Running

head: GROWTH ASSESSMENT

Amanda Edgar My Virtual Learning Voyage Growth Assessment EDTC 526 Azusa Pacific University

 Spring 2- 2012 EDTC 527 Special Topics in EDTC 517-Telecommunications Educational Technology Joe Bruzzese Barry Bettger Discoveries: Creating a website can be Discoveries: Wikis, Blogs, and PLSs- Each exciting, but using them for resources and can have an important role in learning! in the classroom can be revolutionary! EDTC Summer 1- 2012 524- Instructional Design and Development EDTC 518- Global Learning/Cross-cultural Laura Silva Classroom Discoveries: Dr. Kathleen Bacer Principles behind Backwards Design and how to use big questions to drive content standards. Discoveries: Technology allows learning to go GLOBAL! Fall 1- 2012 EDTC 573- Philosophy/Ethics and History EDTC 523Educational Applications of of Education Fall 2- 2012-2013 Information Design Hypermedia Valerie Suffren 515- Emerging Trends in Technology EDTC Laura Silva Discoveries: Who I am, how I view my students Dr. James Brown Discoveries: GLP creation! Global Learning put and their role in the learning process has helped Discoveries: Online learning is here to stay; beware into action! mold my PHILOSOPHY of EDUCATION! the dark side of the Internet, but the pros out way the cons EDTC 520- Applications of TechnologySpring 1- 2013 EDTC 572- Advanced Educational supported Curricular Tools EDTC 526- Practicum in Educational Psychology Elisabeth Silver Applications of Technology Dr. James Brown Discoveries: How to become a technology leader; Dr. Kathleen Bacer Discoveries: analyzing and creating technology plans. Discoveries: Reflecting and putting it all together Further understanding the motivation, thinking, allows me to appreciate the journey. and cognitive process that learners undergo.

My Virtual Learning Voyage

Spring 1- 2012 EDTC 511- Foundations in Educational Technology Dr. Kathleen Bacer Discoveries: Adobe Acrobat AhHas!; Learning how to learn (collaboratively and in an online environment)!

EDTC 571- Curriculum Foundations Valerie Suffern Discoveries: All are unique in how they learn; this is important to remember when planning what students are to learn!

GROWTH ASSESSMENT Personal Growth Henry Ward Beecher once stated, We should not judge people by their peak of

excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started (Henry Ward Beecher Quotes, 2013, para. 1). This program to me is not about the accomplishment at the end, but about the amount of growth that has occurred from where I started. Prior to the start of the program I was focused far too much on the outcome; not the process. I have made huge leaps and bounds spiritually, cognitively, and intrinsically. Spiritual Growth I didnt pursue APU for its recognition as a Christian University. I had not even really considered this being a part of my journey. It is perhaps for that initial reason that spiritually I have made the most astounding growth. In the years leading up to commencing the program I had been off track and away from my faith and from God. In discussing my faith, reading the Bible, and spending ample time reflecting upon my self and my actions, I was truly able to reconnect and grow. I feel much more in tune with myself and with my relationship with the Lord. I realized early on that this was the path that was chosen for me. To learn how to improve in all aspects of my life, I needed first to reconnect with God. Cognitive Growth Thinking, reflecting, and problem-solving has all been an important part of my growth through APU. Each of these things has been an integral part of my learning process and contributed to my cognitive growth. I have been able to process ideas and make things that were very abstract become a reality. For example, in creating a variety of websites I had to take an abstract idea with an intended objective and problem-solve, think, and adapt, in order to end up with a final product that matched my objective. I was able to do

GROWTH ASSESSMENT this through collaboration with others, self-reflection, and giving and receiving feedback from others. Doing this in the program also carried over into other areas of my life: from teaching to my relationships. Taking time to reflect, make changes, and end up with an improved outcome is something that I felt like I have improved at in all areas. Intrinsic Growth I feel as though this program has also significantly contributed to my confidence, especially in the work place. I went from being a bystander who took a back seat to what was happening in my school and district, to an active technology leader. Gaining further knowledge has helped me realize that if anyone is going to be a catalyst for change at my

school site, its going to be me. This confidence has carried over into other areas of my life as well, and I can certainly say it all started with becoming an active participant within our online learning community. Overall, this program has changed who I am; it has changed me for the better. I feel closer to God, have a greater understanding of myself, and have taken an active role in furthering who I am. Professional Growth This program has significantly affected my career. It has allowed for me to expand my knowledge in an area that I was interested in, and motivated me to help make changes as I look and head toward the future. I realized before I started this program that there would be a need for teacher leaders to be comfortable with technology, as it was becoming an increasingly more prevalent and accessible resource for everyday life and in education. I went from feeling frustrated by all of the obstacles that appeared to stand in my way

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between what I wanted with technology, to feeling like I was able to personally help make changes with the resources we have. While there are clearly many things that still stand in the way of an entirely tech- integrated school and learning environment, I feel so much better about knowing how to navigate the ropes as we make strides towards that. I feel extremely proud about sharing with others I teach with, my administrators, and our district technology personnel, what I want to accomplish in my classroom and in our school with technology. I would not have ever figured that I would be broadcasting what I was doing to others. Instead of being a follower, I feel proud to have become a leader, who is confident to share ideas and opinions. To summarize, my role as teacher has evolved. I went from a teacher who enjoyed using technology, to a teacher who uses technology to further the learning of my students. I went from a teacher on my school site who flew under the radar, to a teacher that is now a technology representative contributing to decisions made about technology, holding workshops to teach others, and a part of the district technology plan team. Technical Growth I was an avid user of technology and fairly comfortable in a variety of areas;

however, I learned more than I ever could have anticipated. I learned about how to use websites and software as well as how to teach with technology as a way to further student learning. First off, I learned how to use Adobe Acrobat as a way to create and edit Portable Document Formats (PDF). This is extremely helpful in the creation of documents for teaching and for sharing among other teachers on the web. Additionally, my skills in

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website creation and editing have grown exponentially. I have been able to put skills to use in creating a variety of websites for different purposes, and even held a training to teach other teachers at my school site. One other area of tech expertise I feel has been noticeable, is to do with my knowledge of the wide array of resources open and available on the web including the following: websites, blogs, Global Learning Projects, Wikis, etc. While all of these technological skills are significant, I feel as though I have gained the most from discovering how to teach with technology and use it as a way to foster student learning and engagement. In creating a Global Learning Project, and participating with others, it was amazing to see the potential of learning in a global environment made possible by technology. I created Webquests, videos, websites, participated in Skype discussions, created a school-wide blog, and more. In each of these experiences it was never about learning how to use the technology; it was all about using it to help teach and take the knowledge of my students to a whole new dimension. I am much more of a tech expert than I was when I started the program. I know how to better use the technology that exists, sort through many of the resources that are out there, and best of all, teach with technology. Life Long Learning Plan Albert Einstein one proclaimed, Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death (Albert Einstein Quotes, 2013, p. 5). This program and my plan for life-long learning, most certainly support this idea. My absolute favorite part about being a teacher is the opportunity that it provides to be an active, life-long learner. I feel as though I will never be done learning and discovering and I certainly dont ever want to feel that way. I feel that having skills to help me better navigate

GROWTH ASSESSMENT the Internet resources as a teacher will come in handy as I continue to learn and grow.

Whether this be participation in or contribution to online discussions about education and technology, attendance to a conference such as the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference, or even some webinars, I have no desire to stop furthering my knowledge in any area. I also feel as though stepping out of my comfort zone when new technologies emerge is a great way to stay inspired and promote an attitude of being a life- long learner. In an opinion article, Wolpert (2009) states I believe true growth as a person can happen only by challenging yourself with situations that are not familiar to you (para. 6). I agree that situations in life or in the classroom that make us think differently or try something a new way will only promote learning and growth. I look forward to stretching outside of my comfort zone, and trying new things. I also want to learn how to effectively write grants so that I can further my budget for acquiring and supporting the technology I have and want to have. I also plan on being a part of my districts new committee for creating the technology three-year plan. I hope to learn what I can to help my district move forward in this area. For right now I cannot wait for the next few years of teaching. I am still a newer teacher and have so much passion for what I do. I cant wait to try new projects, resources, etc. with the students in my classes. Further down the road I may take my technology skills with me as the possible candidate for our schools Library Teacher. If this does occur I would love to transform our library to a Media Center and teach different lessons involving technology to all of the classes at my school. I plan on staying connected to the community of online of educators, especially tech educators. Twitter, Edmodo, and ISTE have all been helpful in making me feel like I am in

GROWTH ASSESSMENT the loop about what is going on in the tech education world. Using the Internet to stay informed and connected to the education world at large will play a significant role in my future, life-long, learning. Conclusion This all started with the end result in mind. Now that the end of the program is

almost here, I have realized that it is not about the end, but was always about the process. I have become stronger in my faith and refocused my life and where I stand with religion. I have made significant personal growth in becoming better at reflecting and evolving overall. Additionally, I have become more confident both in and outside of the workplace. I have discovered my place at my school site and within my district and feel like an active participant for change when it comes to technology integration. I have learned to fully understand the benefits to teaching with technology and using a variety of projects and online resources to even take learning global. Overall, this program has presented opportunities for me to learn, change, and evolve as a Christian, teacher, and overall individual. While the voyage may be coming to an end, I know that my learning journey never will.

GROWTH ASSESSMENT References Albert Einstein quotes- BrainyQuote. (2001). Famous quotes at BrainyQuote. Retrieved from

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/albert_einstein.html Henry Ward Beecher quotes- BrainyQuote. (2001). Famous quotes at BrainyQuote. Retrieved from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/henry_ward_beecher.html

Meech, Scott. (2009) The lifelong learning toolbelt. Classroom technology news. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/default.aspx?tabid=67&entryid=534

Wolpert-Gawron, Heather. (2009) What I love about teaching. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/teacher-lifelong-learner