EDTC 805 Cross-discipline Studies in Technology
EDTC 805: This course focuses on the exploration and evaluation of advanced and emergent technologies and the means by which educational and training leaders learn about them and sustain them in a learning environment. This course assists educational and corporate professionals to develop innovative educational and organization practices across disciplines.
A group project that discusses the overview and trends of augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Also includes solutions on practical integration into the secondary classrooms and demonstration of features / selection of available software of augmented and virtual reality.
(Co-authors: Susan Marie Terra & Alexander Kuziola)
As the United States continues to diversify, expand its base to include many different cultures, and as we continue to learn and understand these differences in our various backgrounds, it is imperative that students learn to understand the value of libraries as they are establishing a general global culture - respectful of each other’s differences. This white paper emphasizes the importance of teaching students the value of libraries through a global lens.
Reflection: I was excited about writing this white paper because of my first experience of learning about the many different libraries that exist in other parts of the world (EDTC 804 Environmental Scan). This assignment inspired me to write a blog for Demco's Ideas & inspiration. In my blog post, I listed the many different types of global libraries, their benefits, and how to incorporate their significance into lessons for students. Resources for teaching about global libraries include informational texts and videos.
EDTC 807 Implementation and Evaluation of Curriculum
EDTC 807: This course provides candidates with a comprehensive understanding of the landscape of implementation and evaluation of educational technology programs. The philosophies, methods, and processes of curriculum design in educational technology provide the framework for curricular models; resources for decision-making; and evaluation methods for educational and corporate settings.
In The Struggle for the American Curriculum, author Herbert Kliebard provided a thorough historical summary of educational policy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, in which four major curriculum interest groups were discussed. This paper discusses the groups and their particular influences for a different selection of knowledge and values that exhorted the curriculum framework for American public education at the turn of the century.
Reflection: This assignment helped me realize that the American curriculum was not a direct result of an effortless progression of evolutionary development. I learned that the curriculum was developed through a method of disagreement and negotiation by the various interest groups and how they brought variety to what was taught in schools.
A group project that describes 20 diverse uses of technology in formal educational settings. The applicable uses were placed in their broader context (theoretical and in the larger trends in curriculum and education) through the use of the SAMR model, the work of Paulo Freire, and Understanding by Design.
(Co-authors: Dennissa Brown, Patrick Holness &
Susan Marie Terra)
Many teachers are revolutionizing their learning experiences into a collaborative, unique form of participant-driven PD widely recognized as Edcamps. The constant development of new pedagogies and educational technology tools are changing quickly in school districts and Edcamps are responding to these new educational trends by providing teachers with the responsive skills they need.
Reflection: As the co-founder of Edcamp Urban, I was excited to learn about the historical context, conceptual framework, and theoretical perspectives of edcamps. I began to fully appreciate the learners and their self-directed and intrinsic motivation that drives them to attend edcamps.
A (group project) proposal that would organize an after school STEM Makerspace program that focuses on 3D printing.
(Co-authors: Yalitza Vega & Stephanie Peborde Burke)
Reflection: This group project allowed me to better understand the importance of implementing a 3D printing STEM curriculum into an after school program. From researching relevant literature, I learned that educators who wish to pursue this type of program should keep up-to-date with the emerging 3D printing trends and materials, along with learning a variety of 3D printing lesson plans and projects.
EDTC 814 Advanced Effective Models of ELearning
EDTC 814: This course focuses on concepts and strategies necessary to step into a leadership role in the integration and application of technology and learning. Topics include strategic planning, leadership styles, institutional change process, designing world-class eLearning, and policy issues in educational technology.
This simulation from the Harvard Business School allowed us to explore our teamwork dynamics and leadership skills.
Reflection: This simulation from the Harvard Business School allowed our group (Team Alpine) to explore group dynamics and leadership skills. My position as the photographer helped my group in its goal for survival.
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The essentials of instructional design were applied to two higher education case studies. Needs analyses and sets of goals/objectives were established for each case study.
Reflection: Reflection: The two case studies allowed me to put myself in the position as a Director of Online Learning and create needs, task, and learner analyses, along with goals and objectives in order to improve the online experience of a university's courses, the best collaborative learning approach to instructing a specific course, and a plan to elevate students’ awareness and comfort levels in collaborative group work.
The vision of this eLearning plan for XYZ School is to increase the number of technology devices to improve student-learning opportunities through standard-aligned personalized digital learning models, phase out print textbooks and their limitations, replace print textbooks with open-educational-resources and implement a variety of standard-aligned digital learning websites into classroom instruction.
Reflection: This assignment enabled me to create and share a vision of e-learning for a high school. I learned to formulate a technology plan that supported the vision and write a proposal seeking funding for the plan. I created a trifold plan that planed to increase the number of technology devices, phase out print textbooks and replace them with open-educational-resources, and implement a variety of standard-aligned digital learning websites into classroom instruction.
EDTC 816 Advanced Building On-line Communities
EDTC 816: This course provides a background in theory and practice surrounding online interaction environments. It is concerned with the practical issues of design and use of online tools to support communities. Assignments include weekly readings, design sketches, critiques of existing systems and a final design project.
The DeviantArt and #Bookstagram online communities were chosen as two exemplars of online communities of practice. Brief summaries of these two communities were noted, as well as highlights of some of the lessons that might be informative to the design of exemplary online community prototypes. Constituents of an online community, including descriptions, explanations, and sets of criteria from each online community were also included.
Reflection: This project allowed me to realize just how important our need for companionship and information really is. Being part of a connected community helps participants obtain and discuss relevant and important issues, as well as acquire professional expertise from other like-minded individuals.
Facebook groups can serve as a venue for professional online community building and can facilitate an informal learning style for its members. The Future Ready Librarians Facebook Group is organizing already-existing expertise into effective collaborative relationships between peers, acting as an advocate, curator, mediator and coordinator to achieve future-ready status in school districts.
The Facebook Group is an online community where school librarians can share best practices, tools and resources, and interact with other like-minded members.
Reflection: This project allowed our group to contact the Future Ready Librarians organizers and discuss their organization's goals and actions, as well as explore their Facebook Group's metrics. A live, synchronous chat with the organizers allowed us to personally interview them in order to further comprehend the organization's history and future goals.
(Co-authors: Alexander Kuziola and Yalitza Vega-Bajana)
Many countries have individuals who reside in underprivileged, rural provinces where access to education is inaccessible. As a result, common folk are stepping up and performing the job of librarians in these provinces. Forming mobile libraries, these literacy heroes are encouraging and increasing literacy in many disadvantaged and forgotten communities. The Literacy Heroes online community website centers on the focal point of cultivating public awareness about promoting global literacy. Through the online forums, registered members can share diverse resources that feature those who are endorsing literacy throughout the world such as news articles, photos, and videos. Other members can comment and share their voices and viewpoints on posts.
Reflection: This project was enjoyable, not only because I got to practice my web-designing skills, but because I truly love to advocate for the improbable libraries and literacy leaders who are advancing literacy in impoverished and neglected communities by creating libraries throughout the world.
EDTC 817 Advanced Developing and Managing DL Programs
EDTC 817: This course presents the theory and techniques for developing and managing an online program. It focuses on theory and trends in distance learning with special emphasis on determining ways to provide a high quality of education in a distance environment.
