Design & Technology

I learned early on in my graduate studies and exploration of educational technology that it was easy to just "use" a technology application in a lesson because it was new, different, and interesting for me and my students and it was recommended in a professional development setting. My first endeavor as a first-year teacher dealt with Flipgrid, and I found it to be too confusing for my own students at the time, and I was just trying to add technology into my lesson plans in order to be "21st-century focused", even though it was the wrong application to use in that particular lesson.

I've learned, as shown with many of the artifacts below, that there is a process of evaluating technology (also known as the TPACK Model) that needs to take place when I'm considering to introduce new technological devices or applications to my lesson. My end goal as the designer of my course (in whatever environment I'm engaging with) is to reach a specific learning target or outcome, and the technology being considered needs to be evaluated and weighed in terms of what will be the best course. It took me many courses and lesson plans and reflections to really reach this understanding of my role as the designer. The way a technology is designed always has a purpose, and it is my job to consider what is appropriate and effective within the environment I'm trying to make an impact.

Web 2.0 Technologies Final Project - Canvas LMS

The purpose of this project was to evaluate, select, and incorporate learning technologies into instruction. For this project, I decided to select Canvas as my learning management system to deliver the instructional activities for teacher professional development that would be an introduction to our Canvas professional development in the summer of 2020. I have the most experience with Canvas as a LMS, both as an instructor and as a student. The instruction below is an outline of the project, but the multimedia presentation I created showed my proficiency with the Google Suite and the walk-through of mastery paths in Canvas, which allow for differentiation and to create common formative assessments for check-in. I selected this particular artifact for adult learning, as opposed to a student-related lesson, because I was experimenting with adult learning theories, as opposed to Vygotsky's Social Learning Theory, which can still be applicable to adults. I looked at project and problem-based learning for adults. I wanted to extend my learning beyond just adolescent student learning, due to my desire to go beyond K-12 school districts as an Instructional Technologist.

The multimedia presentation showcases my ability to utilize Zoom and Screencast in order to give audio and visual explanations and understandings behind my thinking when trying to utilize the tools that Canvas has to offer its designers and students. I also give explanation to why Canvas is a more effective choice of learning management system as opposed to Google Classroom, which is another common LMS in my particular school district.

Writing From Multiple Perspectives - Technology Integration Project

In my Applying Instructional Media and Technology course, we were required to create a unit that integrates multiple pieces of technology. Initially I considered my Learning Targets - what were the skills that I was wanting my students to learn? Then I considered what technology would be able to get me there. Ultimately I decided on using Canva, which is an online graphic design studio website, which gives students the opportunity to create an eZine, since I was attempting to help students practice skills in considering and writing from multiple perspectives.

Not only are students developing their own persuasive writing, but I also wanted my students to become their own designer while utilizing a newer piece of technology - which was Canva. Students were also to turn their Canva eZine into Canvas, our Learning Management System, which ended up creating an opportunity for students to problem-solve and determine how they were going to download their eZine as a PDF for submission to their Canvas assignment. The multimedia presentation below gives a more detailed explanation of the scaffolding and design choices surrounding the Canvas eZine Project, and also shows my ability to integrate Screencasting explanations into my lessons for students to go back and consider when needing audio directions.

Article Review - "Online Self-Paced High-School Class Size and Student Achievement" by Lin, Kwon, & Zhang

CORE 21 Model: Lenses & Perspectives Unit

Inquiry-Based Learning Design Project

My Tech & Inquiry-Based Learning course really opened my eyes to problem-based learning as opposed to project-based. I had been exposed to the benefits of project-based learning while in my undergraduate education, but I found that this course was incredibly beneficial for me to engage in backwards design and design a unit that allowed my students to solve a problem. I incorporated many different digital mediums, such as art, social media, reflection journalism, and digital citizenship activities. I feel like this project below really exemplifies my ability to take a variety of educational technology and utilize them effectively within a classroom setting to solve a real-world problem.

Design Project - Online Learning Systems

In my design project, I used a Google Site, Canvas, and Google Suites to build my "Virtual AP Research Academy" for my course, which is my "public" domain for students to access if they were absent and unable to get into Canvas, which is my district's primary learning management system, and what I selected as a more "user-friendly" domain for absent work. Using this particular educational technology led to me using Canvas and Google Sites in multiple other projects across many of my courses. Canvas can embed multiple technologies, as well as Google Sites, yet one seemed to take less time than the other. Therefore, I wanted to explore Canvas and Google Sites and determine the needs of my students, as well as show my ability to embed multiple technologies into one place.

I also wanted to explore Google Suites so my classmates and professor could give me feedback, especially since they would not be able to access my Canvas course. My multimedia presentation goes through a more in-depth analysis of my lessons and my activities that integrate different technologies for my learning outcomes. The entire unit can be explored through the artifacts below:

Twitter Exploration

Twitter is a constant stream of information and thoughts from any user in any part of the world. I was originally introduced to the educational uses of Twitter at the 2018 Frisco ISD Convocation. The speaker, George Curios, encouraged us to find ways to integrate technology into our classrooms and he brought up the idea of using Twitter to explore different educational strategies from other educators throughout the world. I created my page and began following as many individuals as I could that were centered around technology and its uses in the classroom. This is what began my interest in becoming a Digital Learning Coach for my high school.

This role would allow me to work with teachers and teach them to integrate technology effectively and safely into their classrooms and in the library setting. I realized quickly that I could not teach other educators how to do that unless I practiced it out first. This is what led to my creation of a classroom Twitter account. It also excited me to be able to post about the different technology-rich lessons I was using in my curriculum and let other teachers and principals see them as well.

In a few of my other classes, we were to "play" around with Twitter and develop hashtags for our courses (ETEC 527) and follow our classmates and what they were integrating. This fell during the early time of pandemic, so many teachers were sharing Canvas and Google Classroom hints, which proved useful in my own classroom. The link to my classroom Twitter page is below:

Google Forms Exploration - First Semester Thoughts

I am always designing different lesson plans and activities to gauge my students' understanding of a particular topic or skill. As I learn about the effective uses of technology within education, I am able to create lessons that help my students stay self-sufficient as learners. By showing my extensive Google Form below, I feel like the artifact shows my proficiency in Google applications and my ability to reflect on the purposes behind the technology within my own classroom. Although this is one of the first Google Forms I ever created for my English II course, I felt like the multiple pathways and ability for me to gauge student understanding over the year provided effective data and allowed me to teach others at my school how to utilize Forms in the secondary setting.

The artifacts below are lessons and activities that I have created and have been useful for a student-centered learning environment.