Years ago, as a student working towards my associate’s degree I remember taking a distance education class which consisted of me watching VHS videotapes and submitting my homework at the local community college campus on Fridays at 3:00pm.  Since then education has changed.

When it comes to online learning it is in high demand in schools in all parts of the country. Students are now deferring the traditional setting with the professor facilitating a lecture and opting for distance instruction. The ability to communicate globally allows education to change. Lectures and learning materials are offered to students who are able to retrieve them at their leisure. For those who perform a forty hour work week; they are able to have the ability to study and schedule events that fit their lifestyle. Also, online courses teaches one to be disciplined. It takes self-motivation; in which the student’s success level depends upon them using their time productively. Tests and reading materials can be reviewed until the pupil is ready to complete the assignments. There is time to absorb the materials prior to due dates. Time management is key (Piccanio; 2011).

According to Piccanio; Synchronous distance learning allows the teacher and student to communicate with text, audio, or video. Blending with Purpose is a model that is recommend that educators apply technology for instruction which consists of content, dialect, collaborations which meets socially and emotional needs of the student. Prior to purchasing materials for distance learning some important factors to consider are performance, compatibility, modularity, ergonomics, software availability, reputation of the manufacturer, and the price of the item (Piccanio, 2011).

According to author Desantis; there are some technical requirements you may want to consider before enrolling in a class that is taught online more than just possessing a computer and having access to the internet such as the following:

ü  Printer/Scanner

ü  Basic Software; audio, movie maker, or any form of graphics

ü  Email Address

ü  Adobe Acrobat

ü  Plug ins; flash drives, quick time, real player

ü  Tablets; to download textbooks

In conclusion, technology is and most likely will continue to be the connection to learning at distance. Students’ interest in taking technology and applying it to difficult concepts, as well as their interest in using it as a way of exploring their career opportunities will only increase as long as colleges continue to enroll.

References

Desantis, J. (2012). Getting the most from your interactive whiteboard investment: Three guiding

principles for designing effective professional development. The Clearing House, 51-55.  

 

Picciano, A. G. (2011). Educational leadership and planning for technology (5th ed.).  Hunter College, NY: Allyn & Bacon  

 

Sheninger, E. (2014). Digital leadership: Changing paradigms for changing times. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.

 

 

 

 

Years ago, as a student working towards my associate’s degree I remember taking a distance education class which consisted of me watching VHS videotapes and submitting my homework at the local community college campus on Fridays at 3:00pm.  Since then education has changed.

When it comes to online learning it is in high demand in schools in all parts of the country. Students are now deferring the traditional setting with the professor facilitating a lecture and opting for distance instruction. The ability to communicate globally allows education to change. Lectures and learning materials are offered to students who are able to retrieve them at their leisure. For those who perform a forty hour work week; they are able to have the ability to study and schedule events that fit their lifestyle. Also, online courses teaches one to be disciplined. It takes self-motivation; in which the student’s success level depends upon them using their time productively. Tests and reading materials can be reviewed until the pupil is ready to complete the assignments. There is time to absorb the materials prior to due dates. Time management is key (Piccanio; 2011).

According to Piccanio; Synchronous distance learning allows the teacher and student to communicate with text, audio, or video. Blending with Purpose is a model that is recommend that educators apply technology for instruction which consists of content, dialect, collaborations which meets socially and emotional needs of the student. Prior to purchasing materials for distance learning some important factors to consider are performance, compatibility, modularity, ergonomics, software availability, reputation of the manufacturer, and the price of the item (Piccanio, 2011).

          According to author Desantis; there are some technical requirements you may want to consider before enrolling in a class that is taught online more than just possessing a computer and having access to the internet such as the following:

ü  Printer/Scanner

ü  Basic Software; audio, movie maker, or any form of graphics

ü  Email Address

ü  Adobe Acrobat

ü  Plug ins; flash drives, quick time, real player

ü  Tablets; to download textbooks

In conclusion, technology is and most likely will continue to be the connection to learning at distance. Students’ interest in taking technology and applying it to difficult concepts, as well as their interest in using it as a way of exploring their career opportunities will only increase as long as colleges continue to enroll.

References

Desantis, J. (2012). Getting the most from your interactive whiteboard investment: Three guiding

            principles for designing effective professional development. The Clearing House, 51-55.  

 

Picciano, A. G. (2011). Educational leadership and planning for technology (5th ed.).  Hunter College, NY: Allyn & Bacon  

 

Sheninger, E. (2014). Digital leadership: Changing paradigms for changing times. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.

 

 

 

Forum 3 (Module 4)

Technology in Instruction

 



 

 

 

 

 

In the 1980's there was a  large amount of computers purchased by public schools for the use of instruction. However, a survey reported by Education Weekly in 2004; acknowledged that teachers were novices when it came to using technology while instructing in the classroom.(Picciano, 2011)

 

According to authors Sheingold, Kane, and Endreweit there were several issues that may limit the use of technology during instruction such as; (1)Hardware may not be available (2)Technology may be new to educators and administration (3)Elementary schools may not be have technology listed in their curriculum (4)Assuring there is a sufficient amount of technology available to students that is considered to be valuable (5) Lack of professional development (6) Does the technology have a positive or negative effect (Picciano, 2011).

 



Education has the responsibility of preparing its students to be contributing members to society. With society tied to communication; technology, is directly related to communication. Therefore preparing students to be lifelong learners requires a new approach to teaching, one in which students are taught at a distance. It’s not difficult to find teachers utilizing new technological tools to reproduce older educational patterns.(Sheninger,2014).Technology has the ability to facilitate learning and improve the quality of educational experience, provide students develop skills with the use of technology, and expand technology awareness throughout the education community. The new technological tools allows educators to have a larger amount of students with the use of distance education. Thus, in order for teachers to be prepared to teach at a distance in depth professional development is necessary(Hannafin; 2010).

References

 

Hannafin, M. J., & Polly, D. (2010). Reexamining technology’s role in learner-centered professional development. Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 557-571.

Picciano, A. G. (2011). Educational leadership and planning for technology (5th ed.).  Hunter College, NY: Allyn & Bacon  

Sheninger, E. (2014). Digital leadership: Changing paradigms for changing times. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.

 

Forum 2 (Module 2)

Author Picciano discusses the beginning years of technology in Educational Leadership and Planning for Technology. The early introduction of technology in schools only had the purpose of collecting data as opposed to being used in the classroom. Higher Learning institutions were most likely to utilize the concept for certain programs of study such as engineering. Many considered the use of computers a not being a personal approach to teaching and preferred physical interaction with students. There was also the issue of cost which also prevented computers to place in the classroom.

The initial theory of technology has changed drastically over recent years. Classrooms full of students are deferring the traditional setting with the professor facilitating a lecture and opting for the accepted mode of distance instruction. Despite many technological advances, the majority of today's classrooms utilize this new trend. Educators can no longer live in a bubble or be immune from advancements in technology.

The world is changing and today’s technology allows us to communicate synchronously with peers universally. The ability to communicate globally allows, education to change. Most educators might not want to change, but the high demand of learning at a distance is coming so educators need to be equipped with not only content knowledge of the subject they are teaching but they must also be technology literate. The challenge is to prepare the student of today for technologies yet created. As we will see, technology is changing the way our students need to be taught.

According to Gumbo and Miller (2009) the effect of the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) in-service technology training program based on teachers' knowledge and understanding of technology. The instruction of educators who teach technology is an advantage toward professional development which includes mathematics and science. A survey was used to collect insight that was processed to teachers. The same questionnaire was given prior to training in 2008 and post training in 2009. The main objective of the study was to conclude if the ACE-Technology training had a major impact on teachers' level of knowledge and comprehension of technology. In total, 304 surveys were completed and were included in the study. The results revealed that there were improvements in the teachers' technological knowledge and comprehension. In conclusion teachers were able to benefit from the ACE- training.

The article supports and shows how the procedure for obtaining an Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE). It is imperative for educators to understand the technology which they are introducing to students.

Gumbo, M., Makgato, M., & Miller, H. (2009). The impact of in-service technology training programmers on technology teachers. The Journal of Technology Studies, 23-33.

Picciano, G., Anthony. (2011). Educational Leadership and Planning for Technology. Pearson: Upper Saddle Back River, New Jersey.

Introducation Video

Introducation

My name is LaShauna Campbell.  I live in Lillington, North Carolina. It is a small town in Harnett County located 30 minutes from Raleigh; the state capital. I am pursuing a Master's degree in Educational Leadership. I am expecting  to complete this degree by the end of December 2014. I have been in the early childhood field for sixteen years.  I am currently an Early Childhood Education Specialist at the Harnett County Partnership for Children. I provide technical assistance to licensed Family Child Care Homes and Child Care Centers who want to enhance the quality of care they provide for young children. My interests some may find quite boring. I am a single mother of a nine year old son who simply enjoys his company; so that being said I enjoy activities that are centered around him completely. I have the rest of my life to have fun. He will only be a child for a short time. Soon, he will be hanging out with friends, going off to college, and dating and prayerfully in that order! So I want to make all the memories I can with him while I am still his favorite and only girl. He is my first love so I hope I am his...

I would love to become more knowledgeable of technology with this course and more compelled to use it more often to network.