Rationale Paper

Link to Rationale Paper on Google Docs

Rationale Paper

Introduction

I began working in education while attending City College of San Francisco. After graduating with an Associates degree, I transferred to San Francisco State University. Later, I moved to Southern California and completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential at California State University, Fullerton.

After substitute teaching for one year in Orange County, I moved to Maui where I taught one year of kindergarten and two years of 4th grade at a Title 1 school. I had the most wonderful experiences there, but after three years I made the difficult decision to move back to the mainland. I decided to begin working on the M.E.T. program while I am working part time as a 4th and 6th grade math support teacher. I am hoping that this degree will help me in the process of finding a full time teaching position here in California.

This portfolio represents the last two and a half years of my academic life and reaching my goal of earning a Master of Educational Technology degree from Boise State University. The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) has five standards to show proficiency in education technology (AECT, 2005). The following are examples of various artifacts, papers and projects that illustrate my educational and professional growth in the field of educational technology.

Standard 1 – Design

Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to design conditions for learning by applying principles of instructional systems design, message design, instructional strategies, and learner characteristics (AECT).

 1.1  Instructional Systems Design

“Instructional Systems Design encompasses the process of analyzing, designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating instruction” (Seela & Richey, 1994, p.31).

Artifact: Instructional Design Project, EDTECH 503

I selected this artifact because it incorporates all of the elements of instructional design. For this project I designed an instructional product that follows a procedure instructional strategy. The learning goal was for my fourth grade class to sign up for an Edmodo account so that I could communicate online with students and parents. Edmodo is very similar to the social network Facebook. Edmodo provides classrooms with a safe and easy way to connect and collaborate, offering a real-time platform to exchange ideas, share content, and access homework, grades and school notices.

When I began this journey into instructional design I really had no idea how complex and involved the whole process was. It is a lot more involved than just writing out the steps of a lesson plan. This course has taught me how to look at my own lessons more objectively and how to create interesting lessons that will engage my students while evaluating what they have learned. I look forward to being able to take my new tools and implement them by designing, delivering, facilitating, and managing instruction for my learners.

 1.2 Message Design

“Message design involves planning for the manipulation of the physical form of the message” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 31).

Artifact: PowerPoint Movie, EDTECH 533

I created this educational video on staying active and eating healthy using PowerPoint Movie. I selected this artifact because I used various photographs and images to provide my students with examples of healthy foods and unhealthy foods. My message was clear and easy so that my students were able to identify, in a later assessment, which foods were good for them and which were not good for them. These images are very powerful and help students understand what they could do to physically stay fit and healthy.

I will use this knowledge of creating PowerPoint videos in the future for my students. When designing instructional materials I learned that images are far more effective than reading text alone.

 1.3 Instructional Strategies

“Instructional strategies are specifications for selecting and sequencing events and activities within a lesson” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 31).

Artifact: Jigsaw Activity, EDTECH 502

I created this instructional website for students grades 3-5 using a combination of software and HTML/XHTML/CSS code. The site includes nine different links that integrate selected information literacy skills into the classroom. All students are placed into groups where they learn how to use several types of helpful and educational websites which include: Ask Kids as a search engine, Fact Monster for research, Fun Brain for math, and Scholastic for reading. Each student becomes an expert at their given website,  then returns to teach others in their group how to use the tool. Elliot Aronson (2000) explains: Just as in a jigsaw puzzle, each piece–each student’s part–is essential for the completion and full understanding of the final product. I was able to use this lesson in my own classroom and found that all group members had to work together as a team to accomplish the common goal. This “cooperation by design” facilitates interaction among all students in the class, leading them to value each other as contributors to their common task.

 1.4 Learner Characteristics

“Learner characteristics are those facets of the learner’s experiential background that impact the effectiveness of a learning process” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 32).

Artifact: Instructional Design Project, EDTECH 503

I chose this artifact because within this project we had to do an extensive learner needs analysis based on the learners characteristics. This lesson utilized the procedural instructional strategies. The goal of the instruction was to teach the learner the procedures involved in signing onto Edmodo, creating a profile, and completing a quiz that promoted learning with strategies that prompt learners to present their findings.This course has taught me that as an Instructional Designer I need to make a plan to teach something to the learner which uses successful past experiences while maximizing learning effectiveness and efficiency. I used assessment to determine the current state and needs of the learner, defining the end goal of instruction, and creating some “intervention” to assist in the transition. In developing my Instructional Design project I followed each step of the ADDIE model (term for the five-phase instructional design model consisting of Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation). I developed a needs analysis, an instructional strategy, a learning objectives matrix, a motivational strategies table (ARCS: attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction), an instructor’s guide, and a formative evaluation.

I will use what I learned in this class to guide my future instruction on learner characteristics.

Standard 2 – Development

Print technologies include verbal text materials and visual materials; namely, text, graphic and photographic representation and reproduction. Print and visual materials provide a foundation for the development and utilization of the majority of other instructional materials.

 2.1 Print Technologies

“Print technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials, such as books and static visual materials, primarily through mechanical or photographic printing processes” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 37).

Artifact: Project Based Learning Unit, EDTECH 542

I selected this artifact because in this project students pick a state that they think they would like to visit on a dream vacation and create and print an informational travel brochure that tells about the states unique qualities. They can conduct interviews, use photographs and images, add maps, and write details about what they have learned. ‘Our Dream Vacation’ is a great way for students to learn how to conduct research, use presentation media like Google Docs and Microsoft Office.

Students use oral communication skills while presenting their state to the class as well as critical thinking skills and open-ended problem solving to ask questions, use resources, and develop answers. Formative and summative assessments are done both during and at the end of the project using peer and self-evaluations and rubrics.

According to the Buck Institute: “In Project Based Learning (PBL), students go through an extended process of inquiry in response to a complex question, problem, or challenge. While allowing for some degree of student “voice and choice,” rigorous projects are carefully planned, managed, and assessed to help students learn key academic content, practice 21st Century Skills (such as collaboration, communication & critical thinking), and create high-quality, authentic products & presentations. PBL In the Elementary Grades tells us that PBL teaches In-depth inquiry. “Students are engaged in a rigorous, extended process of asking questions, using resources, and developing answers” (2011, p.7).

 2.2 Audiovisual Technologies

“Audiovisual technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials by using mechanical devices or electronic machines to present auditory and visual messages” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 38).

Artifact: Video Enhanced Lesson Plan, EDTECH 541

I chose this artifact because it incorporates audio, video, text and images to deliver and enhance the curriculum. The lesson plan I wrote included ten videos related to a 3rd grade social studies unit on American Heroes including: Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Martin Luther King Jr., and Thomas Jefferson. Students are instructed to watch the videos, choose a hero and conduct research to present their findings in a book report and class presentation. I found that the benefit of learning this way is that students can do research to find information while achieving the standards. I will use audiovisual technology to produce and deliver instructional materials in the future because these videos are fun and engaging to students.

2.3 Computer-Based Technologies

“Computer-based technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials using microprocessor-based resources” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 39).

Artifact: Interactive Video, EDTECH 533

I selected this artifact because the video meets this standard as it is a way to produce and deliver educational materials using computer-based technology.

I made an interactive fourth grade math quiz using YouTube’s annotations which allowed me to make clickable callouts and text bubbles. I made the assessment using several videotaped math questions and was able to link one video to multiple other videos to create an interactive flow of videos. If students click on the correct answer they are congratulated, and move to the next question. If students select the incorrect answer they are asked to try again before they can move onto the next question.

These interactive videos can be used for games, storytelling and quizzes. I had my students take the quiz in our classroom and they all thought it was a fun and engaging way to recall math facts. I will use this regularly in my classroom to create interactive recall games and assess student knowledge.

2.4 Integrated Technologies

“Integrated technologies are ways to produce and deliver materials which encompass several forms of media under the control of a computer” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 40).

Artifact: Virtual Field Trip, EDTECH 502

I chose this artifact because it uses several forms of media to produce and deliver educational materials. For this project I created a website that took students on a Virtual Field Trip to the Hawaiian Islands. The online fieldtrip looks at the islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai and the Big Island of Hawaii. I incorporated several forms of media including images, YouTube videos, maps and various websites to teach about the history of the islands. Students were to keep a travel log as they traveled from one island to the next watching videos, reading text, and maps of the islands. Each webpage has questions that pertain to learned knowledge and students were to write an essay describing what they had learned from their trip. I really enjoyed this assignment because I was able to make several websites and link them together so that you can navigate from one island to the next. I used this virtual field trip in my classroom here in San Diego and it was a wonderful way for my students to travel to a faraway place that they may never have the chance to go visit.

Standard 3: UTILIZATION

Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to use processes and resources for learning by applying principles and theories of media utilization, diffusion, implementation, and policy-making.

3.1 Media Utilization

“Media utilization is the systematic use of resources for learning” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 46).

Artifact: Instructional Design Project, EDTECH 503

This artifact was selected because in this project we learned about the systematic process of instructional design to create an instructional product. I created an Edmodo lesson incorporating: needs analysis, design phase, development phase, implementation phase and evaluation phase. Students learning goal was to sign up for Edmodo, which is a Learning Management system that is similar to Facebook. This course taught me how to look at my own lessons more objectively and how to create interesting lessons that will engage my students while evaluating what they have learned. I look forward to being able to take my new tools and implement them by designing, delivering, facilitating and managing instruction for my learners.

 3.2 Diffusion of Innovations

“Diffusion of innovations is the process of communicating through planned strategies for the purpose of gaining adoption” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 46).

Artifact: Technology Use Research Paper, EDTECH 501

To demonstrate my mastery of this standard I chose this research synthesis paper Implementing Technology into the K-12 Classroom .  This paper discusses the importance of districts to adopt a planned strategy of implementing computers and technology into the K-12 classroom. Teachers have struggled with implementing technology into their classrooms as a means to redesigning education in America since the governments challenging and aggressive goals of implementing No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the U.S. Department of Educations technology standards in 2001. But in order to carry out the completed tasks of students becoming fully immersed and competent in technologies by the eighth grade teachers must be supported in high-quality, ongoing professional development that includes a collaborative apprenticeship within their school environment.

This was a very useful experience for me as the research showed that teachers are having a difficult time with implementing technology into their classrooms due to lack of training and time provided.

3.3 Implementation and Institutionalization

“Implementation is using instructional materials or strategies in real (not simulated) settings. Institutionalization is the continuing, routine use of the instructional innovation in the structure and culture of an organization” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 47).

Artifact: Online Communication Plan, EDTECH 523

I chose this artifact as it is a set of prescribed routine tasks and strategies that provide guidance as I communicate with students in teaching an online class. This artifact demonstrates my ability to appropriately use technology in a real life setting and shows my mastery of the standard.

In this four part plan I discuss the following: routine administrative tasks, discussion forum strategies, discussion forum assessment, management issues and strategies.

This project helped me to know how to set up a welcome page for online teaching with procedures and strategies on how to manage my students. I plan on becoming an online teacher in the future and this plan will be very helpful to me when I begin communicating with my students.

3.4 Policies and Regulations

“Policies and regulations are the rules and actions of society (or its surrogates) that affect the diffusion and use of Instructional Technology” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 47).

Artifact: Netiquette Rules, EDTECH 521

I chose this project to show my mastery of this standard because it is designed to teach students about the rules of communicating online. The group that I was a member of came together in Google Docs and had a real time chat to put our final Netiquette assignment together. I had done this one other time in another class, and still think this is such a great tool for collaborating! We were all filling out the Google document together and making suggestions while communicating online.

I learned a lot about the social conventions or code of conduct for the internet. I was able to use these rules in my own classroom to clearly define to my students what is acceptable online behavior. I believe it is my job as an educator to teach my students how to properly and safely navigate in the online world.

Artifact:Netiquette Scavenger Hunt, EDTECH 502

This is another example of my mastery of this standard. This hunt had students visiting  websites that are provided to them to answer questions pertaining to netiquette guidelines. The questions teach students about netiquette, cyber bullying, and what a flame war is. At the end of the scavenger hunt students are directed to a fun and interactive website where they are quizzed on their knowledge of proper way to behave online.

I really liked this process of learning and I will use this in my classroom to assess my students learning on these rules and actions of society for the use of technology.

Artifact: Netiquette Rules Webpage, EDTECH 502

This example of my mastery of the standard was one of my very first web pages that I made. I really struggled to make this page and I spent countless hours getting the html code and cascading style sheets just right.

This netiquette web page has been very helpful in my classroom, as I frequently refer to it when teaching my students about the rules of the internet.

Standard 4: Management

4.1 Project Management

“Project management involves planning, monitoring, and controlling instructional design and development projects” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 50).

Artifact: Evaluation Report Course Project, EDTECH 505

In Edtech 505, Evaluation for Educational Technologists, we were learned about the procedures for evaluating educational programs, training systems, and emergent-technology applications. My Evaluation of Scholastic’s Reading Counts Program at Lemon Elementary School proved to be a lengthy process in which I applied project management techniques in various learning and training contexts. The evaluation was conducted over four weeks to decide if teachers and students at Lemon Elementary School felt that the program had been effective at impacting student reading and how well the program was being implemented.

The evaluation showed that the Reading Counts program was effective at motivating students reading, increasing student reading scores, and that both students and teachers were utilizing the program sufficiently. Students’ reading Lexile scores improved at all four grade levels. Both student and teachers agreed that if the school were to provide more incentives to students that the program could be much more effective at motivating them to read.

 4.2 Resource Management

“Resource management involves planning, monitoring, and controlling resource support systems and services” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 51).

Artifact: Program Evaluation Proposal, EDTECH 505

This artifact is a program proposal that is in response to the Request for Proposal (RFP) from a fictitious company called Far West Laboratory. The evaluation proposal exemplifies my mastery of this standard because I was able to gain experience about planning for personal, budget, supplies, time, and facilities. This assignment taught me how to evaluate and determine if Far West Laboratory for Educational and Research development training program was worthy of the monetary investment. I had absolutely no experience with evaluation and found that it was essential to have some knowledge in this area. Now I have more of an understanding of all that is involved with the many evaluations done at my school campus.

 4.3 Delivery System Management

“Delivery system management involves planning, monitoring and controlling ‘the method by which distribution of instructional materials is organized’ . . . [It is] a combination of medium and method of usage that is employed to present instructional information to a learner” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 51).

Artifact: Online Communication Plan, EDTECH 523

I chose this artifact as it is a method of organizing and managing instructional materials. The Online Communication Plan provides me with guidance as I communicate with students in teaching an online class. This artifact demonstrates my ability to plan, monitor, and control how I present and troubleshoot daily instructional delivery issues.

When I am teaching online and responsible for the daily operations that include responding to forum posts, commenting on students journal entries, and answering various questions, this communication plan will be an invaluable source.

 4.4 Information Management

“Information management involves planning, monitoring, and controlling the storage, transfer, or processing of information in order to provide resources for learning” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 51).

Artifact: Webquest, EDTECH 502

This artifact exhibits my mastery of the information standard as I developed a WebQuest learning activity that provides resources for learning. I integrated various Internet resources including images, videos, and audio.  My WebQuest, Making Healthy Choices, asks students to identify what the relationship is between food intake, physical activity and good health? Students are put into groups to conduct research using the several websites and videos that are provided. Students then need to write a letter to the First Lady Michelle Obama explain why they think a healthy diet and daily exercise is important. Students are to read their letters in front of the class and groups present their poster boards. This project was arranged so that students were led through various sources using provided resources for learning.

This project was one of the most difficult websites I have created to date, but I found it to be a great resource for my students and plan to make more of these types of webquests in the future.

Standard 5: Evaluation

Candidates demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions to evaluate the adequacy of instruction and learning by applying principles of problem analysis, criterion-referenced measurement, formative and summative evaluation, and long-range planning.

 5.1 Problem Analysis

“Problem analysis involves determining the nature and parameters of the problem by using information-gathering and decision-making strategies” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 56).

Artifact: Evaluation Course Project, EDTECH 505

To show mastery of this Problem Analysis standard, I chose the evaluation project where I evaluated the Scholastic’s Reading Counts Program. To do my problem analysis I gathered information from several sources including students, teachers, and lexile scores. The purpose of this evaluation was to determine if students and teachers at Lemon Elementary School felt that the program has been effective at impacting student reading scores and how well the program is being implemented. The evaluation used multiple methods to determine the impact of the Reading Counts program on students’ attitude and success with the program. Data was collected using post-test likert surveys which included: 1) an attitude survey of the students, 2) an attitude survey of the teachers, 3) a report of student’s reading growth.

The evaluation showed that the Reading Counts program was effective at motivating students reading, increasing student reading scores, and that both students and teachers were utilizing the program sufficiently. The recommendations I made to the school mostly pertained to implementing a schoolwide Reading Counts incentive program to motivate students to read.

I learned that there is a lot that goes into evaluating a program of this size and magnitude. I used a random sample of 198 students from three second, third, fourth, and fifth grade classes. All of the teacher’s names were put into a hat from each grade level and chosen randomly, they were picked to participate in the surveys.

 5.2 Criterion-Reference Measurement

“Criterion-referenced measurement involves techniques for determining learner mastery of pre-specified content” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 56).

Artifact: Webquest Rubric, EDTECH 502

I chose this rubric from the Webquest project to show mastery of this artifact. Students were to write a letter to Michelle Obama and make a poster board that they would present to the class. This rubric made it clear and easy for them to see exactly what was being evaluated in their letters and presentations. Before the Edtech program I was not implementing the use of rubrics in my daily teaching. While in this program all of my instructors provided detailed rubrics so that I was able to get full marks on all of my projects. Now I see the importance of using a rubric so that students are well-informed about what is required and what is being assessed.

Artifact: PBL Rubric, EDTECH 542

This is another rubric that I created which shows my mastery of this Criterion-referenced measurement standard. This project involved students using the internet to do research to make a travel brochure about the state we should go to on our class dream vacation. The rubric informed students about the criteria used for grading their learning logs.

In the making of this rubric I learned the importance of using rubrics to guide students success.

5.3 Formative and Summative Evaluation

“Formative evaluation involves gathering information on adequacy and using this information as a basis for further development. Summative evaluation involves gathering information on adequacy and using this information to make decisions about utilization” (Seels & Richey, 1994, p. 57).

Artifact: Project-Based Learning Evaluations, EDTECH 542

I chose this artifact because for this project I used both formative and summative evaluations that fulfill this standard. Students worked in groups to create a brochure about a state that they would like to visit on a dream vacation. During the two week project students were given formative assessments that included taking a Google Docs survey that I created, an ongoing learning log done using Google Docs, a learning log rubric, and various other checklists.

At the end of the project students were given summative assessments that included a completed learning log, an oral presentation, presentation performance with rubric, a peer-evaluation and a self-evaluation.

Previously I had not been using these types of assessments in my teaching, but I now realize how important they are to designing successful lessons. I must admit that in the beginning I found them to be time consuming, but when the project was complete I was able to see how useful they can be. I will now incorporate both formative and summative evaluations into all my project-based lessons.

5.4 Long-Range Planning

Long-range planning that focuses on the organization as a whole is strategic planning….Long range is usually defined as a future period of about three to five years or longer. During strategic planning, managers are trying to decide in the present what must be done to ensure organizational success in the future.” (Certo, et al, 1990, p. 168).

Artifact: Technology Use Research Paper, EDTECH 501

I chose this artifact because my paper Implementing Technology into the K-12 Classroom demonstrates my ability to implement long-range planning into class curriculum. This artifact discussed the importance of integrating technology into the classroom for both teachers and students. Teachers need professional development, collaborative apprenticeship, and mentoring programs needed for implementation. I concluded that in order for students to compete in a digital world it is our responsibility as teachers to see that they are technologically prepared. There is a lot that needs be done or we will not be able to keep up with the U.S. Department of Educations technology standards that requires student to be fully immersed and competent in technologies by the eighth grade.

The research I conducted for this paper made me realize how slow we are at changing our classroom curriculum to fit the 21st century. I am still spending more time in my class teaching cursive writing than I am teaching keyboarding skills. It is imperative that teachers are taught how to implement technology so that they are comfortable teaching the same skills to their students.

Artifact: Technology Use Plan, EDTECH 501

The Technology Use Plan Presentation exemplifies the importance long-range planning of a comprehensive technology plan integration. “It cannot be assumed that once educational technology tools are available, teachers will integrate them into their daily classroom instruction” (Keengwe, Onchwari, & Wachira, 2008, p. 79).  This was a group presentation used to educate K-12 school personnel about what is needed to put together a plan to implement technology into their school. The technology plan includes all of the following elements: Rationale, Planning Team, Process Description, Vision Statement, Plan Goals/Objectives, Needs Assessment, Faculty/Staff Development, Evaluation/Research, Timeline.

I found this presentation to be a great educational experience and I was very surprised to learn how much goes into a school district’s Tech Use Plan.

Conclusion

The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) has five standards of design, development, utilization, management and evaluation.  Each standard contains several benchmarks that facilitate the development of skills for an educational technologist. I feel that I have become proficient in all five areas.

When I began the MET Program I had no idea what a wonderful experience it was going to be. I have learned so much invaluable information and I cannot imagine my life as an educator without the technology knowledge I now have.

I feel that I have become proficient as an educational technologist and that Boise State has given me the tools I need to flourish as a 21^st century educator. Now I can take what I have learned to enrich and empower my students educational journey using these motivating and engaging technology tools!

 References

Aronson, Elliot. (2000). Jigsaw classroom: Overview of the technique. Retrieved March

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AECT Accreditation Standards for Programs in Educational Communications and

    Instructional Technology (ECIT) http://www.aect-members.org/standards/

Buck Institute for Education. (2013). Retrieved March 4, 2013, from http://bie.org.

Certo, S. C., Husted, S. W., Douglas, M. E., & Hartl, R. J. (1990). Business

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Keengwe, J., Onchwari, G., & Wachira, P. (2008). The use of computer tools to

    support meaningful learning. AACE Journal, 16 (1), 77-92.

Seels, B., & Richey, R. (1994). Instructional technology: The definition and

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