Midterm reflection

Week 5: Midterm reflection

There are four objectives I have met or touched upon for the course.

1.     Become familiar with current technology issues, trends and technology use within the K- 12 environment. Discuss how technology use impacts student learning outcomes.

I have definitely become more aware of technology issues in the context of the K-12 environment. I have also become more familiar with the technology issues in the higher education environment and in the “learning environment” in general. In my work as a community-based educator I’ve become even more aware of opportunities to use technology, partially from the class and partly as result of seeking out other learning opportunities relative to using technology for teaching and learning.

In terms of the impact of technology on student learning outcomes, there is a great deal of discussion online about evaluating the use of social media and other technology in learning. One such discussion is posed by Jeff Merrell of Northwestern University in his blog Learning Change Design.  I believe that discussion will be ongoing.  The discussion is not only important in the context of K-12 education, but also important in my work with adults who participate in educational opportunities for many reasons and for whom learning outcomes may be more difficult to define and measure than for K-12 learners. 

2.     Establish a core personal learning network of technology leaders to follow. Utilize this new network of educators as personal professional development.

Over time I’ve developed a personal learning network of technology leaders in education. I’ve been following them on Twitter and Google+ and via RSS feeds. Some are Extension colleagues from around the country, who are specifically working in the area of promoting the use of technology within education for Extension on a national level. These include Steve Judd on Twitter, @sjudd,  and eXtension Network Literacy on Google +.  In addition, several have blogs, including Anne’s Spot, a blog by Dr. Anne Adrian from Auburn University.  Anne recently blogged about using social media in higher education as an education tool.  I interact with this part of my PLN by posting on my Google+ and Twitter accounts, or responding to other posts.  As part of my PLN contribution, I forward their posts to those who follow me on Twitter and Google+.

Other PLN “members” are online magazines, such as Learning Solutions Magazine.   I have been following some of my PLN members since before taking this class; others are blogs and online resources I have discovered as part of the work for this course. One example includes Mission to Learn, a blog by Jeff Cobb.   I have also recently added Diigo to my toolbox of resources for my own professional development.

3.     Use knowledge of digital tools and technology applications to facilitate experiences that advance learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

While I have used social media for educational purposes on a fairly narrow basis, I have started looking for opportunities to expand my use of social media to advance learning. One idea I have is to create a social media campaign as a type of lesson plan to educate learners on a specific learning topic with specific educational objectives. I would use social media to reach a larger audience than would attend an in-person class, and direct adult learners to access educational resources and materials online through blogs, videos, webinars and other online programs. 

As a result of this class and other learning opportunities, I have also more fully embraced the concept of curation, helped to form and use a Community of Practice on adult learning and technology with colleagues, and developed my blog for this class.

4.     Evaluate, adapt, and reflect on emerging tools and trends by participating in local and global learning communities and by reviewing current research and professional literature.

My work on this objective is similar to that discussed in the personal learning network objective discussed above.  Two of my sources for current research and professional literature are Shelley Wright, a teacher, and Jane Bozarth, an expert on eLearning. Shelley Wright recently wrote a blog post called “The Flip: End of a Love Affair," a commentary that demonstrates an evolution of thinking on emerging tools and trends.  Jane Bozarth shared a recent post at Learning Solutions Magazine on storyboarding, a discussion of an emerging tool.