EDLD 5366 Week 5 Reflection

Self-Assessment
When I first learned that my EDLD 5352 substitution class would be in the area of technology, I was really excited.  My excitement was short lived as I learned the focus of the class would be on Digital Graphics, Animation, and Web Design.  Seriously, how in the world would this be beneficial to me as a school administrator?  As I got started in the class, my thoughts began to change and I started to see the big picture.  It isn’t about me it’s about the students I serve/will serve.  I have never heard of the C.R.A.P principles – Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity.  I usually tend to go with what is pleasing to my eye.  After completing the assignment in week one, I began to understand what really goes into designing and building a good website (Williams, 2008).

In week three, I had to create an animation.  I became frustrated during this assignment but that was due to being out of my comfort zone.  I eventually got the hang of the program and managed to create a fun little animation and had my youngest daughter record the character’s dialogue. 

I was already familiar with setting up a Google Site as I did this at the beginning of my program.  I did have to refresh my memory by looking back through notes and watching You Tube videos, but I took the initiative and set up the Google Site for my group and our Google Doc.  I was a bit nervous when it came to the group website project, but my fears quickly subsided once we got started.  I feel that my group, the Collaborating Cardinals, did a good job of communicating and collaborating to get our project done.

Learn as a Learner
I love to learn new things, even when some things are much easier to learn than others.  I utilize different learning styles to help me learn and comprehend.  I have to hear it, read it, see it, and do it.  I utilized You Tube videos quite a bit during this class to help me complete some of my assigned tasks.  I like collaborating with colleagues and classmates.  It is important to see things from someone else’s standpoint.  I displayed leadership within my group by taking the initiative to set up our group Google Site and Google Doc (collaborative document).  I had the time to take on this task and I wanted my group members to relax and not stress out about it.  I learned to value my group members and trust that we would all do our job.  We communicated quite a bit via email and Facebook messaging.  We all encouraged each other and gave good feedback.

Lifelong Learning Skills
Technology changes on a daily basis and one must keep up with the changes or get left behind.  New programs are created and changes to current programs are constantly being updated.  It is important to continue learning throughout your life.  When you quit learning, you cease to live.  Students today are considered to be “Digital Natives” as they have grown up surrounded by technology as compared with previous generations who did not (SEG, 2008).  

I found the article, Blooms Taxonomy Blooms Digitally extremely interesting.  We are all familiar with Blooms Taxonomy, but this focused on technology.  It is important for educators to understand that higher-level thinking does take place through different avenues.  For example, a teacher could have students demonstrate “Creating” through blogging (Churches, 2008).

 I must continue to learn in order to be an effective educator and eventually an administrator.  One part of learning is through reflection.  In order to improve, one must reflect on what was good or not so good and what can be done to improve.  Subconsciously, teachers do this on a daily basis.  Students should also practice reflection.  Students can see what they did well, what they can improve, and this can also help them realize that planning and giving enough time to complete tasks have an impact on results.  You can learn a lot through your experiences, whether positive or negative.  My past interactions and collaborations with colleagues will help me continue to respect their time and efforts.  It is important to be patient and compromise when there are disagreements in order to complete the task at hand.

REFERENCES

Churches, A. (2008). Bloom's taxonomy blooms digitally. Tech & Learning, Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/studies-in-ed-tech/0020/blooms-taxonomy-blooms-digitally/44988

SEG Research (2008). Understanding Multimedia Learning: Integrating multimedia in the K-12 classroom. New Hope, Pennsylvania: SEG Research.

Williams, R. The Non-Designer’s Design Book, Third Edition.