Professional Documents
Culture Documents
April 2018
EDTECH 592
Artifact Rationale Statements
1.1 Creating: Candidates demonstrate the ability to create instructional materials and
learning environments using a variety of systems approaches.
Integrating Technology Into the Classroom Curriculum (EdTech 541) was one course in
which I created a magnitude of instructional materials using a variety of tools and
processes. One lesson I created for this course involved the use of shared Google Docs
to foster collaboration and efficiency. By having a better understanding of the ways in
which digital collaboration can spark learning, students are able to be more efficient with
their learning process while also mastering digital tools to make them proficient
21st-century learners.
Another lesson I created for this course was the Internet-Enriched Lesson, which
leveraged several Web 2.0 tools. Through my own knowledge of tools like Padlet,
VoiceThread, and Adobe Spark, I was able to create a lesson that built on these tools to
empower students to create meaningful, innovative products to demonstrate content
mastery. The ability to leverage these tools will certainly be something that influences my
instructional design in the future.
1.2 Using: Candidates demonstrate the ability to select and use technological resources
and processes to support student learning and to enhance their pedagogy.
One technological resource that has increasingly become a point of debate in education
is the mobile device. Students regularly carry mobile devices with them into class each
day, and in many schools, they are allowed to use them in class. I intentionally selected
this artifact, which I created in my Internet for Educators course, for this standard due to
the controversial nature of mobile devices. While many teachers, parents, and schools
advocate for the banning of mobile devices in the classroom, research shows that
empowering teachers to leverage this technology -- if done well -- actually carries
far-reaching implications. I am in the proponent camp who believes that
well-incorporated mobile technology can actually enhance learning by encouraging the
use of technological devices that are commonplace in their daily lives. Additionally, by
teaching students the pedagogical power of their phones and tablets, we help teach
them about appropriate use of these devices in the real world, thereby unmasking these
tools’ potential as more than just gaming and texting devices.
As a part of my work in EdTech 541, I created a chart comparing the relative advantages
of various educational technology tools and their potential to address issues and
challenges that frequently hinder teaching and learning. Not only did this project require
me to identify common obstacles to learning in my classroom, but it also involved
weighing the various benefits and disadvantages of various resources. This chart will
serve as a great tool for overcoming future difficulties; moreover, assessing various tools
and their advantages and disadvantages is an essential skill for informed 21st-century
educators.
In EdTech 501, we were tasked with evaluating the technology maturity level of our own
school district. By assessing the district’s technology in five main areas (administrative,
curricular, support, connectivity, and innovation), I was able to effectively identify areas
of theoretical and practical technological proficiency and to diagnose specific areas in
which the district could improve its technology implementation plans. My reflection on
this project, along with the report and all applicable materials used can be found here.
As a result of this assignment, I feel much more equipped to conduct similar evaluations
in the future.
Another artifact that I created for EdTech 541 (Integrating Technology into the
Classroom Curriculum) was this lesson that utilized instructional software. In this lesson,
which clearly demonstrates my ability to manage not only the students in my classroom,
but also the financial resources and the processes involved in planning, carrying out,
and evaluating a lesson. Students first use an online flipped platform called GrammarFlip
to practice and identify areas in need of remediation. Then, using digital quiz game
platforms Quizizz and Kahoot, I assess student mastery in both formative and
summative manners. I manage the learning process from start to finish. Additionally,
while Quizizz and Kahoot are free, GrammarFlip involves managing a subscription fee,
demonstrating my ability to manage finance resources.
This artifact, which I created for EdTech 505 (Evaluation for Educational Technologists),
involved crafting a response to a request for proposals sent out by a fictional company.
In assembling my proposal, I had to consider how I would select and manage my team
of people and my proposed budget, in addition to countless other procedural logistics.
This project was out of my comfort zone, but it was a great opportunity to demonstrate
the ability to manage people, finances, and processes. While it was fictitious, this project
especially highlighted my ability to manage a budget and personnel for a large project.
1.5 Ethics: Candidates demonstrate the contemporary professional ethics of the field as
defined and developed by the Association for Educational Communications and
Technology.
In my very first course in the MET program, I was introduced not only to definitions of
educational technology, but also to the AECT standards for ethical application of
educational technology. This paper required me to wrestle with a specific and personal
understanding of the meaning and role of ethics in educational technology; furthermore,
it forced me to apply my understanding of this set of ethical standards to a real-world
scenario. This exercise proved to be eye-opening, and it has informed my understanding
of these standards ever since. I will be responsible and accountable for abiding by these
standards as an educational technologist, and this writing assignment forced me to
consider the nuances of ethics as they apply to the rights of the individual, the integrity of
the profession, and the virtue of society in general. This will continue to shape my
experience as an educational technologist.
STANDARD 2 - CONTENT PEDAGOGY
Candidates develop as reflective practitioners able to demonstrate effective implementation of
educational technologies and processes based on contemporary content and pedagogy.
Internet for Educators (EdTech 502) challenged me in a lot of ways. Most notably, it was
my first experience in writing code and building web pages, and it was the first time I had
generated original online resources for use in my classroom. One such project I
developed from scratch was this WebQuest activity, which transformed a routine
research paper assignment into a more engaging activity. I applied my understanding of
my own content area, in addition to my newfound skills in Adobe Dreamweaver, to
create an online process that increased student engagement and improved the overall
quality of student performance on the research task.
This artifact from EdTech 503 is unique in that it was not something that involved my
own content area, but rather a necktie seminar course for a local etiquette organization.
As a result, the content pedagogy required me to collaborate with an expert in the field of
etiquette to create an instructional design plan. This course-long project was massive
and multi-faceted; it included student guides, step-by-step instructions and procedures,
instructional materials, and assessment materials. Additionally, I designed this instructor
guide that helped provide a roadmap for the facilitators of the project. In creating this, I
had to consider the resources available to the organization and implement appropriate
technologies (digital slideshows, handouts, and surveys) in order to maximize
instructors’ abilities to deliver the instruction and the students’ likelihood of achieving the
objectives.
For EdTech 502, I created an online jigsaw activity based on the concept popularized by
Elliot Aronson. In this activity, learners are separated into groups, and each group is
assigned a specific task or skill to master. In this particular jigsaw activity, which
centered on a grammar concept, students were tasked with exploring the details of a
particular type of pronoun. To do this, they explored tutorial videos, digital practice
activities, and interactive games involving their specific type of pronoun. After using
these various tools to master their assigned pronoun type, they then reported back to the
larger group with their findings to help put the pieces of the “puzzle” together as a
collective effort. This practice required learners to reflect upon their own learning and
how it fits in with that of their peers; additionally, it required me to reflect on these
elements as I assembled the activity. I had to continually question whether the resources
and tools I was using were consistent with best practices; moreover, upon completion of
the activity, we reflected on the various parts of the jigsaw activity and their
effectiveness.
For my final project in EdTech 542, I created an entire Project-Based Learning unit
centered on the concept of the American Dream. This project had several components,
one of which was the Student Learning Guide. This guide laid out every step of the PBL
project, along with the correlating standards and both formative and summative
assessments. Additionally, the Student Learning Guide provided a detailed list of
instructional strategies for each phase of the project. Each of the assessments was
planned with careful consideration of technological processes and resources to
maximize the mastery of the corresponding standards. By utilizing online resources for
the PBL project, I ensured that the learning environment is both flexible and diverse,
enabling content mastery and high levels of student engagement.
2.5 Ethics: Candidates design and select media, technology, and processes that
emphasize the diversity of our society as a multicultural community.
I was introduced to the concept of web accessibility as a part of my work in EdTech 502.
I had never before considered how internet resources appeared to those with disabilities
and impairments. This project required me to research and define the concept of web
accessibility. More importantly, it involved researching and applying the principles of the
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
These two sets of guidelines establish an ethical standard that ensures that web
resources are accessible and usable by people with visual, auditory, processing, and
speech impairments. Considering these people in real-time while designing a website
was extremely valuable experience that will inform my ethical accountability in the future
as an educational technology practitioner.
STANDARD 3 - LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
Candidates facilitate learning by creating, using, evaluating, and managing effective learning
environments.
One of the most appealing and powerful qualities of technology is its ability to transform
the environment in which students’ learning takes place. This project, completed for
EdTech 502, is a web-based virtual field trip that takes students on a digital tour of
landmarks and locations relevant to the study of William Shakespeare’s life and work. I
created an entire website that walks students through multiple activities, including
biographical videos, Google Maps exploration, and much more. This project embodies
the power that technology gives practitioners: the power to transport students beyond
the classroom and to distant time periods and far-away lands. As research indicates,
giving students control over the navigation and pacing of a learning experience
drastically increases student engagement and learning. While the technical aspect of
building this web-based instructional design activity were new and challenging, I feel
confident not only in the usefulness of this activity, but also in the skill set I developed as
I created it.
My experience in EdTech 532 is difficult to encapsulate in a single artifact, but this short
video was part of my culminating project for Educational Games and Simulations. For my
final project, I created a grammar-based version of the popular German strategy board
game Settlers of Catan. This video summary introduces the game and its concepts, and
it walks players through the basics of gameplay and its objectives.
Many, many hours of research on learning theories and pedagogical approaches went
into this project, most specifically in the area of game-based learning. Throughout my
time in the MET program, I have continually dug into learning theories surrounding GBL,
and this is probably one of the artifacts that I am proudest of. Not only has it been a
massive success in my classrooms, but it is a real-world application of the power of
applying the principles of GBL to nontraditional resources.
3.3 Assessing/Evaluating: Candidates use multiple assessment strategies to collect
data for informing decisions to improve instructional practice, learner outcomes, and the
learning environment.
As a part of my final instructional design project in EdTech 503, I had to carefully assess
several factors before designing my instructional materials and activities. First, I had to
evaluate the learners using a needs assessment survey. After gathering this needs
assessment survey data, I then had to analyze the results to determine if there was an
actual need for the instruction that I was going to provide. Next, I had to survey the
learners to determine their access to and proficiency with technology tools. This was
done through several additional survey questions that were imbedded into the needs
assessment survey. Lastly, since I was contemplating designing a technology-based
delivery system for the instruction, I had to consider learners’ preferences in learning
styles and learning environments. Once it was clear that this instruction was needed, the
learners had adequate access to the technology tools I had in mind for the instructional
unit, and their learning styles and environment preferences were aligned with my
learning goals, I could begin the process of designing the instructional activities. This
evaluation process not only ensured that my instructional design project was successful,
but it also helped inform my approach in designing learning activities as a whole.
In this response to request for proposal project for EdTech 505, I had to submit a
proposal to the fictitious company Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and
Development. In the proposal, I acted as a fictional consultant lobbying for the bid to
evaluate Far West Laboratory’s training program. As a part of the evaluation proposal, I
had to consider infrastructure of the company and establish protocols and mechanisms
that ensured that its training program was both effective and long-lasting. As such, I
established a detailed schedule of the proposed evaluation process and laid out the
specifics of how the involved evaluation specialists and the technology elements would
be managed throughout the project.
3.5 Ethics: Candidates foster a learning environment in which ethics guide practice that
promotes health, safety, best practice, and respect for copyright, Fair Use, and
appropriate open access to resources.
4.1 Collaborative Practice: Candidates collaborate with their peers and subject matter
experts to analyze learners, develop and design instruction, and evaluate its impact on
learners.
For my final project in EdTech 503, I created, collaborated on, and reviewed the results
of a complete instructional design project. For this particular section (Part 4) of this
course culminating assignment, I collaborated with a subject matter expert (SME), who
in this case was an etiquette specialist. This subject matter expert, who has five years of
experience in this specific field, responded to specific survey questions about the
thoroughness, accuracy, and execution of my project, which was designed to teach
students how to tie neckties as a part of an etiquette training program at our school.
Based on my collaboration with the subject matter expert, I was able to modify certain
aspects of the project before sharing it with other instructors in the etiquette education
program. By implementing it in the etiquette program, I learned just how effective
instructional design can affect learning and learners. This lesson will continue to shape
my design of instruction going forward.
4.2 Leadership: Candidates lead their peers in designing and implementing technology-
supported learning.
The culminating PBL project for EdTech 542 involved a lot of components with different
functions. In addition to the aforementioned Student Learning Guide, I also created this
Products and Performances page for educators who wish to implement this project in
their classrooms. It clearly demonstrates my ability to lead other teachers in designing
and implementing technology-rich Project-Based Learning learning environments.
In EdTech 501, I was tasked with establishing my own working definition of educational
technology and creating a detailed infographic to illustrate and illuminate my definition. In
my definition, I discussed the cyclical nature of educational technology, which begins
with creation, management, and usage of technology resources. After these tools are
implemented, practitioners study the results and efficacy and analyze the data before
returning to the initial stage. This resource was informational for me, but it has also
proven useful in sharing my learning experience with other educators to explain the
educational technology process.
4.3 Reflection on Practice: Candidates analyze and interpret data and artifacts and
reflect on the effectiveness of the design, development and implementation of
technology-supported instruction and learning to enhance their professional growth.
At the conclusion of EdTech 504, I created a detailed learning log entry, reflecting on my
experience and gained knowledge in the course. I surveyed the immense amount of
research I had done into various learning theories and methodologies, and I came away
with a very useful reflection. I realized that, through my research, I had been utilizing a
mash-up of learning theories that were not only highly effective, but were also ripe for
technological integration to take things to the next level. My research, particularly in the
area of gaming in the modern classroom, changed my perspective on game-based
learning and actually has informed many other elements of my MET studies since this
course. I feel that this reflective writing assignment was just as, if not more, valuable to
my overall learning experience as an educator, as it reinforced many things about my
current methodologies and approaches, while encouraging me to delve into new and
innovative territories I had not previously considered.
For my main course project for EdTech 505, I chose to evaluate my school’s Learning
Management System, Blackboard. The school’s contract was coming up for renewal,
and the administration was excited about the opportunity to have someone do a detailed,
top-down evaluation of the platform and its use in our school. I was fortunate in that the
school had already established specific objectives for the LMS, so my primary initial task
was to gather data from faculty, administration, and students. Once the data was
gathered and sorted, I had to assess the overall effectiveness of the system in meeting
these learning goals and then make recommendations about its continuation. This was
the first major evaluation project that I had done, so I was initially quite intimidated;
however, I found it to be less daunting as I worked, as I had many of the skills and tools I
needed, such as Google Forms. More importantly, I came away with a valuable and
insightful study that not only benefited me but also helped the school make an informed
decision about its LMS.
4.5 Ethics: Candidates demonstrate ethical behavior within the applicable cultural
context during all aspects of their work and with respect for the diversity of learners in
each setting.
STANDARD 5 - RESEARCH
Candidates explore, evaluate, synthesize, and apply methods of inquiry to enhance learning
and improve performance.
5.2 Method: Candidates apply research methodologies to solve problems and enhance
practice.
Because of the immensity of the final evaluation report project for EdTech 504, it was a
major artifact in my MET journey. It gave me an opportunity to learn about and master
multiple AECT standards relevant to assessment and evaluation. In addition to having to
plan and execute assessments, this project also involved designing and applying formal
inquiry strategies as I evaluated my school’s use of Blackboard as its LMS. The formal
inquiry strategies that I selected for this assignment were student and faculty surveys; I
also used data compiled from district purchase orders for paper supplies, as they were
germane to the school’s objective of reducing paper use. Through these formal inquiry
strategies, I was able to assess and evaluate the resources and processes that were
being used in the school’s implementation of Blackboard and make a final
recommendation based on my findings.
5.4 Ethics: Candidates conduct research and practice using accepted professional and
institutional guidelines and procedures.
For the synthesis paper assignment for EdTech 504, I conducted an in-depth
research-based analysis of a particular learning theory and how it connected to other
learning theories. I chose to research the concept of game-based learning; through my
research, I found that it had significant ties to multiple different learning theories,
including cognitive constructivism, social constructivism, and behaviorism. These
concepts were all theories that I had learned about, both in my undergraduate studies
and in previous graduate courses; however, it was very valuable to revisit the nuances of
these learning theories through the lens of a more modern approach such as GBL. The
research was instrumental in shaping my views on GBL, and it also helped solidify my
own personal convictions about my own philosophy of learning theories. On a more
practical level, this paper served as another opportunity to hone my revision and
composition skills as they relate to APA style guidelines. Since I teach English Language
Arts, I am most comfortable with MLA guidelines and procedures, so every opportunity to
practice and refine my APA research and writing skills has proven useful during my MET
journey.
LIST OF ARTIFACTS
Please list all unique artifacts that were used in this paper. S imply list the course name and
title of the artifact. After the name, indicate the AECT Indicator it is used to illustrate. List the
courses in numeric order. If one of the artifacts is split into two or more parts (example, the
EDTECH 503 ID project) as you describe it above, you can list the two parts as unique artifacts.
Please number the list so that the total number can be quickly ascertained.
EDTECH 541 - (Integrating Technology into the Classroom Curriculum): Gerstein, Summer
2017
21. Shared Google Doc Lesson (1.1)
22. Internet-Enriched Lesson (1.1)
23. Relative Advantage Chart (1.3)
24. Instructional Software Lesson (1.4)
25. Assistive Technology Project (3.6)