The main outcome I was envisioning for this course was to become more knowledgeable about integrating technology in schools. I do feel that I have a much better understanding about technology integration. I also learned a lot about my own personal leadership strengths and weaknesses through the seven assessments. Before taking this course I did not know there was a National Technology Plan which identifies the standards that guide the use and integration of technology on a campus. Not only am I now aware but I understand what needs to be done to meet more of those standards and I can begin to make changes at my campus.
The learning outcomes of this course are extremely relevant to the work I do at my school. Because I recognize the skills and tools students need in the digital age, I am able to use the strategies I have learned in this course in my own classroom. I also feel that my technology leadership internship plan will allow me to learn a lot more about the technology infrastructure at my campus. There were also several research articles that I will use to pilot for change on my campus next year. Also because of this course I took an in depth look at our campus’ role in teaching technology ethics and safety issues, which is one area our school still needs to make great improvements in. Therefore the content I learned in this course will continue to bring great gains not only for my students but for the teachers on my campus.
Overall I believe I achieved the main outcomes of the course; however I see that I am just scratching the surface and that I still have a ton of learning to do. I would have liked spending more time watching the course videos, unfortunately that was one of the areas that I was lacking in. I also feel I need to work on my APA formatting skills.
This was my first course in the Technology Leadership program; I have to admit throughout this course I have been quite overwhelmed. I don’t believe I really understood the undertaking that I was getting myself into. With being a full time teacher and this only being my second year I spend a lot of my free time working. Therefore by taking this course I have had to figure out how to manage my time between this course and my classroom work. Needless to say it has not been an easy experience since I certainly have not mastered the skill of time management. I do feel the assignments and coursework has been very valuable, it was just a struggle for me to find the time.
I have made a lot of realizations while taking this course. The biggest one being that I need to spend more time in the classroom and developing my leadership skills on my own campus. I think I am going to take a break from the cohort for a little while, as I continue working on these skills. I have also realized that my motivation to learn is what drives me to continue my education and I have to keep that in focus when I become discouraged by deadlines.
