1. Course Reflections I had several ideas as what this course, Instructional Leadership, was about. I believed I would be involved with assignments that would promote effective campus leadership of curriculum and instruction. I was prepared to read articles that would focus on strategies to encourage teachers to collaborate and incorporate engaging activities into their curriculum. I was not aware that this course focused so much on my use of technology in my classroom. As I read the syllabus I discovered that much of this course was designed to promote technology use. The learning outcomes as stated in the syllabus include the “acquisition of knowledge for providing and supporting campus technology infrastructure and digital service” and “examine responsible decision making related to technology and teaching and learning.” I believe that overall these outcomes were achieved through thorough examination of articles based on technology experience and digital citizenship and the use of technology techniques that were new to me. The learning and performance outcomes that were outlined in the course syllabus and that I observed throughout the course of the class continue to have relevancy in my role as classroom teacher and coordinator. I consistently promote the the success of students by advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a campus culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and professional growth. I also take part in the examination of responsible decision making related to technology and teaching and learning. The course assignments, including the creation of a blog, participating in web conferencing, and the analysis of the Long-Range Technology Plan and STaR Chart have definitely given me the opportunity to use some technology strategies that may have a place in my classroom in the future. I now have knowledge and experience setting up and using a blog as well as participating in a web conference. Fortunately, I have had experience creating power point presentations but I have not had the experience of posting the presentation on a blog. From that perspective I feel I have more information I can share with my colleagues on my campus and perhaps encourage more blogging, if not with the students then with teachers. In addition, I would like to incorporate some kind of web conferencing. I think that if our campus leaders buy into that as an alternative to the same old faculty meetings it would be a positive way to get teachers to experience new technology skills. Additionally, the research and assignment on the Long-Range Technology Plan and STaR Chart was effective in allowing me to see how my campus rated and what our strengths and weaknesses are, as well as review the technology plan that is responsible for the direction the campus will take. The outcome that I feel was not achieved was how to effectively introduce and encourage consistent and long-term use of new technology skills. I felt that the course was geared toward my personal technology advancement and not so much how to lead others toward theirs. I realize that as a future campus leader I will need to first become familiar with technology, be aware of new technology, and then strongly encourage teachers to experience technology themselves and implement technology strategies in their classrooms in order to help our 21st century digital students be successful. Overall I would argue that I was successful in completing my assignments and reaching the goals that were set forth by the professors. I am not confident that participating in the numerous article quotes for the discussion board was truly effective. I believe I would have gotten more out of it if instead of responding to every article I was able to choose two or three and discuss those. I found that by the second and third week I was so time-consumed with finding quotes and responding to quotes that I missed some of the relevant information within the articles. In addition, I felt that many of the articles were redundant, and perhaps outdated. I do believe that creating the blog gave me an opportunity to participate in a technology skill that I may not have attempted on my own. I think this is a good way to participate in a book study in my department, for example. I will say that my excitement about the course faltered somewhat due to the number of articles that were required reading. Many of them seemed repetitive and I do not feel this was an effective use of time. I have learned a lot about myself during this course. One of the most important things I have learned is that I have a lot to learn. I use technology on a superficial level, such as using a cell phone to actually make phone calls, I use the internet quite a bit to find out information about a topic, and I know how to create power point presentations. However, after reading several of the articles and viewing the round table discussion I see that what I know now is not sufficient. I would like to learn more about creating projects using media and video, although I’m not sure how I would fit that into my math curriculum. I feel confident I will use a blog in some capacity and I like the idea of web conferencing as an alternative to meeting as a staff in one location. On-line faculty meetings and staff development is also something I feel would be beneficial. As a future campus leader I recognize the importance my role will have on teachers at my campus. I cannot reasonably expect them to utilize different technology skills on a daily basis until I have shown that I do as well. I will need to be open to new technology strategies and be vigilant in providing professional development opportunities that are worthwhile and effective at guiding teachers to use more technology within their curriculums. Creating a blog was a new opportunity for me. I have heard of them and have posted comments on one before but my experience and knowledge was limited. I actually believe they have a place in education. For one thing it is a novel way for colleagues to communicate, especially if the focus is on a specific topic, like a book, article, or an evaluation of some sort. In addition, students may find blogging to be an ideal way to discuss topics with students on other campus and in other cities. Students who may be hesitant to discuss their work with others in a classroom setting may feel more comfortable blogging. Students are already faced with numerous social networking situations so it is not unreasonable to use that experience and incorporate it into their education. There are concerns about blogging in the schools. For one thing it would be somewhat challenging to police every comment and ensure that everything the student reads and writes is appropriate. However, I would argue that the students should be given the chance to participate in an activity that incorporates blogging because it is a technology skill that may become even more relevant in upper education and in the workplace. Another concern may be cyber bullying. Blogs may be an avenue that bullies could take to prey on their victims. Again, this may be difficult to monitor effectively. Blogging is a new and valuable way to communicate with campus stakeholders. It is not always convenient or necessary to meet at one location for a pre-determined amount of time. Setting up a school blog offers the stakeholders the convenience of commenting and asking questions at their convenience. I believe that more people would be involved if blogs were set up. Overall I feel I have gained some valuable experience in this course. Some of the articles were very eye-opening as to the knowledge and experience our students already have with technology. I agree that they should be using that experience in their school work. I also agree that today’s teachers need to step up and take the time to attend trainings that will help them become 21st century educators.