Implementation Reflection

    I really enjoyed being a part of an implementation plan at my school. We did not use any technology for science or social studies, plus the students were not engaged in the lessons. I really enjoyed learning about two technology platforms that I did not even know existed until this project, Makers Empire and Tinybop Schools. I thought the most positive aspect of this plan was learning the new platforms and seeing how the students went from zero engagement to complete engagement with science and social studies. I am very proud of our team because all of us, classroom teacher and three instructional aides, went out of our comfort zones to try something new with our students. We were able to collaborate and communicate more than we ever have this year. The students really enjoyed Makers Empire because they were able to create their own animal with the guidelines that we provided them with. The challenge that we did face was when we tried to have our students try Tinybop Schools independently. The students were becoming frustrated and we could see their engagement drop. However, we quickly thought about a whole group lesson, which really pulled the students back into our lesson. When we did Tinybop Schools as a whole group, the students were able to verbalize their thinking while using this platform. Overall, I really did not think we had too many challenges besides switching our one platform to a whole group lesson rather than independent work. 

    I love that I was able to learn more about my topic of incorporating more technology into our classroom. I believe that it is so important to have the technology because it allows students to have real-world experiences. I believe that if we choose to include/look into new platforms, we can use the same approach to implement different platforms with our students. 

Image Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/jobs-and-careers/story/10-uses-of-technology-in-21st-century-jobs-1358394-2018-10-08

    As a future Technology Leader/Change Agent, I realized that there is tons of planning that goes into an implementation plan. This was a simple new technology addition to our classroom, but it made me realize that we had to learn about these platforms, make sure they were going to support our students in more ways than one, if we needed to pay for them, etc. This project has given me a bigger appreciation for the role of Technology Leader/Change Agent. 

    One of the next steps that I need to take for my journey in the Technology Specialist Program is to complete two more courses with confidence and pride when I think about my dream job. I want to make sure I am continuing to pursue my passion of teaching students about technology and the importance of how teachers can utilize technology in their classrooms. One of the steps that I am nervous about is to take the Technology Content Exam. That being said, I know that if I focus on my passion for my dream career, I know that I will pass my exam!

Image Source: https://www.teachingquality.org/learning-to-lead-together-harnessing-your-change-agent-superpower/

It's a Start!

As a technology leader, there are a lot of little details to be aware of when implementing new tools in a classroom. I quickly realized that you have to think of the platforms, how much they will cost, are there any legal situations involved, etc. This role has made me think more about the role of a technology leader, rather than someone who just creates lessons and collaborates with other teachers. The aspect of being a technology leader that I perceive to be most challenging is to make sure that I am confident enough to say to coworkers and administrators what our students need and how we can provide those resources to our students. I am a very shy person and I often “hide behind the screen” with emails. I need to work on more face-to-face interactions. I feel that I have many great ideas, but I need to practice more how to tell others what I am thinking and how the resources I find can help support our students. 

Image Source: https://medium.com/thrive-global/why-you-should-harness-the-power-of-reflection-4a8f6d7710d4

During these first four weeks of this course, I had realized that there are a lot of little things that go into becoming a technology specialist. For one, time frame. I really thought this implementation was going to take longer than it has. I was thinking about two weeks of practice for teachers and then using it with the students. But we had our meeting with the Library Director and we practiced for one day on both platforms and felt confident using them with the students. We are going to introduce the Tinybop Schools to the students this Friday (February 12th) for our social studies lesson. Friday we will be collecting our data to see if this implementation is a good fit for our class. Next week, Wednesday, we are going to use Makers Empire for science. I have really enjoyed learning about our new tools to use with the students. I think that the students will be more engaged in our lessons, rather than the teacher talking all the time. I think that this project has made me realize all of the steps that go into a technology leader and how I can implement new tools for students. 

Image Source: https://mattharrisedd.com/2015/06/28/educational-technology-leadership-2/