Throughout this course, I explored and learned how and when to most effectively use many of the digital tools available to me and my students. I will use the course's emphasis on the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) model to reflect on my own learning here:
Analysis
Thinking of myself as a student has never been a challenge for me. I enjoy school. I love talking about ideas, exploring new concepts, engaging in communicative (not screaming) debates, and otherwise being and succeeding in academic challenges. With technology, though, I had fallen behind the curve. There are so many reasons. Marriage. Kids. Full-time career. Needs of extended family. Etc. I used technology for the typical purposes (lesson planning, emails, videos, social media), but most of my curriculum remained paper/pencil/text. Although I have never been a read-the-textbook-and-answer-the-questions teacher, I thought too much of my own paper-based ingenuity and too little about the limits of technology as my attempts at learning experiences using digital tools like WebQuests failed. I needed direction and guidance.
Design
In combination with the two other courses I took this semester, the design of this course provided me with that direction and guidance. Learning the ADDIE model and evaluating WebQuests during Module 1 provided me the opportunity to begin to understand why my attempts at WebQuests flopped in the past. It was simple, really: they were no more engaging than a read-the-textbook-and-answer-the-questions approach. I had students reading web pages and filling in the blanks on worksheets and graphic organizers. They were locating information, not formulating ideas. From this, I knew immediately the project I developed by the end of the course would not fall into that pit.
Weeks 2 through 4 guided me through photo-editing software, simple hand-coding, and copyright law compliance. Each of these was important to my success with the final project and, ultimately, with learning how to use the internet effectively in my teaching and in my students' learning. The copyright project was especially difficult for me, because I do not like reading dry informational texts. I dislike it so intensely, in fact, that I find it difficult to make my eyes continue to look at it for longer than a minute or two. In this way, I completely empathize with students who tell me they "just don't like reading". This empathy, combined with the drive to accomplish the copyright project effectively despite my physiological rejection of the reading, gave me the idea for my WebQuest. Students need to understand why reading and writing matter before they can overcome their dislike and eventually come to enjoy reading and writing (most things) as much as I do.
Week 5 was tough. The Emerging Technologies project was far more intricate than its predecessors. My son got stitches in the midst of my working on it, too, so that certainly didn't help. However, in terms of course design, I think it was perfectly placed. It geared me up for the intense amount of time and effort required to complete the WebQuest effectively.
Week 6 was...wow. To quote Wayne's World: "Intensity in ten cities." I'm glad the course was designed to prepare me for pulling it off, but I'm also glad week 6 is behind me. Now for the sleeping.
Development
I anticipated spending about 20 hours on the WebQuest and planned accordingly. There are several reasons. Other projects. Kids. Sleep. Kids. Work. Kids. Etc. I actually spent nearly 30 hours just on the WebQuest itself and another 5 on the analysis. I turned in my work for this course with seven minutes to spare before the deadline. Of course, attention to and syn thesis of the ADDIE model, the principles of Universal Design (UD), the indicators of engaged learning (EL), the Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi), research-based best practices in how people learn, National Educational Technology Standards (NETS-S and NETS-C), 9th Literature & Composition course standards, and my own understanding of my students takes some time.
During development, I coached others according to my own understanding of each of those acronyms and the project rubric, which forced me to pay specific attention to the rubric's elements and plan/revise accordingly. My feedback to others and their feedback to me helped me tremendously.
Implementation
When I am able to implement this project, my front-loaded efforts will be rewarded. The WebQuest I created is designed to take five to six weeks, and it requires mastery of quite a few curriculum standards in engaging, meaningful ways. Spending time in the summers developing a few projects like this would open up the school year for providing feedback and giving my all to those teachable moments that will arise as students construct their own knowledge.
Evaluation
I'm certainly looking forward to a final grade for my project, but I am happy to report positive feedback from my peers and from Professor Cameron. I am proud of what I created. This course helped me to develop this learning experience with constructivism and project-based learning at its core. This course provided me with the guidance I needed in order to step into designing effective learning experiences with the technology students are already in love with and will need to know how to use well for the rest of their lives.
Analysis
Thinking of myself as a student has never been a challenge for me. I enjoy school. I love talking about ideas, exploring new concepts, engaging in communicative (not screaming) debates, and otherwise being and succeeding in academic challenges. With technology, though, I had fallen behind the curve. There are so many reasons. Marriage. Kids. Full-time career. Needs of extended family. Etc. I used technology for the typical purposes (lesson planning, emails, videos, social media), but most of my curriculum remained paper/pencil/text. Although I have never been a read-the-textbook-and-answer-the-questions teacher, I thought too much of my own paper-based ingenuity and too little about the limits of technology as my attempts at learning experiences using digital tools like WebQuests failed. I needed direction and guidance.
Design
In combination with the two other courses I took this semester, the design of this course provided me with that direction and guidance. Learning the ADDIE model and evaluating WebQuests during Module 1 provided me the opportunity to begin to understand why my attempts at WebQuests flopped in the past. It was simple, really: they were no more engaging than a read-the-textbook-and-answer-the-questions approach. I had students reading web pages and filling in the blanks on worksheets and graphic organizers. They were locating information, not formulating ideas. From this, I knew immediately the project I developed by the end of the course would not fall into that pit.
Weeks 2 through 4 guided me through photo-editing software, simple hand-coding, and copyright law compliance. Each of these was important to my success with the final project and, ultimately, with learning how to use the internet effectively in my teaching and in my students' learning. The copyright project was especially difficult for me, because I do not like reading dry informational texts. I dislike it so intensely, in fact, that I find it difficult to make my eyes continue to look at it for longer than a minute or two. In this way, I completely empathize with students who tell me they "just don't like reading". This empathy, combined with the drive to accomplish the copyright project effectively despite my physiological rejection of the reading, gave me the idea for my WebQuest. Students need to understand why reading and writing matter before they can overcome their dislike and eventually come to enjoy reading and writing (most things) as much as I do.
Week 5 was tough. The Emerging Technologies project was far more intricate than its predecessors. My son got stitches in the midst of my working on it, too, so that certainly didn't help. However, in terms of course design, I think it was perfectly placed. It geared me up for the intense amount of time and effort required to complete the WebQuest effectively.
Week 6 was...wow. To quote Wayne's World: "Intensity in ten cities." I'm glad the course was designed to prepare me for pulling it off, but I'm also glad week 6 is behind me. Now for the sleeping.
Development
I anticipated spending about 20 hours on the WebQuest and planned accordingly. There are several reasons. Other projects. Kids. Sleep. Kids. Work. Kids. Etc. I actually spent nearly 30 hours just on the WebQuest itself and another 5 on the analysis. I turned in my work for this course with seven minutes to spare before the deadline. Of course, attention to and syn thesis of the ADDIE model, the principles of Universal Design (UD), the indicators of engaged learning (EL), the Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi), research-based best practices in how people learn, National Educational Technology Standards (NETS-S and NETS-C), 9th Literature & Composition course standards, and my own understanding of my students takes some time.
During development, I coached others according to my own understanding of each of those acronyms and the project rubric, which forced me to pay specific attention to the rubric's elements and plan/revise accordingly. My feedback to others and their feedback to me helped me tremendously.
Implementation
When I am able to implement this project, my front-loaded efforts will be rewarded. The WebQuest I created is designed to take five to six weeks, and it requires mastery of quite a few curriculum standards in engaging, meaningful ways. Spending time in the summers developing a few projects like this would open up the school year for providing feedback and giving my all to those teachable moments that will arise as students construct their own knowledge.
Evaluation
I'm certainly looking forward to a final grade for my project, but I am happy to report positive feedback from my peers and from Professor Cameron. I am proud of what I created. This course helped me to develop this learning experience with constructivism and project-based learning at its core. This course provided me with the guidance I needed in order to step into designing effective learning experiences with the technology students are already in love with and will need to know how to use well for the rest of their lives.