1. When I started this course the only thing I was its title, Instructional Leadership. I had no
idea it was the “Technology Link”. Originally I thought I would learn something about
guiding instruction in all core areas of the curriculum. I thought it would be a K-12
TEKS-based course of sorts. I wasn’t completely sure what to expect. When I realized it
was going to focus on technology, I was hoping to find ways to integrate technology into
all areas of the curriculum. I read several, and I mean several, readings about technology
integration and safety in the school, but I didn’t really find exactly what I was hoping to
find. It would have been nice to see more samples of how to use technology in different
areas of the curriculum. We learned plenty about blogging and web conferencing, but
there are so many other tools out there that it would have been nice to see or experience.
Being an elementary music teacher that sees his students twice a week for 23 minutes at a
time, it makes it very difficult to integrate technology into my lessons. With this in mind,
looking at the outcomes of this class, I would say that they are not completely relevant to
my class. I use technology every day in my classroom (iPod, Power Point for words,
projector, etc.), but the students are not the ones using the equipment. In order to truly
integrate technology into the curriculum, the students should be the ones using and
manipulating the tools. There are several programs that focus on music, but I only have
one computer in my classroom, and I’m afraid too much time would be spent getting the
students set up on the computers that we would have no time left to really utilize the
programs.
As stated above, I didn’t really achieve the outcomes I had expected to achieve; at least
not for my current teaching position. It is important to remember, as an administrator
leading instruction in the school environment or a professor preparing for a new course,
that not all of the teachers or students you are working with teach a core academic class.
Generalizations cannot be made if all teachers are expected to meet the same standards of
technology use in their classrooms. Just as we were expected to branch out and try
something new in this course, administrators or professors must branch out and learn new
things about different curricular areas in order to make the material relevant for all
students/teachers involved.
The assignments for this course were, to say the least, intense. Several readings each
week with up to 24 posts on a discussion board discussing the readings, analyzing STaR
Chart data, reviewing Campus Improvement Plans, locating and reviewing district
Technology Plans, and planning staff developments are just a few of the things we were
expected to accomplish each week. Although I was able to complete all of the
assignments, it was not an easy task. I wasn’t looking for easy ways out of things, but a
little break in the amount of stuff to be done each week would have been nice. It was
discouraging, especially during the first week of class, when directions for the
assignments were unclear. It was also discouraging that I had 3 elementary school
programs to produce during the course of this class. The stress of it all was almost too
much, and there were several times where I thought I would just drop the class and pick it
up at a later date. I’m glad I stuck with it just so I don’t have to worry about doing all of
this work again in the future.

2. This course has taught me a lot about what is needed to fully integrate technology into the
curriculum, and it has also shown just how far behind my current campus is in meeting
this goal. My campus is a lower socio-economic campus with around 95% of the students
on free/reduced lunches. This kind of situation does not bode well for technology. The
main focus on my campus, as is probably the case on most other campuses, is TAKS
scores. I know there are ways for technology to help boost these scores, but funding is
usually spent in areas of reading, math, and science supplies. As a principal, I would look
for technology tools to support these core subject areas to help boost scores. I would also
find ways to provide meaningful staff development in the area of technology integration.
I’m currently looking at facilitating a faculty technology retreat over a couple of days
right before schools starts. This would give teachers the opportunity to learn about a
couple of tools they could use in their classroom, and allow them time to collaborate with
colleagues to build lessons to integrate the technology.
One of the tools we were encouraged to learn about in this class was the Web log, or
blog. Blogs are very easy-to-use web pages that allow people to discuss/post different
interests and ideas. Readers are encouraged to comment on what they read, and add new
information. Blogging is a good tool teachers could use for their classrooms. They could
design blogs that allow students to share ideas about certain topics in the class, ask for
homework help, or post projects. Blogging is a great way for all stakeholders to be
involved in the education of the students. Teachers can post blogs for parents about topics
students are covering or ways for parents to help their students understand certain
concepts at home. The main concerns I see with blogging, however, are not all students
have Internet access at home, and blogging can open up safety and security concerns.
These concerns can be addressed by providing open lab hours for parents/families that do
not have access to the Internet, and by updating AUPs to include the area of web
publishing.
All in all, this course has been very eye opening. There are still areas where I need to
learn more and grow more, but I believe I have a pretty good idea of the direction my
current and future campuses need to go in integrating technology throughout the entire
curriculum.