Part 1: Lesson Plans
Create four exemplar lesson plans that explicitly demonstrate how implementing the technologies you have chosen will look in practice. Your lesson plans should apply across content areas and across grade levels.
This will likely require you to engage in professional collaboration with individuals with different areas of expertise. Consider using online professional organizations and social media to further these collaborations.
Use the questions above to help guide your content.
The lesson plans do not need to be articulated using Understanding by Design or other formal lesson presentation formats. Rather, you are designing vignettes that provide sufficient information for other teachers and stakeholders to see how your technology could be implemented in a variety of classrooms.
Part 2: Analysis and Evaluation
In a 4-6-page narrative, address the following:
Evaluate the impact of your professional collaborations on the design of the lessons.
Evaluate how the technology integrated into each lesson plan aligns to both content and technology standards.
Explain how each lesson plan will promote the safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology.
Analyze how the technology integrated into each lesson plan will support diversity and equity.
Think about the variety of student needs that exist within your educational setting. Specifically consider cultural background, developmental and readiness levels, language differences, speed of learning, experiential knowledge, and so on.
In your lessons, demonstrate how the technology can be used to meet those needs.
Analyze some of the struggles and questions teachers may have in implementing the technology. These concerns may have emerged from your professional collaborations.
Address those common concerns within your lessons, demonstrating how the technology can be successfully implemented to meet the needs of diverse learners.
Explain how you would use each lesson plan to promote educational innovation to decision makers and other stakeholders, such as parents and community members.
Resources: Technology-Driven Teaching and Learning
Emo, W. (2015). Teachers’ motivations for initiating innovations. Journal of Educational Change, 16(2), 171-195.
Hashey, A. I., & Stahl, S. (2014). Making online learning accessible for students with disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 46(5), 70-78.
Hull, G., Scott, J., & Higgs, J. (2014). The nerdy teacher. Phi Delta Kappan, 95(7), 55-60.
Kim, C., Kim, M., Lee, C., Spector, J. M., & DeMeester, K. (2013). Teacher beliefs and technology integration. Teaching and Teacher Education, 29, 76-85.
Smith, S. J., & Basham, J. D. (2014). Designing online learning opportunities for students with disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 46(5), 127-137.
Professional Collaboration
Through these resources, you will examine how professional collaboration can provide feedback that supports your plan of action for technology implementation. The successful implementation of your plan of action will depend on acceptance and support from your colleagues. In fact, part of your plan of action will involve developing feedback protocols for supporting your colleagues in the implementation of the technologies you are promoting.
Moolenaar, N. (2012). A social network perspective on teacher collaboration in schools: Theory, methodology, and applications. American Journal of Education, 119(1), 7-39.
Vangrieken, K., Dochy, F., Rae, E., & Kyndt, E. (2015). Teacher collaboration: A systemic review. Educational Research Review, 15, 17-40.
Teacher Resistance
Some teachers easily transfer their embrace of personal use technology to its use in their professional practice. Others may resist integrating new technologies if they perceive that doing so will threaten pedagogical approaches that have become comfortable routines. Some teachers may resist new technologies because they worry that students will be more competent than they are.
Through these resources, you will examine some of the reasons for teacher resistance to educational technology innovation. This learning will inform your design of lesson plans that will empower, rather than overwhelm, resistant teachers.
Basak, S. K., & Govender, D. W. (2015). Development of a conceptual framework regarding the factors inhibiting teachers’ successful adoption and implementation of ICT in teaching and learning. International Business and Economics Research Journal, 14(3), 431-436.
Griffiths, D., & Goddard, T. (2015). An explanatory framework for understanding teachers resistance to adopting educational technology. Kybernetes, 44(8/9), 1240-1250.
Hechter, R. P., & Vermette, L. A. (2013). Technology integration in K-12 science classrooms: An analysis of barriers and implications. Themes In Science & Technology Education, 6(2), 73-90.
Herold, B. (2015, June 10). Why ed tech is not transforming how teachers teach. Education Week. Retrieved from www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/06/11/why-ed-tech-“¦
Educational Tool Research
Look through some of the Web sites below and choose three skills or tools with which you are not currently proficient but that you feel would enhance teaching and learning in your classes.
For each skill or tool you select, follow the series of links provided until you feel you have mastered this technology sufficiently to implement it in your teaching practice. To master these skills, you may have to conduct additional research beyond these links. You will also want to practice using these tools by creating examples that would work in your classroom. You will then be able to incorporate these into the lesson plans you will submit for the summative assessment.
Note the features of the tools you like and dislike. Also note if the tools would be used only as an instructor resource or if you would plan on having your students use the tools as well. Note: This activity is not part of the summative assessment and is for your own use and reference.
EdTechTeacher. (n.d.). Tech tools by subject and skills. Retrieved from http://edtechteacher.org/tools/
Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. (n.d.). The 20 digital skills every 21st century teacher should have. Retrieved from http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/06/33-digi”¦
Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. (n.d.). The 31 educational web tools every teacher should know about. Retrieved from http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/12/the-31-“¦
Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. (n.d.). Teacher tools. Retrieved from http://www.educatorstechnology.com/p/teacher-tools”¦
Muthler, S. (2015). The best interactive Web tools for educators. Retrieved from http://www.edudemic.com/best-web-tools/
Blog Creation
Set up a blog to encourage professional collaboration among your colleagues in your school or district. On this blog, describe your ideas for change and encourage your colleagues to share their ideas about technology implementation, potential challenges to implementation, and their previous experience with school change initiatives. Note: This activity is not part of the summative assessment and is for your own use and reference.
Before setting up your blog, it will be beneficial to look at a few great examples. View the following resource for a repository of blogs.
Smith, D. F. (2015). The 2015 honor roll: EdTech’s must-read K-12 IT blogs. Retrieved from https://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2015/04″¦
After viewing a few blogs, set up your own blog. You may choose any platform you would like, but some suggestions are available in the following resource.
EdTechTeacher. (2016). Blogging. Retrieved from http://edtechteacher.org/apps/blogging/#AppTable
If you have no experience with blogging, you may refer to the following resource:
Evans, K. (2017, June 13). How to start a blog: Your step-by-step guide to getting your first blog up and running in no time! Retrieved from https://startbloggingonline.com/
Professional Organizations
Explore at least three of the professional organizations listed below to discover the resources and support they offer. Initiate contact with a professional organization and participate in some form of professional collaboration, such as communicating in a professional forum, a webinar, or a conference. Even if you already belong to a professional organization, use the links below to access a variety of online PLCs. You are encouraged to find additional organizations that best fit your interests, so you may also choose another recognized professional organization if you wish.
After exploring these resources, share your learning from these virtual professional collaborations with your colleagues on the blog you created, to drive further discussion, planning, and problem solving. Note: This activity is not part of the summative assessment and is for your own use and reference.
Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://aect.site-ym.com/
Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.amle.org/
Buck Institute for Education (BIE). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://bie.org/
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cec.sped.org/
International Literacy Association. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.literacyworldwide.org/
National Art Education Association (NAEA). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.arteducators.org/
National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nagc.org/
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/
National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.socialstudies.org/
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ncte.org/
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nctm.org/
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nsta.org/
