EDLD 5352 Course Reflection

As I began this course, The Technology Link, I was hoping to gain greater insight into the role technology will play in education. I also hoped to understand the role of the education administrator in guiding technology integration in schools. In concluding the final week of the course, I feel as though I have gained considerable knowledge in the ways a principal contributes to school technology. Through professional development leadership, attainment of resources, management of technology funds, hiring of technology personnel, and many other means, the principal is a significant part of a district’s technology program.
Many of the mediums we used to complete the course assignments also allowed me to improve my technological capabilities and gain an understanding of the world in which my students interact on a daily basis. I will be the first to admit that I am a “digital immigrant” when compared to my students. The course was beneficial in that it introduced a variety of technologies and also presented the systems approach to managing the use and implementation of these technologies. Therefore, the course materials were beneficial both from a teaching perspective and an administration perspective.
I found that I was quite successful in carrying out course assignments. Most of the directions were very specific and served as a useful guide for successful completion. The only challenge I faced with the completion of the assignments was time management. I feel as though my students could have created the blogs and posted on the discussion forum more quickly than I did. Being unfamiliar with some of these technology tools meant that it took some extra time and effort on my part to complete each week’s assignments. However, I feel as though I learned a lot through this process.
As a result of this course, I learned that although I am able to use technology on a day-to-day basis (e.g., checking e-mail, using software, etc.), there are a lot of technology applications that I am very unfamiliar with. The students I teach have much greater knowledge of technology than I do, and they are much more reliant upon technology. This is going to be the changing face of education. This course served as a wake-up call for where our educational system is headed in terms of technology. If I choose to stay in the education profession, I will need to make great strides in improving my technology capabilities and my knowledge of how technology can be used in to enhance the learning environment.
Blogging is a good example of technology that can be integrated into the curriculum very easily to enhance learning. Through the use of online blogs, students can share their thoughts, opinions and the knowledge gained in school. They can also comment on the thoughts of their classmates and engage in ongoing discussions about course content. While there are many benefits to blogging and implementing blogs into the curriculum, I feel as though there are also some concerns. Students should be guided as to what appropriate behavior looks like on a classroom blog. Information that is posted is public, and should therefore be appropriate for all class members to read.
Blogs could also be a valuable communication tool. Posting announcements and news on a school blog could help keep stakeholders informed of the latest. This would be a quick and convenient way for administrators to make important announcements to the school community. Furthermore, with the comment feature of the blog, administrators could receive instant feedback from stakeholders.