Element 8: Reflect on Your Practice

Learner: Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and with others and exploring proven and promising practices that leverage technology to improve student learning. Educators:

1a. Set professional learning goals to explore and apply pedagogical approaches made possible by technology and reflect on their effectiveness.

1b. Pursue professional interests by creating and actively participating in local and global learning networks.

My first year as an Instructional Technology Coach, was also my first year working at an elementary school. Therefore1, I set two learning goals which helped me to focus on the use of educational technology specific to elementary level learning. Both of these goals centered on how I will learn to strengthen my practice in educational technology, and help me to support the teachers and students I work with. 

One of my goals included joining various global digital networks to better help me understand my county's provided applications. As an Instructional Technology Coach one of my goals was to explore and model how these applications can transform the classroom experience, I knew I’d need to learn from those who knew more than me. However, I also found that as I explored these tools I was also able to help others in these networks. 

1c. Stay current with research that supports improved student learning outcomes, including findings from the learning sciences.

Here is an example of a unit I developed utilizing a tool I learned about through my class on transformative technology: 

Collaborator: Educators dedicate time to collaborate with both colleagues and students to improve practice, discover and share resources and ideas, and solve problems. Educators:

4a. Dedicate planning time to collaborate with colleagues to create authentic learning experiences that leverage technology.

4d. Demonstrate cultural competency when communicating with students, parents and colleagues and interact with them as co-collaborators in student learning.

I collaborate with teachers individually as well as with grade level teams. I try to attend weekly team meetings for each grade level so that I can hear what they will be working on, and share ways to integrate technology to create authentic learning experiences. An example of this was when I collaborated with the third grade team and the librarian for a research project. Students were researching ancient civilizations. While the teachers facilitated the learning, the librarian supported the students with setting their research topics and questions. As students completed their projects I taught them how to use Canva to create slide decks, videos, or infographics where they would share their findings. Students were then empowered to share what they had learned while taking on the role of the expert. 

Student Sample:

4b. Collaborate and co-learn with students to discover and use new digital resources and diagnose and troubleshoot technology issues.

While I share technology with students, I encourage students to share what they know with me. For example, I facilitated with a learning experience with a kindergarten class where I co-learned Wixie with my learners. I had never used Wixie before and one of the Kindergarten teachers asked for me to introduce it to her class. I designed a learning experience where the students and I would explore this tool together and learn how it worked. 

4c. Use collaborative tools to expand students' authentic, real-world learning experiences by engaging virtually with experts, teams and students, locally and globally.

I collaborated with other educators to organize a virtual meeting for our students with theatre professionals across the country using Google Meet with our middle school students so that our students could ask them questions about what it was like to work in their job. Aside from finding speakers, I took on the role of host, making sure that questions were asked in an organized manner during our Google Meet.

Designer: Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and environments that recognize and accommodate learner variability. Educators:

5a. Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences that foster independent learning and accommodate learner differences and needs.

5b. Design authentic learning activities that align with content area standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active, deep learning.

5c. Explore and apply instructional design principles to create innovative digital learning environments that engage and support learning.

Designing a mixed methods classroom changed how I could interact with my students. As they worked (either independatnly or in groups) I could monitor progress and provide further assistance as necessary. Being able to watch students work in real time allowed me to make comments directly to them on the computer without drawing attention from the rest of the class, or to correct misunderstandings more quickly. This also helps me to hold each learner accountable for participating in thier own learning experience. 

As shared in the section above, I designed a unit surrounding the project: Dream Vacation. Although we met via Google Meet each day, students were able to work on their projects independently. As they worked on assignments I shared with them through Google Classroom I could see their work as it happened, and could provide feedback for them to see. I was also able to find where there were gaps in learning and could address those problems in a timely manner. This project allowed for differentiation according to students needs. 

The project can be found here:

Facilitator: Educators facilitate learning with technology to support student achievement of the ISTE Standards for Students. Educators:

6a. Foster a culture where students take ownership of their learning goals and outcomes in both independent and group settings.

6b. Manage the use of technology and student learning strategies in digital platforms, virtual environments, hands-on makerspaces or in the field.

6c. Create learning opportunities that challenge students to use a design process and computational thinking to innovate and solve problems.

6d. Model and nurture creativity and creative expression to communicate ideas, knowledge or connections.

In my intermediate theatre class I introduce students to the professional jobs of technical theatre. Students are given the opportunity to act as designers and bring plays to life. They then share their justifications for the designs with their class as we hold a virtual gallery walk. 

Students begin taking ownership of their work by writing a short play regarding an issue/problem that they think is important to address. Using Google Docs they may write alone or with a partner, allowing for real-time collaboration and edits. 

One they finish I introduce them to the makerspace 3D modeling tool Tinkercad. Through Tinkercad they are able to create models of what their set will look like. Once completed, they share their design with the class through a shared Google Slide. Once all projects have been completed we hold our virtual walk through of all the designs and students share their creative process and justification with the class.

Their scrips will later be brought to life on stage as their peers act them out.