saralowry

Blogs are a resource that can be used by administrators as a method of journaling or brainstorming. It’s a way of getting thoughts down in a forum that allows for easy recall and commenting from others. It can also be a means of collecting data from self-reflection (Dana, 2009, pp.87-89). The collaborative aspect of blogging allows for insight into the thought process, and it allows for peer review.


Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Action research is taking the time to reflect on the activities that are going on around you. It can be done by administrators, teachers, and students. It involves inquiring about a concern or problem, surveying and collecting data, processing and analyzing the information, problem-solving to come up with solutions, and sharing the findings with colleagues. It forces you to focus on one issue at a time and work towards a solution for that one issue, not getting overwhelmed by a number of little things. A major aspect of action research is self-reflection. Dana (2009) states that “in a fashion similar to the ways teachers utilize this process to gain better understandings of themselves and their teaching practice, administrators can use it to gain deeper insights into their practice as administrators and the leadership role in school improvement efforts” (p.3). In my current position as a CTE teacher, I can use action research to reflect on my teaching methods in the classroom, as well as how I serve as a technology leader for my colleagues. For my action research project as part of this internship, I plan on investigating the use of blogs and other Web 2.0 tools in CTE and core classes. Another key factor in action research involves collaboration. I look forward to working with my colleagues and my classmates to conduct this research and find solutions to help our students.

Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

When I started this program, I thought it would be just like the undergraduate classes that I had previously taken online, but I am glad to say that it was not the same at all. I have been exposed to a vast amount of knowledge that is directly applicable to my current job and the goals that I have for my future in education. I don’t think that I had any exact expectations envisioned for this specific course because it was hard for me to try to set a goal before I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. After getting started in the class, I decided that I wanted to get an A in the course and stay ahead on my readings and assignments. I really like how the class is set up with weekly readings and assignments; it helps keep things organized and on track. It was beneficial to be able to work ahead on some of the assignments in order to stay caught up. I did not expect the amount of reading that was involved, but once I got started on the articles, I found that I really enjoyed them and even discussed many of them with colleagues. They definitely brought an interesting insight to my job.

The relevancy of this course actually surprised me. Most of the courses I’ve taken ended up being a lot of theory and not so much practicality. This course brought both. Reading the articles that were assigned made me look at my classes, as well as my campus and district, in a new way. Mason and Dodd’s article about the digital divide was specifically profound for me because of the demographics of the school where I teach. The students I have in class range from those who don’t know how to turn on the computer and log in to those who can build and program a computer from scratch. Being able to teach to such diverse levels is challenging. I also found the information regarding the state and national standards of particular interest because I feel that my campus is definitely lacking in some areas. Everywhere I turn around now, I am looking for ways to make educating our students more relevant to the 21st Century world they live in.

This course surpassed any expectations I had going into the class. The assignments were relevant and appropriately challenging. I love the hands-on approach to teaching about the digital tools like Animoto and Wordle. The reflections about these digital tools gave me an opportunity to brainstorm methods for incorporating them in my classroom. The only thing that I wish I had done more was be involved in the web conferences. I only got to participate in two of the five. I did not have a webcam for the first one, and the other two I missed were on nights when I was coaching, so I was unavailable at the specified time. I really like that the web conferences were recorded so that I could review the ones that I missed, though. The information about the state and national technology plans, the E-rate program, and all of the self-assessment tools really gave me the opportunity to evaluate where my campus stands.

I found the assignments in this course to be quite engaging. They way that they are structured makes them easy to follow and easy to implement. I particularly enjoyed the Animoto assignment, creating the wiki, and the Wordle. I did not run into any problems completing any of the required assignments, although some definitely required more thought and research than others. I have already had the opportunity to implement the use of Animoto in my classroom and had great results. I had a student come to me after the assignment and tell me how much he enjoyed it, and he was excited about being able to use it to create a trailer for an upcoming school play. The assignments are designed not only to assess your knowledge, but they show you firsthand how to use and implement the tools available. That makes the assignments so much more worthwhile.

I learned an incredible amount of information regarding the national technology plan and the state technology plan. Honestly, before the class, I didn’t even know they existed. I am much more familiar with the ISTE Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards, although, I feel like I still have a lot to learn about those. I am very self-motivated and I am not afraid to implement and test technology tools in my classroom. My technology skills are strong, as they should be since I teach technology courses. My leadership skills are not as strong. Being able to give the teachers on my campus information about the tools they have at their disposal is a necessity. I need to set a positive example and be a resource for my colleagues. Learning, growing, and sharing is what education is about. Teachers and administrators must be willing to step outside their comfort zone in order to make our educational system more efficient and productive.

Mason, C. Y., & Dodds, R. (2005). Bridge the digital divide for educational equity. The Education Digest, 70(9), 25-27.

I got to meet a couple of new faces on the web conference tonight, and the feed was so much smoother than the last one. We discussed the assignments for Week 4 (which is supposed to be the “easy” week), and we spent the majority of the time discussing the Internship plan that is the Week 5 assignment. There are 8 standards which encompass 32 performance indicators that we have to document. We discussed which appendices to use for the different requirements of the Internship process. And while, I do feel more informed, I’m still a little overwhelmed. We were encouraged to stay caught up on the course reflections, which I definitely plan on doing.