Standard 6.1 - Continuous Learning
Candidates demonstrate continual growth in knowledge and skills of current and emerging technologies and apply them to improve personal productivity and professional practice. (PSC 6.1/ISTE 6a, 6b)
Artifact - Certificate of Attendance at ISTE 2014 concurrent sessions
Reflection
Taking advantage of professional learning opportunities is critical for any professional. Continuing education is required for many different professions, and often these opportunities are provided through attendance at national conferences. I regularly attend professional conferences and my Certificate of Attendance at workshops offered at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) national conference held in Atlanta June 28-July 1, 2014, represents one example.
Attending the national conference for ISTE represents a huge challenge and great opportunity. ISTE offers participants the opportunity to learn about and play with examples of current and emerging technologies. Every workshop offers insights that contribute to my continued growth in knowledge and skills. Presentations this year have been so diverse, and because of my evolving role at Centennial Academy the hardest part of attending the conference has been choosing which sessions to attend. For example, I felt that the first workshop I attended, “Where’s my stuff?: Managing student with workflow with Google Apps,” was worth my registration fee for the entire conference. My school is a new charter, and we had already made the decision to become a Google School. In this workshop I learned how to use Class Flow to set up assignments, collect student work, give feedback, and invite students to share and collaborate. In addition, the presenter was very knowledgeable and engaged the entire class with hands-on practice. This modeled how I should structure professional learning or coaching when I’m working with my teachers. The workshop prompted me to visit the Google staff on the exhibit floor to learn more about Class Flow.
As I was heading to the exhibit hall, I received a text from my principal asking how Class Flow was different from Edmodo, which we have been using. She was also attending ISTE, and we spent much of the rest of the day exchanging information about different tools. My role at Centennial Academy will include working with the network and infrastructure team over the next year, with management responsibilities for connectivity. As a result, attending the ISTE conference improves my personal productivity and professional practice, as I spend time in workshops learning about different tools that can benefit the entire school, both from the standpoint of sharing strategies for teaching and learning with my peers, and from the perspective of network administration. Both are new roles for me.
The work that goes into my attending a conference such as ISTE is significant. To benefit fully from the experience, I have to plan for different sessions and review the schedule before arriving at the conference. Previously I would have focused on systems and tools that benefit information skills and student resources through the media center, but as I become a technology coach I need to broaden my thinking. I have learned from participation in this professional learning that as tools and resources change, I need to let my understanding and thinking broaden as a technology coach to ensure that resources and plans are inclusive of all stakeholders. Every conference I attend offers different opportunities, and I have learned to take advantage of every opportunity that arises. Learning how to use the conference app makes scheduling easier and allows me to document which sessions were the most beneficial.
My participation in the ISTE conference will begin to impact professional learning and school improvement immediately, as I return to school and plan professional learning for my colleagues that will support their use of new technologies. As my colleagues and I begin to use new tools, such as Google Classroom, I believe student creativity will increase, driving improved learning. Some improvement may be assessed concretely, as we see improvements in student writing scores, but other results can only be observed anecdotally through student engagement. I am energized by the potential and possibilities of learning about new tools at conferences such as ISTE.
Taking advantage of professional learning opportunities is critical for any professional. Continuing education is required for many different professions, and often these opportunities are provided through attendance at national conferences. I regularly attend professional conferences and my Certificate of Attendance at workshops offered at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) national conference held in Atlanta June 28-July 1, 2014, represents one example.
Attending the national conference for ISTE represents a huge challenge and great opportunity. ISTE offers participants the opportunity to learn about and play with examples of current and emerging technologies. Every workshop offers insights that contribute to my continued growth in knowledge and skills. Presentations this year have been so diverse, and because of my evolving role at Centennial Academy the hardest part of attending the conference has been choosing which sessions to attend. For example, I felt that the first workshop I attended, “Where’s my stuff?: Managing student with workflow with Google Apps,” was worth my registration fee for the entire conference. My school is a new charter, and we had already made the decision to become a Google School. In this workshop I learned how to use Class Flow to set up assignments, collect student work, give feedback, and invite students to share and collaborate. In addition, the presenter was very knowledgeable and engaged the entire class with hands-on practice. This modeled how I should structure professional learning or coaching when I’m working with my teachers. The workshop prompted me to visit the Google staff on the exhibit floor to learn more about Class Flow.
As I was heading to the exhibit hall, I received a text from my principal asking how Class Flow was different from Edmodo, which we have been using. She was also attending ISTE, and we spent much of the rest of the day exchanging information about different tools. My role at Centennial Academy will include working with the network and infrastructure team over the next year, with management responsibilities for connectivity. As a result, attending the ISTE conference improves my personal productivity and professional practice, as I spend time in workshops learning about different tools that can benefit the entire school, both from the standpoint of sharing strategies for teaching and learning with my peers, and from the perspective of network administration. Both are new roles for me.
The work that goes into my attending a conference such as ISTE is significant. To benefit fully from the experience, I have to plan for different sessions and review the schedule before arriving at the conference. Previously I would have focused on systems and tools that benefit information skills and student resources through the media center, but as I become a technology coach I need to broaden my thinking. I have learned from participation in this professional learning that as tools and resources change, I need to let my understanding and thinking broaden as a technology coach to ensure that resources and plans are inclusive of all stakeholders. Every conference I attend offers different opportunities, and I have learned to take advantage of every opportunity that arises. Learning how to use the conference app makes scheduling easier and allows me to document which sessions were the most beneficial.
My participation in the ISTE conference will begin to impact professional learning and school improvement immediately, as I return to school and plan professional learning for my colleagues that will support their use of new technologies. As my colleagues and I begin to use new tools, such as Google Classroom, I believe student creativity will increase, driving improved learning. Some improvement may be assessed concretely, as we see improvements in student writing scores, but other results can only be observed anecdotally through student engagement. I am energized by the potential and possibilities of learning about new tools at conferences such as ISTE.