Fernando de la Lastra EDUC 526 Capstone Experience in Digital Teaching and Learning Dr.

Gilbreath Azusa Main Campus Live Binder: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1043068&backurl =/shelf/my 03/03/2014

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Section I: Becoming a teacher had been my lifes aspiration since I entered college in 1995. Being accepted into Azusa Pacific Universitys Mild/Moderate credential program with a Masters in Digital Teaching and Learning was a major milestone in accomplishing this goal. Within two months of beginning the Special Education Credential program at Azusa Pacific University I was able to accomplish my goal when I was offered a teaching position at the middle school I was working at as a special education assistant. Since then I have been balancing the demands of carrying a caseload of 27 students at work, along with the rigors of the masters program. During the application process I was presented with the option of pursuing a Masters in Special Education or a Masters in Digital Teaching and Learning. While I had considered deepening my knowledge about Special Education, I felt compelled to diversifying my experience at APU. Additionally, I believed that skills that I would attain in the Digital Teaching and Learning program would benefit me in an environment where technology is becoming a heavily sought after skill.

Personal Growth

Since beginning of the program I have learned a great deal about my ability learn and work under pressure. There were times when I questioned whether I would be able to complete the classes or assignments, but with the support of my peers and professors I managed to persevere. In fact, not only did I merely complete my classes and assignments, but also I found that I often flourished under the pressure. As I went through the program I found myself gaining self-confidence, which helped my as a first year teacher. During my time APU I have made several person connections with other students in the program. It was with the support of others in the program that I was able to manage the stresses of my work schedule and the rigors of the program. In addition, the personal connections I made during my time at APU gave me a unique perspective that has positively influenced my professional development as a new teacher.
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In addition to the personal connections I have made at APU, my time in the program has also benefited my Spiritual Growth. One of the most valuable spiritual lessons I have learned while at APU is that every one of my students lives serves a unique purpose. There are times when I have seen students struggling with their daily lives. I know now that my purpose is not only to serve their academic needs but also to help students see their unique purpose in the world. It was through APUs Christian values that I learned that teachers are not only their to educate students, but to guide and mentor them. To me, the completion of the masters program is the culmination of a goal that I once believed was unattainable. As I reach the end of the program I have reflected on the long journey that brought me here. There was a time prior to being accepted to APU that I contemplated giving up on my dream of becoming a teacher. However, now that I have reached the completion of my program I know that becoming a teaching is my unique purpose in life.

Professional Growth

My studies at Azusa Pacific have been extremely valuable in my development as new teacher. First, the classes took for my Special Education credential gave the necessary foundation to perform my job. For instance, I learned about various learning disabilities and how to assist students with learning disabilities. I also acquired other skills required to perform my job as a Special Education teacher, such as how to write Individualized Education Programs (IEP). In addition to the Special Education classes, the technology classes I have taken provided me with valuable knowledge that has contributed to my professional development. For example, I have learned how technology can be used to maximize student learning. Using technology, such as mobile apps, provides additional learning opportunities for students with different learning styles. In my EDUC 522 class I researched and tested a variety of mobile apps. One app that proved to be especially useful was Touch Algebra. I have incorporated this app into my Learning Center class,
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which has benefited my students tremendously. Another skill that learned in my EDUC 515 that has been extremely beneficial was being able to build a Google Site to serve to unique needs of my students. In fact, the Google Site I built for class has become a daily part of my students routine. The knowledge I have acquired during my time at APU has made me more determined to becoming an effective educator for my students. Since beginning my masters classes my personal and professional responsibilities have grown significantly. In addition to serving the students on my caseload at work, I have also been assigned to responsibility of being the teacher for our Learning Center. While this has added to my workload, it has provided me with valuable teaching experience. Since starting my masters classes my wife and I have become new homeowners. Although this has added to my responsibilities, owning a home has been a blessing that my wife and I have cherished greatly. As part of my Capstone experience I developed an Action Research Study. The goal of my research study was to be able to increase the number of times I exercise per week for zero to 3 times per week. I selected this as my research study in an attempt to improve my overall health and well-being. I was to accomplish this goal by planning the days I exercise and charting them on a graph. While I have not completed my study yet, thus far I have managed to increase number of time I exercise each week.

Technical Growth

Prior to the beginning of the program I felt that I was relatively proficient when it came my own technological abilities. While I was able to preform tasks that benefited my own needs, I did not have the necessary skills to meaningfully benefit my students. However, the knowledge I have gained in the program has given me new skills and a greater understanding of using technology in the classroom. As I mentioned earlier, one of the most useful skills I have acquired as a result of the course work I have t taken was the ability to build a Google Site to benefit the unique needs of my students. This ability, which I gained in my EDUC 515 class, has helped my students in a variety of ways. First, the website I built has YouTube videos of math
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lessons that my students are currently learning. In addition, I have added links to website that help students work on basic skills, like multiplication, which many of my students are lacking. The ability for my students to be able to quickly and easily assess a variety of websites to meet their individual needs has proved to be extremely valuable. In addition to learning how to build my own website, I have developed a much deeper understanding of the benefits of using mobile technology in the classroom. There are several apps, which I have incorporated into my own classroom as a result of the course work I have taken at APU. One app in particular that I have found to be effective with my students is Math Board Fractions. I learned about this app in my EDUC 522 class when researching for my Ratios and Proportions unit. This app provides students with a visual and physical way to learn how to work with fractions. Applications like Math Board Fractions help students make a more meaningful connection to content, which make learning more effective.

Life Long Learning Plan

As I have taken technology classes in my program, my professors and peers have made one point evident to me, which is that technology is always evolving. In order for my students to benefit from what I have learned I must be able to stay abreast of new developments in the technology field. One tool, which I have learned, is extremely beneficial for keeping up with the latest development is Twitter. Through Twitter I have begun to build my own learning community that helps keep me up to date with technology and how to incorporate technology in the classroom. In addition to using Twitter to stay abreast of new technology, I plan to attend technology conferences to connect with other teachers and learn about new and upcoming technology. I feel that conferences will not only help further develop my professional learning community, but also keep me up to date on the latest educational technology. By developing my skills through knowledge I acquire at conferences, I will be able to continue to better serve my students.

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One skill in particular that I would like to gain a greater knowledge of is the Google apps. I feel I have only begun to scratch the surface what the Google apps have to offer. For instance, I believe that Google Forms is an extremely useful application for todays teacher. Not only would help me cut down on making copies, but it would help stream line the grading process, thus allowing me to use my time more effectively. I feel that continuing to build my knowledge of Google apps will benefit my students and me. In the next 5 to 10 years I see myself as an effective and knowledgeable educator. I plan continue work with students with special needs and using technology as a means to allow them greater access to their education. I also believe I will continue to be a life longer learning in order to provide my students with cutting edge technology and techniques to further enhance their learning experience.

Section Two:

History of Course Work and Course Evaluation

Use this table template for your course evaluation section of the Growth Assessment. Feel free to change the formatting (color, margins, font, etc). Use bullets in the Key Skills and Comments sections. Insert any additional Digital Teaching and Learning courses you might have taken. Once the table is completed, copy and paste it into the body of your Growth Assessment.

Name: Term: Cours e

Fernando de la Lastra Spring 1 2014 Course Title & Instructor Name Foundations in Digital Teaching and Learning

LiveBind er URL:

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?i d=1043068&backurl=/shelf/my

Term Complete d Fall 1 2013

Key Skills Acquired Learned to make a Wordle. I was able to develop and create my own LiveBinder in order to organize

Comments/Suggestions

EDUC 511

While It was a little complicated to set-up, I felt that the LiveBinder can be an affective way to be able to
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INSTRUCTOR: Joanne Gilbreath

my program assignments.

keep an electronic portfolio of my acourse work. Dr. Gilbreath was extremely supportive and provided a template for my masters program. I felt that the information I learned about Webquests was extremely beneficial, especially with the emphasis that common core has on both technology and project based learning. Professor Temple was extremely knowledge about how to incorporate technology in the classroom. This class was extremely beneficial for learning how to use video in the classroom. I felt that teaching student to use Imovie app will be helpful as LAUSD begins to their IPad rollout. Professor Selak was very knolege about photography and video editing. He was patient with students, as most of us were new to photography and video editing. He was also very understanding and supportive of students. The most use part of this class was learning how to create my own website on Google Sites. I was able to use this skill right away in my own classroom. Professor Seliskar was very knowledgeable of all the Google apps. He very helpful with the development of my website and was also supportive of student needs.
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EDUC 512

Instructional Applications Productivity Software INSTRUCTOR: Torrence Temple

I was able to create an online quiz using the Quia website. Fall 1 2013 I learned how to develop a Webquest.

EDUC 514

Digital Video in the Classroom INSTRUCTOR: Bill Selak

Spring 1 2014

I learned about the 9 types of shots. I acquired the ability to edit video footage. I learned about the importance of light for photo shots. I developed a greater understanding of how to use Imovie and how to incorporate video in the classroom.

EDUC 515

Evolving Educational Technologies INSTRUCTOR: Jason Seliskar

Fall 2 2013/14

I learned about Google Apps. In particular, I learned about how to use Google Sites and Google forms. I was able to build my own website on Google Site.

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Learning in the 21st Century EDUC 522 Fall 2 INSTRUCTOR: 2013/14 Jennifer Courduff

I learned about Howard Gardners multiply intelligences theory and how to apply it to Blooms taxonomy.

This class helped me expand my understanding of how technology can be used In the classroom. Professor Courduff was very enthusiastic about the course. She illustrated the need for teachers to use multiple intelligences in their practices. She provided useful applications of content so I could use it in my own class. She was extremely supportive and helpful. This class is the perfect culmination of the all the classes I have taken thus far. It is allowing me how to incorporate technology in the classroom. Dr. Gilbreath was very helpful and supportive to her students. She provides practical advise and knowledge on how we can incorporate technology into the classroom.

EDUC 526

Capstone Experience/ Digital Teaching and Learning INSTRUCTOR: Joanne Gilbreath

Spring 1 2014

I have further developed my understanding of how I can use technology in the classroom.

Evaluation of the Impact of the Digital Teaching and Learning Program The one tool which I have already integrated into my teaching practice is the development of my own Google website. This tool is extremely helpful as a special education teacher because it allows me to effective differentiate the content that I deliver to my students. It is also a tool that my students are able to access from home or their mobile devices, which gives them the opportunity to learn from anywhere. I feel that this tool has allowed me to become a more effective teacher. Program Evaluation Overall I felt that the Digital Teaching and Learning Program has been extremely beneficial to my development as a new teacher. The professors I have had have been
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extremely supportive to my needs. I also feel that my professors are some of the most knowledgeable educators in the field of technology and are ahead of the technology curve. My time in the Digital Teaching and Learning program has been an tremendously positive experience.

Unit Level Dispositions Azusa Pacific University School of Education has articulated the following as our unit disposition in keeping with our unit conceptual Framework of Ethical, Responsive and Informed Practitioners. Our candidates reflect National Council on the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) definition of dispositions. The instrument below reflects the agreed upon indicators of the dispositions of Ethical, Responsive and Informed Practitioners who operate on the foundational basis of fairness and the belief that all people can learn.

Instrument
Directions: Please complete the Candidate Dispositions Rubric, aligned to ethical, responsive, and informed educator dispositions, as evidenced in your graduate work. Candidate Dispositions 1 2 3 4 N/A NCATE defines dispositions as professional attitudes, values and beliefs demonstrated through Not Sometim Usually Always Cannot both verbal and non-verbal behaviors as educators Displaye es Displaye Displaye Assess interact with students, families, colleagues and d/ Displayed d/ d/ communities. These positive behaviors support Not / Acceptab Target student learning and development. The two Acceptab Approach le professional dispositions that NCATE expects le es institutions to assess are fairness and the belief that Acceptabl all students can learn. (NCATE 2008) e Ethical educators who are able to understand and articulate the integration of a Christian worldview in their professional communities of practice display: Personal integrity Collaborative, cooperative and respectful behaviors Fairness in educational settings by meeting the educational needs of all students in a caring, nondiscriminatory and equitable manner Sensitivity to cultural and individual differences Personal and professional maturity Personal integrity x x x x x x

Comments regarding your strengths/areas for improvement (Ethical): I feel that one of my strength is that I always strive to meet the needs of my students. I also work at making sure that am sensitive to all students.

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Responsive educators who practice reflective critical thinking in their engagements with diverse communities of learners display: Responsiveness to the expectations and standards of the professional community Responsiveness to conditions that promote learning, health and personal safety in the P-12 school and community Effective communication within the educational community Commitment to fair academic practices that ensure all students can learn Responsiveness to the impact of discrimination based on race, class, gender, disability/exceptionality, sexual orientation and language on students and their learning Effective time management Appearance and dressing appropriate for ones professional setting x x x x

Comments regarding your strengths/areas for improvement (Responsive): I feel that one of my strengths is my commitment to fair practices that ensure that all students can learn. I feel that on of my areas of need is in my appearance and dress. While I am always clean appropriately dressed, I feel that my attire is a bit casual at times.

Informed and collaborative scholarly educators who are dedicated to professional growth and lifelong learning display: Commitment to adapting and applying the best research-based ideas to improve clinical practice Understanding of current and emerging trends in their field of practice Knowledge of standards and expectations of their discipline through relevant activities and projects in the program Ability to apply and communicate current research effectively in coursework Ability to synthesize and apply course content, projects, clinical practice and professional work x x x

x x

Comments regarding candidate strengths/areas for improvement (Informed): I feel that being enrolled in the Digital Teaching and Learning program has helped keep me informed of current practices in the field of education and technology. I also do my best to incorporate what I have learned in my own practices.

Summative Score for Candidate Dispositions:

21

40

Total 63

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Additional Comments:

While I feel that I acquired a lot of knowledge in the program, I still feel that I have much to

learn. I feel that my strength of being an ethical professional will continue to serve me in future as a teacher.

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