MANAGING EDUCATIONAL TECH SERVICES - EEND681Z
Artifact #1
Technology and the 21st Century Learning Space
The first artifact that made an impact on my educational technology standpoint was the creation of my ideal 21st century learning space. Veronica Lopez of Edutopia describes "7 Learning Zones" that would enhance a classroom or learning space; this includes a quiet zone, community zone, discovery zone, subject area zone, teacher zone, news zone, and supply zone (Lopez, 2015). In creating this learning space, I wanted to highlight each of these zones, as they do all play an important role in establishing a welcoming, tech-immersed classroom environment. This has carried over into my own first grade classroom as well. In addition to contributing to my previously established classroom stations, I have added a quiet zone, as inspired by this artifact and the ideas of Veronica Lopez. I am hoping to purchase a tent or other privacy element to the quiet zone for reading and recording on devices. Additionally, this artifact has allowed me to view the set up of technology in a new light. Simply having technology accessible in the classroom does not make it embraceable. I am striving to take various devices (such as iPads and laptops) out of cabinets or their designated locations, and immersing them into other zones so they are readily accessible for students. Providing students with at least one device in each zone of learning opens up more opportunities for them to implement technology, as it should be incorporated into their daily activities, not kept aside for a separate time of day. Overall, this artifact has been extremely beneficial in allowing me to see a space in which technology is embraced; this directly impacts my current classroom, and will continue to do so in the future.
Source: Lopez, Veronica. “7 Learning Zones Every Classroom Must Have.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 2015, www.edutopia.org/blog/7-learning-zones-classroom-veronica-lopez
Source: Lopez, Veronica. “7 Learning Zones Every Classroom Must Have.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 2015, www.edutopia.org/blog/7-learning-zones-classroom-veronica-lopez
Artifact #2
Institutional Technology Plan
The Institutional Technology Plan that I created within this course is immensely meaningful, as it portrays not only the many critical aspects of managing educational technology, but it represents the overall pride and sense of accomplishment in a meaningful summative assessment. In creating this plan, I was able to learn so many requirements of successfully implementing technology. Prior to this course, I had not known information beyond surface level of CIPA, FERPA, the digital divide/tech skills gap, EL considerations, and IDEA. Now that my understanding of these concepts is deeper, I am able to apply this knowledge into my current classroom, and into the future. Similarly, it was very challenging to research and apply big ideas such as ensuring social, ethical, equitable, legal, and accessible use of technology; this was not an area that I have spent much consideration in the past. Incorporating these concepts into an institutional tech plan allowed me to delve deeper into these ideas, and display the knowledge gained into something real. I have also come to the realization of how critical it is to have a solid support system and IT staff. Almost every aspect of my plan involved IT members, which proves their significance in the process of successfully incorporating technology in a school system. Lastly, after spending weeks on developing this plan, I truly take pride in what I learned and created. It was challenging to create this plan; however, it allowed me to view educational technology through a different lens. Completing this plan depicts how authentic summative assessments can be; it fully summarizes my understanding of the content in this course, and allows me to reflect on my own learning as well.