technology Plan from EDTC 630, also helped me hone in on these skills. It gave me

a continued practice of creating student centered lesson plans for the benefit of all learners.

Classroom Technology Plan - LINK

Standard #5: Professional Learning Facilitator – “Coaches plan, provide and evaluate the
impact of professional learning for educators and leaders to use technology to advance teaching
and learning”.

Standard 5 of the ISTE Standards for Coaches focuses on coaches being able to “plan,

provide and evaluate the impact of professional learning for educators and leaders to use

technology to advance teaching and learning”. I believe I am still developing with this standard.

While I have had opportunities to work with and showcase new and upcoming technology to

facilitate learning. I have not yet had the opportunity in a real capacity to coach and provide

professional developments for teachers. This standard has the indicator 4.5.c “evaluate the

impact of professional learning and continually make improvements in order to meet the

schoolwide vision for using technology for high-impact teaching and learning”.
EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

I have practiced with this indicator during the EDTC 640 course. I created an online

professional development workshop geared towards ensuring the comfortability and ability of

teachers to effectively plan, create, and deliver Common Core aligned engaging and meaningful

lesson plans. While I had the opportunity to practice making meaning and impactful professional

developments for teachers, I still would like to continue to grow with this standard.

District Technology Plan Support Site - LINK

Standard #6: Data-Driven Decision-Maker –“ Coaches model and support the use of
qualitative and quantitative data to inform their own instruction and professional learning”.

Standard 6 of the ISTE Standards for Coaches focuses on coaches being able to “model

and support the use of qualitative and quantitative data to inform their own instruction and

professional learning”. I believe that I am proficient with this standard. As a special educator I

am always using data to drive my instruction. Data is also the foundation of my IEP

implementation and any modifications that take place for students. I also use my schools

microdata from assessments like: PARCC, NWEA Map, i-Ready, and Anet to show me what

Common Core standards and skills I should focus on inside of the classroom. These things then

drive my practice with daily entrance and exit tickets, guided practice, independent practice, and

homework.
EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

This standard has the indicator 4.6.b “Support educators to interpret qualitative and

quantitative data to inform their decisions and support individual student learning”. I have

practiced with this indicator during the EDTC 615 course with creating a Data Action Plan

Model. While my SMART goal for this model was not met, it gave me great insight with

reflection of the data to drive my classroom instruction. It also allowed me the opportunity to

know what it feels like when a plan doesn’t succeed and you must start over again. Data

collection is a form of learning and I look forward to the ongoing process.

Data Action Plan - LINK

Standard #7: Digital Citizen Advocate – “Coaches model digital citizenship and support
educators and students in recognizing the responsibilities and opportunities inherent in living in a
digital world”.

Standard 7 of the ISTE Standards for Coaches focuses on coaches being able to “model

digital citizenship and support educators and students in recognizing the responsibilities and

opportunities inherent in living in a digital world”. I believe that I am proficient with this

standard. During my time in the EDTC 630 course I did an extensive amount of work with

Acceptable Use Policies (AUP). This work helped me examine the need of digital awareness

teaching not only with students but also educators. From my research in this course it was
EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

apparent that while all digital platforms have some form of an AUP, almost no one ever reads

them. This lack of reading can in some instances be detrimental for students and educators

because we do not in fact know what we are agreeing to with usage.

This standard has the indicator 4.7.d “empower educators, leaders and students to make

informed decisions to protect their personal data and curate the digital profile they intend to

reflect”. Inside of my classroom I have tried to model and promote the management of personal

data and a digital identity that protects myself and my students. Making students aware of safe,

legal, and ethical online practices; has helped me to establish a learning culture inside and

outside of the classroom that fosters digital literacy and media fluency.

Acceptable Use Presentation - LINK

Acceptable Use Reflection -LINK

EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

Conclusion

Looking back on my time here at UMGC in the Instructional Technology program, I can’t

help but feel accomplished. During my degree program, I stated that "in this program I hope to

gain ways to be an effective leader amongst my colleagues, use technology to inspire change

inside and outside of the classroom, foster and build meaningful connections with the staff, and

clear communication skills." I can now say that I’ve met this goal and I am walking away with

the knowledge of how to inspire change inside and outside of the classroom. While I am not yet

an expert Technology Specialist, I feel as though I am well on my way. I plan to continue

figuring out ways to help with closing the digital divide and bring equality to education for all

learners with technology.

EDTC 670 TEACHING AND LEADING BEYOND BOUNDARIES PROJECT

References

International Society for Technology in Education. (2021). ISTE STANDARDS:

COACHES. Retrieved from ISTE: https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-coaches

University of Maryland Global Campus. (2013, December 11). Conceptual Framework:

Teaching and Leading Beyond Boundaries.