Key Concept 7:
Technology Integration Models & Technical Tasks
7.1 Candidates will be able to apply models of technology in school (such as SAMR, TPACK, and/or TIM) to incorporate technology tools to improve teaching and learning.
Within my technology planning paper, created in ET 680, I discussed how models of technology could be applied in order to incorporate technology tools to improve teaching and learning. Specifically, I focused on the use of virtual field trips in the classroom. I addressed the current needs of my school using the Perceived Attributes, Ely's Eight Conditions, and the ACOT model. When evaluating the staff at my school, I also referred to the SAMR model to identify the stage at which I felt like most of the staff members were. The four levels of the SAMR model include Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. I felt like with the exception of a few teachers, most of them were at the Augmentation stage. My goal was to move them from this stage to the modification or redefinition stage with the use of Skype in the classroom. This paper includes a plan of action and explains how virtual field trips can positively impact the learning environment for students. The use of virtual field trips in the classroom opens lines of communication to people and places around the world and allows students to "visit" places they may never get to actually travel to in real life.
7.2 Candidates will be able to demonstrate the ability to tackle challenging technical tasks.
In ET 660, we had to partake in a collaborative project, called Project LXQ, where we had to design a 21st century school. I worked with two other classmates to research a variety of preexisting innovative schools to gather ideas in order to create "CC&E Preparatory School." This project was challenging in several ways. Once we finished researching, we had to compile all of our findings and narrow down on the ideas we wanted to focus on. This was challenging because we all had to agree on a combination of ideas, which required a lot of time and patience from each of us. Once we completed this first step, we had to introduce our school in a video format. This was also challenging because we were tasked with mastering voice-over cuts, consistent volume for music and audio, seamless transitions, and compiling an engaging video that flowed together overall. Using MovieMaker allowed us to create an engaging final presentation for our viewers. This presentation allowed us to include a variety of visuals to promote our innovative school. If we had used a more low-tech option, such as a written paper or a flyer of some sort, our final presentation would not have been as engaging for those learning about our unique school. Our final project is included below.