Key Concept 16
Professional Advancement
16.1 Candidates will be able to actively engage in professional learning networks (PLN) to collaborate and share ideas and resources with colleagues.
ET 630 Twitter Chat and PLN
In ET 630, Digital Communication for Educators, we explored using digital communication technology to expand our professional learning networks to include regional, national, and global contacts. Working with three peers from my cohort, we held a Twitter Chat where we discussed and shared tools to simplify our days and engage our students. Eighteen teachers joined our chat and contributed with questions and feedback. I have continued using the Twitter account I created and used for the chat and now have thirty-six followers. When I started the EdTech program, I opened a second Pinterest account for gathering and sharing information and tools with other teachers. Between eight hundred to one thousand monthly viewers see my pins. My LinkedIn account has been visited by people in the Ed Tech community and I have been contacted by fellow teachers in the field.
16.2 Candidates will be able to determine and implement the best approaches to improving their technology integration efforts through a continual process of self-evaluation and reflection.
ET 662 Reflection Journal
ED 602 Reflective Journal
ET 691 Internship Reflections
In ET 662, Technology Leadership and Professional Learning, we explored adopting a reflective-practice stance on our teaching and professional learning. One of the projects for this class had been maintaining a professional reflections journal. As I progressed through the modules, I recorded the most useful, meaningful, and/or relevant information I came across and responded to questions while focussing my thinking and conclusions.
In ED 602, Learner-Centered Education, we explored the theoretical routes of learner-centered education and focused on how individuals learn and the most effective teaching techniques, based on the best available knowledge about those theories. In my Reflective Journal, I documented how Learner-Centered Educational practices were being incorporated into my teaching. Through self-reflection, I was able to analyze what went well and what needed improvement.
In ET 691, Educational Technology Internship, I implemented online learning at my school. During the process, I kept a reflections journal as an aid in evaluating what went well, stumbling blocks, and possible solutions.
