Professional Statement and Goals

MSEd in Instructional Technology Professional Portfolio- Personal Reflection and Goals Statement Lynnea Urbanowicz Northern Illinois University

Professional Statement and Goals Goals Statement

My goal is to be a leader in the field of instructional technology through the consistent and effective utilization of technology with my students on a daily basis to impact student achievement, motivation, and engagement.

Personal Statement Initially, entering a MSEd program in Instructional Media and Technology, I truly was unsure of the learning that would soon follow and I am beyond grateful for this opportunity to enhance my personal and professional growth as an IT professional. My undergraduate program at Wheaton College, as well as professional development opportunities within education have helped shape my readiness to interact with this course as well as prepared me to work well in a group environment and take individual responsibility for learning. The content covered has truly helped shape me as an educator and increased my knowledge of best practice as I am able to reflect upon my own teaching and design practices within the classroom and refocus my lens on instruction and incorporating technology in the classroom. I am extremely passionate about technology and education design and I am constantly learning and trying to incorporate innovative ways to increase student motivation, engagement, and achievement. Technology is an avenue that I believe can accomplish this goal. The content covered throughout this program has truly been an eyeopening experience as I am able to reflect upon my own teaching and design practices within the classroom and refocus my lens on instruction and

Professional Statement and Goals incorporating technology in the classroom, while finding deeper ways of approaching the instructional design process and technology implementation. This is an area that I feel extremely passionate about and I am constantly learning and trying to incorporate new things in my fifth grade classroom

environment. Our very nature of schooling and the students that are being taught are changing the way instruction is being planned and implemented; it excites me to be an innovator in the 21st century and find new ways to challenge my thinking and improve upon my instructional practices. I think the most beneficial way we can learn is by doing. We had many opportunities throughout this cohort to put our reading knowledge into practice and I appreciated having opportunities to continually collaborate with my peers to enhance and further my own learning. Additionally, this program has opened the door for more reflection on my own instructional design practices and being explicitly intentional with my planning and improving. Because of the information gained during this program, I dont think I will ever be the same instructor because I am already noticing how my planning has blossomed and my use of higher order questioning and objective writing has grown. When learning about the knowledge building principles it struck me that improvement on design helps students share knowledge and tackle projects that incorporate features of adult teamwork, realworld content, and use of varied information sources (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2007). Students are more engaged in the learning process when the learning is directed and driven by the interest of the students.

Professional Statement and Goals Instructional design is the process of purposefully planning learning activity or experience to achieve desired results and meet learning goals. There are a variety of ID models that can be utilized when planning for instruction, but at the heart of each are the components of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. Educators need to keep this entire process in mind when planning for instruction and constantly evaluate the learning that is taking place in the classroom. The paradigm shift from a traditional approach, where the focus of learning was placed heavily on the learner has fortunately swung into proper perspective. The learning process has as much to do with the process itself and design plan as it does on the learners and instructors. Attention to learners perspectives, preferences, and ownership of the learning process has grown. These shifts have changed the field from one where design of instruction as mainly delivered, to a field seeking to create learning environments in which learners can explore and are provided with opportunities for practical application in order to arrive at meaningful understanding are

present (AECT, 1997). This environment for ID should involve active participation of the learner and construct unique learning paths where the knowledge can be applied in real-life contexts. Allowing for deep and enriching opportunities in the classroom that are student-centered is the demonstration of best practice in education. It is crucial for classrooms in the 21st century to be student centered. This can be achieved by creating experiential, holistic, authentic, and challenging learning activities (Zemelman, 2005). Experiential involving hands-on immersion in the learning;

Professional Statement and Goals holistic creating purposeful context for learning; authentic, real, and challenging learning that engage students are key to successful design. With this in mind, educators need to encourage students to become accountable for their learning and engage them in higher order thinking skills and application of their learning.

Technology integration is not about the availability of technology, but more about the teachers' effective use of technology that makes a difference in reforming the classroom (Gorder, 2008). As I reflect upon the content knowledge gained in the IT field, I have taken away many insightful strategies as well as new learning being shaped by both my professors and peers. As far as instructional design, elements of the design process that need to be taken into consideration are the learners, goals, and meaningful performance that can be measured in a reliable and valid way (Branch and Gustafson). The diffusion, and adoption of training programs and the resistance that might hinder its success will be at the forefront of all professional development design opportunities presented in my future. I know that our field of education is constantly changing and that people will continue to fall in different places, but I feel that knowing where your staff falls in an important step to figuring out how to present a new idea and for it to be received in a positive way. Aside from planning for instruction, instructional design models and theory form a firm foundation on my practices as an educator. Often times as educators we are flexible and allow for student learning to take place on the fly, but forget to step back and reflect on the instructional design (Brown and Green, 2006). This 5

Professional Statement and Goals is something that I am constantly trying to improve upon. One way I have been able to hone in on this is utilizing powerful questioning techniques that focus more on asking open-ended questions and never trying to lead students. Another huge area for learning growth was delving into effective technology tool integration. There are a plethora of Web 2.0 tools available to enhance student engagement and learning. Currently I utilize many in the classroom including

Weebly (http://urbanowicz.weebly.com), Kidblog, Facebook, Google docs, Prezi, and after discussion with cohort peers, now use and love Edmodo. I think that some of my preconceived notions about technology and my assumptions were finally put in proper perspective and I was challenged in a very positive way. These tools can be utilized to help make learning more student-centered and enhance best practice. When learning about the knowledge building principles it struck me that improvement on design helps students share knowledge and tackle projects that incorporate features of adult teamwork, real-world content, and use of varied information sources (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2007). Students are more engaged in the learning process when the learning is Reflecting upon my own design practices, I am challenged to be explicitly intentional with my planning and constantly improve through reflection in order to grow as a professional. I have also utilized some additional evaluation tools for assessment in my own classroom environment. I now give student surveys for evaluation of learning and quick formative checks where students rank themselves on their proficiency of meeting daily objectives. We also use our class blog and Edmodo as a format for collaborative conversations and 6

Professional Statement and Goals discussions on learning and how we can continually improve. Use of formative assessment/summative and providing direct feedback for students is a key component of my classroom that was lacking in years past. I also think that understanding of force field factors and needs when planning for ID has been a

huge takeaway for me this program. Instructional technology helps develop deep thinking and moves students from retention to understanding, while heightening student ownership and engagement. It is an avenue to incorporate best practice on a daily basis. I have also utilized some additional evaluation tools for assessment in my own classroom environment. I now give student surveys for evaluation of learning and quick formative checks where students rank themselves on their proficiency of meeting daily objectives. We also use our class blog as a format for collaborative conversations and discussions on learning and how we can continually improve. Use of formative assessment/summative and providing direct feedback for students is a key component of my classroom that was lacking in years past. I also think that understanding of force field factors and needs when planning for ID has been a huge takeaway for me this course. I am excited about the learning that occurred already in this Fall semester and never would have imagined that I would be able to have accomplished so much along with a full-time job, but with the help of our Cohort I truly believe that I am becoming a better teacher and learner in this field. The following portfolio seeks to address each Area of Mastery with two artifacts created throughout this process and the rationale for how each fits the 7

Professional Statement and Goals criteria. In the area of Professional Development the internship spreadsheet and Facebook Workshop were used to demonstrate growth and readiness to be an active participant and leader in the IT field. In the area of Analytical and

Integrative Thinking, a Literature Review and a Case Study on Ethical classroom behavior were used to demonstrate the ability to investigate a topic in depth through the review and synthesis of research. A graphic design poster and design plan were used to model the Instructional Design process and its impact on student interaction and learning. In the area of Media/ Technology Development, a comprehensive classroom website on Weebly, and a Google presentation were used to demonstrate my ability to select appropriate media to support learning objectives and employ sound instructional strategies in the classroom. For the area of Management and Implementation, artifacts of a Prezi on networking and a technology plan for a rollout initiative for 1:1 computing. These artifacts demonstrate my ability to manage resources, and networking infrastructure. Finally, in the area of evaluation, an instructional program evaluation plan for Compass Learning and a Google Form on evaluating research sources were used to demonstrate the use of appropriate evaluation techniques and teaches students to be observant and reflective of online information. Each of these artifacts represents a small piece of the puzzle that has been created throughout this process- leading to a confident and wellprepared leader in the field of instructional technology.

References

Professional Statement and Goals

AECT. (1977). The definition of educational technology. Washington DC: AECT. Commission on instructional technology. (1970). To improve learning: A report to the president and congress of the United States. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Branch, R. M., & Gustafson, K. L. (1998). Re-visioning models of instructional development. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2/content_storage_01/0000000b /80/24/a0/91.pdf.

Brown, Abbie & Green, Timothy (2011). The Essentials of Instructional Design: Connecting Fundamental Principles with Process and Practice. Indianapolis: Pearson. Definitions of Instructional Design. (1996, October 18). Retrieved from http://www.umich.edu/~ed626/define.html

Gorder, Lynette Molstad (2008). A study of Teacher Perceptions of Instructional Technology Integration in the Classroom. The Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, L (2). Retrieved from mollymckee.wiki.westga.edu/.

Scardamalia, M., & Bereiter, C. (2007). Knowledge Building. Retrieved from: http://peoplegwells/Files/Courses_Folder/ED%20261%20Papers/Scardam alia%20Knowledge%20Building.pdf.ucsc.edu/

Professional Statement and Goals

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Zemelman, S., Daniels, H. & Hyde, A. (2005). Todays standards for teaching and learning in Americas schools. Porstmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann.

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