What have I learned so far in my Technology-based Learning Environments course? How can I apply what I have learned? or What do I need to know more about when designing my own instructional design project in Canvas?

The teacher's role is to be an instructional designer that can
implement effective online technology that elicits the
desired student outcomes.

I found the article by Savery and Duffy (1995) to be beneficial and timely since our district is implementing a blending learning pilot program at our high school campus, and I will be designing an online class for my project. In a blended approach, instructional design is based on problem-based learning and a constructivist learning theory. In addition, my classmate Kelly Kelsoe also had an article posted about several factors that must be in place for students to grasp the benefits of a blended learning instructional design approach (Francis and Shannon, 2013). And I found an article that addresses the challenges and experiences of transforming a traditional classroom into a social constructivist approach (Dalsgaard and Godsk, 2007).

Some people might think that I am a little crazy, but I actually enjoy the opportunity to design instructional projects. And all of the articles above have certainly given me some new aspects in online instructional design to think about. First, let’s consider key factors that will transform an online course and engage students. Effective online tools need to be included in the design to take advantage of the affordances that technology can offer. This will mean creating activities in which students can interact and receive feedback from their peers. In addition, reflective activities will need to be included in order to give students time to think about their own thinking. We all know that reflection has a big effect size on student learning. So, discussion forums and blogging are activities to consider during the design and development phase of the ADDIE model.

Next, what have I learned about the constructivist learning theory and the social constructivist learning theories? How can I apply them to my design? I focused on the idea of “puzzlement is the stimulus for learning” when reading the Savery and Duffy (1995) article. I will need to consider how to organize the online course so that authentic learning is taking place and students are the center of the learning. In addition, I will need to create a stimulus puzzlement that stimulates the new learning opportunities.

The Savery and Duffy (1995) and the Dalsgaard and Godsk, (2007) articles both highlighted that knowledge evolves through social interactions which lead to individual understandings of knowledge. I will need to research which social media and Web 2.0 programs could be implemented to elicit the desired student outcomes in the project.

And the biggest challenge will be designing the course with a scenario or problem and also ensuring that the activities the students complete will cover the intended goals and objectives of the course. But first, I must draw a conclusion to what the subject of the instructional design might be. Digital Leadership? Implementing Blended Learning? iPads in the Classroom? So many interesting choices to select from.

References

Dalsgaard, C., & Godsk, M. (2007). Transforming traditional lectures into problem‐based blended learning: challenges and experiences. Open Learning, 22(1), 29-42.

Francis, R., & Shannon, S. J. (2013). Engaging with blended learning to improve students’ learning outcomes. European Journal of Engineering Education, 38(4), 359-369.

Savery, J. R., & Duffy, T. M. (1995). Problem based learning: An instructional model and its constructivist framework. Educational technology, 35(5), 31-38.

Web 2.0 and Student Writing Scores

I have been asked by my colleagues on several occasions, "Does the money in which the district spends on technology really make a difference?" "Can you provide evidence?" Well, my best answer today is embedded in the research that has been conducted by others. And hopefully soon, I will be completing a study of my own  in which I can shed some light on the subject. For now, here is an abstract of a research paper that I recently completed, and if it sparks an interest, I have provided a link to the full 10 pages. What do you think about the impact that technology has on your district?

Does the Implementation of Web 2.0 Applications in the English Language Arts Classroom Improve 7^th Grade Student Writing Scores?

Abstract

Over the last ten years, interactive Web 2.0 applications have become widespread and are popular forms of communication among school-aged children. With the gain in popularity of online Web 2.0 applications and being an essential part of a student’s everyday life outside of the classroom, teachers should take advantage of the affordances these evolving technologies can bring to the classroom. In particular, can the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies in place of traditional writing methods improve student writing scores as denoted on the STAAR writing test? Does the use of interactive Web 2.0 applications motivate students to share their thoughts through their writing? Currently, there is little evidence that the use of Web 2.0 technologies versus traditional writing methodologies have a significant impact on the improvement of middle school student writing scores. A quantitative study involving classes of 7^th grade students who utilize Web 2.0 applications during writing assignments compared to classes of 7^th grade students who practice traditional writing methods could provide more insight about the results of implementing Web 2.0 applications in an English Language Arts classroom.

Keywords: Web 2.0, English Language Arts, STAAR test, writing performance

If this peaks your curiosity, then here is the link to the 10 page research paper and all of the resources. 

Branding Yourself as a Digital Leader

I am ecstatic to blog about my final project in which my classmate and colleague, Kelli Kelsoe, and I have just completed for our Instructional Design class we are taking through an online program at UNT. It was designed as a two day training which addresses the problem that many administrators today lack the knowledge to lead and implement a vision for using technology to promote excellence and support transformation throughout their campus, department, and district. The advancements in technology, and its use in our everyday lives, have changed how students communicate and learn. In order to keep students engaged in their own learning, administrators must embrace the new technology innovations to optimize the potential that digital devices and their resources can bring to the educational environment. 

Although all teachers in Castleberry have a professional development plan which includes the infusion of technology, all administrators have not been afforded training opportunities on how to utilize and model the use of technology to transform their campus or department into a 21^st Century digital-age learning environment. The burst in growth of free Web 2.0 applications has provided new ways to improve public relations through two-way communications, receive personalized professional development, brand yourself, increase student engagement, and take advantage of new opportunities by leveraging connections made through the use of technology. Because of this burst, it is an ideal time to train administrators on how to use technology tools to transform their campus or department and become a digital leader.

The format of the training includes face-to-face instruction along with collaborative group time. Electronic resources have been provided through a shared livebinder titled, Branding Yourself as a Digital Leader. This format meets the needs of both the participants and the trainers by providing all resources in one shared online location that can be accessed both during and after the training. The livebinder provides multiple formats of training materials including: Prezi’s, Slideshares, Google Slides, YouTube tutorial videos, links to Web applications, interactive surveys, links to documents, blog posts, scholarly articles, online classroom management tools, embedded interactive and/or collaborative Web applications, and activity rubrics. The selected format provides adequate face-to-face time to introduce concepts, collaborative activities so participants will have time to implement what they have learned, and time to reflect on how to implement and apply what they have learned.

A link to an emaze presentation is available that summarizes the project, the implementation of the project, sample products created during training, and key topics to consider in future training. In addition, videos of several administrators and their testimonials describing what they have learned about branding themselves and how to be a digital leader on their campus are provided in the presentation. As new administrators enter the district each year, they will complete this training on, Branding Yourself as a Digital Leader.   

Reflection on Instructional Design

First, in order to have good instructional design, the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) framework should be implemented. During the analysis stage, the problem preventing the desired outcome or behavior should be identified along with the causes of the problem. The designer can conduct interviews, review existing documentation, or review surveys. In addition, the format of the training and lesson goals and objectives should be established. During the design phase, the learning activities should be determined and aligned with the goals and objectives. How the lesson will be assessed to ensure mastery and consideration of the evaluation process is completed during the design phase. Next, during the development stage, the actual activities of the lesson should be fully created along with the job aid for the client. Then, you are ready to implement your training. Once the training is complete and participants provide feedback, the instructional designer should adjust any areas that were unclear to the learners or repair any technical glitches.  Taking the time to complete this process can help ensure a successful training.

Also, what did I learn from the Evaluation of the product? What would I do differently next time? How much did I learn from the process and evaluation that will make me a better future instructional designer?

I completed this project with a colleague and classmate, Kelli Kelsoe. I believe that it takes longer to develop training when working with a partner; however, the end product was much better than the first instructional design. Each instructional designer brought new innovative ideas to the table for discussion in which the other designer was not aware of. In addition, we were constantly reviewing the product, so mistakes were found quickly and corrected. The project scope was overwhelming once we added the content from two designers into one document and training session. The participants did complain that they needed more time to complete the assignments. The training will be utilized in the district, so the allotted time for each activity has been adjusted along with allowing some “think” time between day one and day two. One item that I had to learn the hard way was concerning the use of a google survey form. I created a 20 question survey, but did not set the permissions so others could not edit the survey. Unfortunately, someone customized the form after the participants utilized it. I was able to collect the data, but I will have to recreate the form again for future use. 

The Texas Library Association Conference 2015

TLA 2015 Conference

The Texas Library Association Conference April 14-17

Last week, I was honored at the Bluebonnet Awards Luncheon and received The Distinguished Library Service Award for School Administrators because of the hard work that the Castleberry ISD teacher-librarians put towards my nomination. I can’t express how privileged I am to have the opportunity to be representing the libraries as an advocate and friend of school libraries. Today, libraries play an important role in our schools and are the learning hubs that bring students, teachers, parents, and experts in our community together to learn.  

Although our libraries are equipped with books, ebooks, digital resources, databases, makerspaces, brainstorming tables, presentation TV’s, Smart Boards, Digital Signage, Cable access, computers, mobile devices, Xboxes, a Wii, a virtual high school library created in Minecraft, and our latest edition, the Castlebucks café, our greatest assets are our Castleberry ISD Teacher-Librarians.

You can build beautiful libraries and have a great vision, but without the right people in place that share your vision, it is impossible to reach your goals! I want to send a special thanks to our CISD Teacher-Librarians for being the best group of librarians the district has ever employed! I look forward to working with you in the years to come. 

What does it mean to Design Instruction?

First, what does it mean to design instruction and what skills are needed to design lessons that can bring about significant and relevant learning experiences? Designing instruction is complex and consists of several steps in order to create an instructional design which elicits the learning that you want to occur. It is a process of steps in which each step should be evaluated and improved upon before completing the final project. Instructional design begins with an understanding of the learners’ needs. What exactly do we need the students to learn? This is sometimes complex itself because before teachers can design their instruction, they must fully understand what the TEKS are asking students to be able to perform or master. An analysis of the deficiencies and concepts that should be learned must be identified first.

Design and development are the steps in which the instructional designer must have an understanding of the content, and then be able to construct activities that are engaging and meets the individual learning styles of the student. How should the content be delivered? Decisions about whether the content is best learned in a face-to-face setting, flipped setting, collaborative, or independently must be considered. This also relates to the student’s learning styles. For example, some students can learn from simply hearing the content via lecture, others in a hands-on environment, while still others from simply watching. The instructional designer may be a master at the content, but they also must recognize and understand the best method to construct the learning activities. Then, they must have the skills to develop lessons in which the expectations and procedures can be clearly understood and delivered in a logical manner that makes sense to the learner.   

Instructional design necessitates that the designer is familiar with innovative methods that can be utilized in the learning process. Educational instructional designers must be current on what digital resources are available and how students can utilize them in an educational environment. More learning opportunities are provided outside the four walls of the classroom, so the instructional designer must have the technology proficiencies to design activities that support electronic delivery and interactions. This idea is fairly new; however, more secondary classes and college classes are delivering instruction in a complete online environment or a blended learning approach.

Finally, an instructional designer must implement the lesson, acquire feedback, and be willing to adjust where needed. I believe that the instructional design of a lesson can always be improved upon. Each time I taught a class, I learned something that I could do to improve it. Professional instructional design takes someone who is not only a master in their content, but understands how people learn, keeps abreast of innovative technologies, and is willing to implement and evaluate for the purpose of improvement.   

Self-regulating Yourself and Others during the Instructional Design Process

In order to produce a successful instructional design, the designer must create the instructional design, implement it, and evaluate it so that improvements can be made. This takes someone who has the grit to continue the evaluation and revising process until the design is finalized and meets the needs of its audience. Instructional designs are dynamic in nature because they can always be improved upon; therefore, much time is invested into creating a successful instructional design. Completing the entire instructional design process requires someone who can manage and self-regulate themselves and others until a finished product is completed within the allotted timeframe.

First, what does it mean to self-regulate yourself and others?  Once the implementation date of the lesson is established, then the instructional designer must create a timeline to work from. Careful thought should be given to the progress that should be made each day or week in order to meet the implementation timeline. That is where self-regulation comes into play. If the designer isn’t making progress each week, then it will be difficult to complete all of the steps in the ADDIE framework of instructional design, and the effectiveness of the lesson will suffer.

During the first project, students were asked to upload their design documents each step of the ADDIE process. The instructor was regulating and establishing a method to ensure that students would have ample time dedicated to each step of the process. In addition, feedback was provided along the way so that improvements could be made prior to implementation. This method was helpful and enabled the designer to meet the deadlines established in the course.

During the second project, the completion date was given; however, the instructional designer was responsible for establishing a timeline so the lesson design would be completed before the end of the course. Documents were not required to be turned in, so it was imperative that a self-regulating plan was established between the designer and the client, so they could meet the target implementation date. In my second project, I was also working with another classmate, so we had to establish a completion timeframe in which both of us could accomplish. This took much more time than I originally expected. Coordinating both clients’ and both designers’ schedules was more difficult and limited productivity at times.   

Both designers accomplished the steps of the ADDIE framework and met the clients’ implementation date. Regulating the process and meeting the timeframe was effective because a checklist of what to accomplish and the person responsible for completing the task was established before the process began. This strategy worked well for the second project; therefore, the implementation of the design was completed in a timely manner and revisions could be made to the final document that improved the overall instructional design.