Introduction

I graduated from Brigham Young University in elementary education. I had a very influential fourth grade teacher that inspired me at a young age to join the education profession. I came to love teaching more than I imagined I would when I selected the profession as a fourth grader. My students were a bit of a handful at times, as any class of children would be, but I love being able to see the "light bulb" moment after a student struggles with a concept and finally makes the connection. After teaching for two years, I transferred to a new school so I would have the opportunity to become an eMINTS teacher. Through this program I was able to have one computer for every two students in my classroom. I took a number of courses to learn various strategies about implementing technology into the core curriculum. I realized the best job I could ever have would be a position where I could integrate my two passions: teaching and technology.

The Masters program at Boise State University has helped me with that ultimate goal in ways that I couldn’t have imagined when I started it in 2012. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of some of the artifacts I’ve been able to create in various courses. They are organized based on the Association of Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) standards and include a brief explanation of what they are and how they align to the AECT standards.

1.1 Instructional Systems Design

The instructional design process is like composing a piece of jazz music. I love the end products with jazz music. However, I never really considered the myriad of tasks and knowledge required to create a truly beautiful and melodic jazz piece. Similarly, I have used and loved many lessons that have been designed using the instructional design process, but I never considered what really goes into the creation of one of those lessons or units of study. In EDTECH 503, I was able to experience firsthand the process of instructional design. Throughout the process of creating my Branches of the Government project, I came to realize just how important the various steps of instructional design are in creating student-centered and standards based instruction. I learned that while most instructional design models are represented with highly linear graphics, the process is more cyclical, where “many times the steps within a particular phase may occur concurrently” (Smith and Ragan, 2005, p. 10). In fact, after implementing various aspects of the unit in two separate classrooms, I discovered there were design flaws that needed to be addressed. Applying the principles of good instructional design will allow me to see situations with a new perspective, much like a mirror helps enhance beauty. The reflection is not a replacement for a person, but rather a way to enhance their perspective. Instructional design simply offers a way for me to enhance my expertise through correct utilization.

Another artifact that demonstrates mastery of this subdomain is my Learning Theories Paper from EDTECH 504. In researching and writing this paper, I learned that there is not a single epistemological belief or learning theory that explains every situation and every individual. The very nature of knowledge and learning is that it is a complex, multifaceted thing that cannot be explained in just one way. Therefore, having a firm grasp and understanding of a variety of learning theories and instructional models is imperative to being a successful educational technologist.As a result of these lessons, I feel that my teaching will be impacted in the sense that I will be more aware of the pedagogical approaches I use. I feel I am better prepared to evaluate and analyze different strategies and instructional models in terms of my own epistemological beliefs and the learning theories that help define that belief.

1.2 Message Design

For students who struggle with reading, often times the message a teacher is trying to share gets lost. In cases like this, a picture can literally become worth a thousand words. In EDTECH 506, I was able to learn various ways to alter the physical form of the messages I was trying to share with my students. For example, with my Push and Pull image I learned that sometimes less is more. Lohr (2008) explains how using simple shapes, such as rectangles and circles can help focus attention within a visual. By using simple rectangles with the vocabulary words, I was able to create a simple image that my coworkers agree draw attention to the words and clearly portray the meaning of each term.

Another artifact that helped my understanding of message design was my Newton’s Laws of Motion images. My First Law, Second Law, and Third Law imageswere designed based on the ACE process—analysis, creation, and evaluation. Lohr (2008) explains the ACE process is a cyclical and overlapping process and how “analyzing, creating, and evaluating tend to happen at the same time” (p.72).When I began creating my instructional unit, I realized that the concepts discussed in Newton’s Laws of Motion would be rather abstract for third graders. As a result, I tried to create an image that would help clarify those concepts for younger students. However, the design process proved to be much more complex and overlapping than I originally thought. I ended up having to analyze, adjust, and evaluate the images several times before I felt they clearly communicated the meaning I intended.

1.3 Instructional Strategies

In diverse classrooms, the challenge of ensuring all students have those necessary critical thinking and 21stcentury skills is a daunting task for any educator. With project-based learning, students become more actively involved in their own learning. Land, Hannafin, & Oliver (2012) explain, “given opportunities to make choices and pursue individual interests, learners evolve greater responsibility for their own learning” (p. 9).

One popular application of project-based learning is the WebQuest.Zheng, Stucky, McAlack, Menchana, Stoddart (2005) explained, “The WebQuest is characterized by what Dodge (2001) describes as deep learning that involves constructing new knowledge through a critical thinking process” (p. 42). The Creating a Community WebQuest I developed in EDTECH 502 focuses on four essential questions that require students to analyze information at a deeper level. In addition, the activities are organized in a sequential way, helping to scaffold students towards the culminating project that helps them synthesize the information they have learned.

Another example of a sequential lesson I created isthe Communities PBL Unit from EDTECH 542. This project focuses on different aspects of communities than the WebQuest, but has some similar characteristics in terms of student-centered learning opportunities. I created several smaller assignments to help students process information both individually and in small groups, all of which helped create a sequential progression towards the final summary assignment at the end of the project.

When I created these projects, I had changed grade levels, from fifth grade down to third grade. Not only did the assignments help me create authentic, scaffolded activities for my students, it helped me synthesize some of the third grade level curriculum I was still relatively unfamiliar with. In that sense, the artifacts became a wonderful instructional strategy for me as well.

1.4 Learner Characteristics

Understanding the learners in a situation is an important skill for educators to have. Smith and Ragan (2005) explain that there are cognitive, physiological, affective, and social characteristics that should be taken into account when designing instruction. One artifact I used to help determine the aptitudes and prior knowledge of the learners was the Needs Assessment I created as part of my EDTECH 503 Instructional Design unit. Through a short survey, I was able to evaluate how confident students felt with certain technological tasks that would be required at different points in the unit. I was also able to determine if the students had any specific prior knowledge about the unit topic. By conducting this assessment, I was able to determine what aspects of the topic I should cover, as well as what technology skills I would need to teach the students in order for them to be successful within the lessons. I discovered that a needs assessment can be an invaluable tool in narrowing down what students really need to learn. With such limited time during a school year to cover so much information, a needs assessment becomes invaluable in narrowing down what students really need to learn, rather than spending time covering topics or skills students are already proficient with.

TheRelative Advantage Chart I created in EDTECH 541 also supports this subdomain. Everett Rogers defines the relative advantage as the benefits of adopting a new method or strategy over an old one (RoblyerDoering, 2013, p. 53). Understanding the characteristics of the learners who will be affected by these decisions is imperative in creating effective learning experiences for students. A relative advantage chart is a tool to help organize the relevant information about learner needs and the relative advantage various solutions will provide. By creating this chart, I was able to determine specific needs my current students have and locate some potential technology based solutions for each of these needs. I’ve been able to use some of these solutions in my classroom and have found the outcome to be just as I expected. Tools like this will definitely come in handy when attempting to justify the cost of a certain program or technology tool with the school technology committee.

2.1 Print Technologies

Print technologies refer to printed items used in instruction, such as job aids and handouts. As part of my Instructional Design project in EDTECH 503, I created the Branches of the Government Organizer. While technology can be invaluable in accessing information, sometimes an old-fashioned graphic organizer is the best way to keep track of the pertinent information, especially for students who are still learning to sift through the vast knowledge base available at their fingertips. The students I gave this handout to were able to use it effectively to organize their information from their research and transfer it to summary paragraphs that logically flowed from one point to the next.

The Interview ToolI created in EDTECH 521 is another example of print technologies. Getting to know your students and their families is integral to a successful school year, whether you are teaching an online course or a face-to-face class. The Interview Tool was created in an effort to open communication between the teacher, the student, and the parents or guardians of the students. While I did not have an opportunity to use it with my students at the beginning of the year, I did try it with my sister and her daughter. Despite the fact I’m related to them, I learned some unique facts about them through the use of the interview tool I wouldn’t have known otherwise.

2.2 Audiovisual Technologies

A big challenge for educators is motivating students to learn. Keller (2008) explained that motivation to learn is promoted when a student’s curiosity is piqued, the content to be learned is meaningful to students, students believe they can succeed, students experience satisfying outcomes, and students are self-regulated to stay on task. Educators can pique attention by using mystery, unresolved problems, interesting graphics or animations. Additionally, by utilizing authentic learning experiences, students see relevance between themselves and the content. When we can help students become confident in their ability to succeed academically, they are more motivated to continue learning.Audiovisual technologies are one way to increase motivation in classrooms.Throughout my courses in the EDTECH program, I had numerous opportunities to create audiovisual projects. For example, in EDTECH 521, I was able to create a Multiplication Methods Video. It uses a combination of visual images and recorded audio to demonstrate various ways to look at multiplication.

In EDTECH 597, I created a cartoon, Gettysburg Address: Addressed. As an elementary teacher, cartoons are a huge motivation for students. Being able to create cartoons with content of my choice turned out to be an invaluable opportunity. Not only did my students love watching my creation, they were able to gain some insight into the Gettysburg Address in a unique and engaging way.

2.3 Computer Based Technologies

Computer-based technologies are becoming more and more pervasive in students’ lives. Marc Prensky (2005) described today’s students as “digital natives,” because of their native fluency in all forms of technology. Prensky’s argument is that as teachers in the 21st century, we need to be able to “practice putting engagement before content when teaching” (p.9) Computer based technologies are powerful engagement and motivational tools for these digital natives.

In considering student engagement and motivation, I created a series of Area Cartoonsin EDTECH 597. In this case, I was the one producing the materials to present information to students. I wanted to focus on a math concept many of my students struggle with throughout the year—calculating the area of a triangle. While they understand the idea of multiplying the base times the height, they always forget to divide by 2 (or multiply by ½). Generally I am a very “stick-figure” oriented artist, so being able to use a computer to create these comics was invaluable. I was able to focus more on what I wanted the comic to portray and less on my inadequate artistic skills. I’ve been able to use the comics with several groups of students, all of whom understood the concept it was explaining and appreciated the different delivery method of the content.

Another artifact that represents computer-based technologies is the Virtual Field Trip I created in EDTECH 502. Using Dreamweaver, I created several linked webpages that provided a virtual “tour guide” for students to follow in collecting information about the American Revolution. In turn, the students would be able to use computer technologies to access the information and create their final essays. In creating this artifact, I came across a lot of “dry” websites about the American Revolution. Even I found myself feeling bored and lost trying to sift through the information. As a teacher who subscribes to many aspects of constructivism, I realized my project would need to be more engaging if I expected students to take an active part in their learning. As a result, I tried to make it more of a multimedia experience, with videos, pictures, and several websites for students to choose from while conducting their research.

2.4 Integrated Technologies

Part of integrated technologies is creating activities that combine audio, video, and graphic elements. In EDTECH 501, I worked with several students in my class to create a Digital Divide Project. This artifact aligns with this standard because the completed project uses a combination of audio and graphic elements to create a video presentation. In addition, it required several programs to gain the desired result. We utilized Google forms and Google docs to collaborate and gather data for our final project. We also used Google presentations to create more visually dynamic images to import into our VoiceThread presentation. In working on this project, I discovered that sometimes one particular program or technology tool have limitations that are best addressed with a combination of technology tools. For example, in VoiceThread, it is difficult to create any sort of dynamic images—such as combining text right onto an image or putting more than one image on the slide at a time. Using several programs and tools helped create the final product we were looking for.

Integrated technologies also address levels of learner control and levels of interactivity. In EDTECH 541 I created a Social Studies Artifact Hunt that allows students to utilize mobile devices to learn about primary sources and the indigenous cultures of America. The activity presents various levels of learner control because students would be able to move through the different artifacts at their own pace and in whatever order they want. As an extension to the QR activity in class, students can take mobile devices on a field trip and create their own artifact hunt from items they see at a local museum. This provides opportunity for increased interactivity as they use their devices to take photographs of items at a museum, create their own QR codes, and put together a printable worksheet for their own artifact hunt. Even without the opportunity to visit a museum, students can locate images of artifacts from museum websites, giving them an opportunity to use web browsers on their devices as well.

3.1 Media Utilization

Media utilization refers to using media in a systematic way. Part of using media systematically is being able to know when to not include media. In EDTECH 501, I had the opportunity to create an Evolution Glog. The Glogster website provides opportunities to integrate audio, video, graphics, and text into one dynamic “poster.” With this many capabilities, it can often be challenging to determine what is important to include and what can be eliminated. By creating my own Glog on the evolution of educational technology, I was able to practice the important skill of sifting through a myriad of media in order to choose the most educationally effective items.

Another key aspect of media utilization is being able to determine what technologies are appropriate for a given learning situation. In EDTECH 541, I created an Instructional Software Presentation that allowed me to evaluate a number of available software programs in terms of their educational use. By putting the information I learned into a Prezi presentation, I will be able to easily share it with the technology team at my school during decisions about programs to implement.

3.2 Diffusion of Innovations

This subdomain has to do with communicating about different innovations in an effort to gain adoption within a learning community. One way to encourage adoption of a given innovation is by informing colleagues or stakeholders about the value of a given innovation. My Technology Integration Vision Statement from EDTECH 541 is a good example of using research to support adoption of a given innovation.

Another aspect of this subdomain is identifying strategies for learning communities to adopt. While social networking isn’t necessarily a new technology, there are many people who still hesitate to use things like Twitter and Facebook in educational settings. In my particular school district, these programs are actually blocked across the district network. Helping administrators become aware of the benefits of an innovative social networking tool can go a long ways in moving towards adoption in schools. My Social Networking Project from EDTECH 541 is an example of how social media can safely be used in a classroom setting. I created a curriculum-based activity that uses Twitter to connect students with people in various government positions in an effort to create interest in using social media in classrooms.