V. Productivity and Professional Practice

Teachers use technology to enhance their productivity and professional practice.

Standard	A: Teachers use technology resources to engage in ongoing professional development and lifelong learning.

Prior to my enrollment in University of Missouri, I had completed three online classes which I took in preparation of my Missouri Vocational Business certification.  One of them can be found in the program of study, Instructional Technology Methods. However, the best example of how I use technology resources to engage in ongoing professional development and lifelong learning is this master's portfolio.  I wanted to continue with my personal growth in technology and enrolled in the master's program so that I could learn about the latest innovations in educational technology.  I have completed all of the classes I listed in the program of study via the Internet.  While enrolled, there were several occasions I had to purchase and install additional software such as Adobe DreamWeaver and Adobe Flash (which I was more than happy to do) and then learn how to use them.  As I am doing now and in the past, I will continue to use technology resources to further my skill level and keep abreast of future technological advancements.

Standard	B: Teachers continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student learning.

An example of evaluating and reflecting upon the use of technology in support of student learning is the reflection statement that I wrote for Introduction to Technology, Technology and Assessment and Instructional Technology Methods.  The classes stimulated the need to carefully study and include the best benefits technology has to offer to advance student learning.

I clearly stated my goals in providing the latest software and equipment in the Individual Instruction Program that I wrote. My idea was to equip the lab so that my students would have the latest technology at their disposal and that they would excel in their learning.

In the Performance Assessment - .rtf (37 kb) and the Self Assessment Worksheet - .rtf (34 kb), I reflected upon the effectiveness of the learning experiences that I created for my students to determine their usefulness and needs for adjustment.  The assessments allowed me to thoroughly examine my own routines in creating lessons and to include technology in meaningful ways that fostered student learning.

Standard	C: Teachers apply technology to increase productivity.

I authored an instructional design project for professional development, Learn to Create a Class Website Using a Web Template - .rtf (443 kb.), that would help teachers save time (and paper) by teaching them to create class web pages where they could store their lesson plans, examples, rubrics and curriculum online.  It was based on a class web page that I had designed for myself.

In my Technology Integration Learning Plan - .rtf (21 kb), students learn to use available technology for storing and recording purposes so that they have a more accurate account of important conversations, like interviews for school or work, that surpasses what they could accomplish with a pen and notepad.

I created a concept map to teach students to use “Inspiration” so that they would be enabled to be more efficient by using the software to generate ideas or help them better understand their studies.

Standard	D: Teachers use technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, parents, and the larger community in order to nurture student learning.

I authored an instructional design project for professional development, Learn to Create a Class Web Site Using a Web Template - .rtf (443 kb) . The idea of the workshop was to teach teachers how to assemble their own class web pages on which to store their instructional materials and also so that parents would be able to use the link to examine what readings and exercises their student was involved in during class and to provide a contact link for them.

Through my enrollment in the masters program, I have used the resources provided by my online classes to communicate with teachers and peers alike. Using both Sakai and Blackboard, allowed me to find and post assignments and documents. Discussion boards were also available to interact with other students to increase my understanding of the assignments and class requirements. While using Sakai, Wikis were used for supplementary communication.

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