New Directions in IDT

Emerging Technologies for IDT

When utilizing technology in the classroom or in the IDT field it is important to remember best practices and the purpose for utilizing technology. Below are some technologies I have used and what I am currently using in the classroom setting:

Digital Games or Simulations
As an interventionist I am constantly trying to find effective ways to integrate technology during my small group instruction. The days I find it most useful are on Mondays when I implement phonics instruction and Fridays when we do MAP/STAAR prep for. On Mondays I use games or simulations to work through Phonics instruction. Currently my favorite app is Phonics Awareness, Homophone Match and Fabuwords. On Fridays, my students as well as I like to play on apps like Inference Ace and Main Idea (from the creators of Inference Ace). I think digital games or simulations offer enhancements to traditional methods. Is it better? Maybe. Is is worse? I don't think so. I think digital games and simulations prepare my students to navigate through concepts while giving them skills they may utilize in the future.

Rich Media 

In the past as well as he present I continuously incorporate video, animation, and audio into my instruction whether it is whole group or small group. Rich media has been integrated in various concepts that I have taught from reading to science  to social studies. Some of the various tools I have used range form Brain Pop, Discovery Education, You Tube, Power Videos and more. I believe rich media does offer affordances that traditional instruction does not such as showing real life events that students are not able to see right in front of their face as well as offer multiple ways it can be viewed or heard. Is it the only way to teach? No, but it definitely has its advantages.

Networks or Web 2.0

Collaboration is an essential process and skill that all learners must obtain to be successful in the real world. Web 2.0 applications allow for this by  allowing for students to interact with data. In my classroom we utilized applications such as Google Docs, Blendspace, and STEMscopes. Through these applications students were able to gather research, manipulate data and work together to further their learning. I think that networks and Web 2.0 offer affordances that traditional instruction because they allow the students to interact with technological tools and skills that may very well be needed when they enter the adult world.

Issues Related to Instructional Design

Professional ethics, diversity & accessibility, the nature of design and providing instructional guidance are all issues related to IDT. When deciding to utilize technology in the classroom setting these issues can arise. In correlation with the uses of technology I would like to address each  issue as it pertains to the technology uses I have listed above.

• Professional Ethics- I feel that all of the technology tools listed above are professionally ethical as long a students are being monitored by the teacher and administration. In addition, I feel that technologies mentioned above are ethical because they do not replace my instruction with my students but rather enhance it therefore I am not placing technology so that I don't have to teach. 

• Diversity and Accessibility- Although any type of technology usage can be difficult when taking into consideration the access student need to have as well as their diverse needs it is important to be mindful of these qualities when developing instruction that includes technology. I believe the technologies listed above are appropriate to use with students as long as I stay mindful to the audience I am teaching. The majority of the population that I teach is low socioeconomic and Hispanic.When developing activities that use technology I must always keep in mind my students background and prior knowledge to better serve them and use technology more efficiently. 

• The Nature of Design- I believe that the design on how I instruct my students utilizing the technology is appropriate because the technology is used to advance and improve instruction. The technology above is not used all at one time therefore it is used to further learning and enhance meaningful learning experiences but it is not the root of the instruciton that takes place. 

• Instructional Guidance- When first implementing these technologies I found that lots of instructional guidnace is needed to help students attain the skills they need to utilize it. It has proven to be stressful and intense but it is well as worth the effort put in once you see how students are effectively and efficiently using technology. 

Overall, I believe that educational technology is effective and needed in today's instruction. In order for students to thrive and be successful they must know how to use technology as well as know its advantages. However if we are to implement technology we must mindful of the design of our instruction, the diversity and accessibility of our audience, instructional guidance and professional ethics. Technology can be a great tool to utilize in the classroom as long as it is used appropriately and efficiently.

Getting an IDT Position and Succeeding at It

My Background

I am currently in my ninth year of education and my sixth year in teaching. For three years I was a substitute teacher, for two years I was a fifth grade science/social studies/guided reading teacher, for three years I was a sixth grade science/guided reading teacher and I am currently a k-5 interventionist that works with small groups of students primarily in reading and math. I am currently in my second to last semester of grad school where I am obtaining my M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction. I would eventually like to obtain an instructional coach position specifically focusing on science, technology integration or intervention.

IDT

When I originally set out to obtain my M.Ed. I wanted to be a curriculum coordinator mostly because at the job I was in then, there was not much curricular support and I wanted to change that. Although, now that I am approaching graduation I am finding my self leaning more towards instructional support and helping educators in the classroom address their weaknesses and enhance their strengths. Over the years I have found the people who are most helpful to me are those who are in my classroom telling me what I need to work on and how I can make my instruction better and that is where I want to be. Right now I honestly love my job and I can't see myself wanting to do anything but intervention for the next few years but when I am ready I would like to venture into the job role of an instructional coach specifically working with science, technology integration or interventionists.

Throughout my coursework I have completed the three required classes for my degree and have focused my elective classes on  areas in which I would like to provide most support in such as science and technology. Part of the reason why I took this particular course as well as another technology course was so that I could have more background in technology. Through in particular I have obtained a lot of valuable information that I think will help me to become successful instructional coach and look forward to implementing a lot of the concepts and frameworks that we have discussed over the semester.

Professional Organizations

 Professional organizations that I think would beneficial for me to participate in are:

NSTA (National Science Teachers Association)
STAT (Science Teacher Association of Texas)
ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education)
TCEA (Texas Computer Education Association)
ACTE (Association for Career and Technical Education)
ISEA (International STEM Education Association)

I believe participating in a few if not all of these organizations would further my professional development and increase my knowledge post- graduation. The journals and articles from these organization help me greatly and could be passed along to other educators to help enhance their instruction and overall capacity to teach as well as learn.  

Trends and Issues in Various Settings

Trends and Issues in Various Fields

 

Trends and issues in IDT in various contexts: business & industry; military; health care education; P-12 education; and post-secondary education. Select at least 3 of these 5 contexts and compare/contrast the IDT trends and issues. Then explain how they are similar or different from the IDT trends and issues in the context in which you work.
 

There are multiple trends and issues in IDT among various settings such as business and industry, military, health care education, P-12 education and post-secondary education. When viewing and looking at the particular settings one cannot help but find similarities and differences among them. Three in particular that I wish to discuss are health care education, P-12 education, and military education.

Health care education encompasses issues in knowledge and research,costs & managed care, regulations, standards, and licensure as well as converging technologies. Trends in healthcare education consist of problem based learning as well as evidence-based medicine and include roles of risk,sensory perception, science and innovation. Instructional design plays a huge role  in P-12 education through technology integration. ID development centers on systems, product, and classroom. From there various integration models have been developed and therefore giving opportunities for educators to grow and develop. Issues in P-12 education often stem from technological support, teacher content & technological knowledge, availability and access to computers or resources and ultimately teacher beliefs and attitudes. Issues in military education consist of funding, technological range and design limitations. As the military evolves future the role of ID is evolving  to trends such as new technologies and international responsibilities of national or multinational forces.

Among these three settings some commonalities that they shared were needing constant evolution due to constant changes in the field. Healthcare and P-12 are similar in that problem based learning is hot trend and driving force in developing critical, problem solving thinkers. One commonality that springs to mind is funding and its effect on ID development and implementation. Overall I feel that no matter what the setting or field instructional design plays and key role and therefore they all have different yet similar trends and issues.

Global Trends and Issues

As the world’s population grows exponentially, we face unprecedented challenges that have implications for learning. How and can we prepare our youth to address the problems of living in a world with 9 billion people when the earth’s resources cannot sustain that many? Does our current education system, curriculum, and instructional practices help learners foster the complex problem-solving skills necessary to tackle these issues? Are there methods and practices used in European and Asian countries that we should use here in the US? Why or why not? 

 As our population grows  and our resources decline we face the problem of how to best meet the needs of our population and educate them so that they can become contributing members in society. As visited in the last section we have seen various ways that instructional design is utilized and implemented across various fields. I think as our world evolves and changes our education system will have to evolve to better meet the needs of the people therefore curriculum and instruction practices will have to evolve too. I think that European and Asian countries have got it right when it comes to having their students develop there thinking from a young age. In some Asian countries students spend multiple days breaking down one problem. We need to slow down break down the process and gradually produce speed to deepen understanding and develop educational lessons that are rigorous, consist of depth and complexity and overall helps develop ALL learners, not just the ones that are projected to be successful. In the U.S. I think we approach some things right such as inquiry based instruction and problem based learning ultimately we have got to stop teaching our students how to take a test and teacher them how to find solutions to problems and critically think about the world around them. As our population grows so will the need for quality instruction and instructional design will definitely play a key role in us evolving successfully.

Human Performance Technology

Human Performance Improvement

A constant performance problem that I see in education is the ability to hold onto to great teachers, develop good teachers into great teachers in addition to lack of development of not so great teachers. I believe we continue to lose great teachers in the education field to lack of differentiation in trainings and uneven workload distribution. In majority of the school districts I hear about as well as the ones I have been in exceptional teachers are expected to sit in professional development meetings and trainings that have no value to them other for them to add or give advice to novice teachers all while they bear the brunt of a heavy workload because they are experienced and fantastic teachers. It has only been recently that I have seen some districts move to differentiated trainings but even it is a little too late for some of the great educators we have lost.

My solution to this problem would be to invite feedback from the instructional staff about areas they would like to grow in and goals they would like to set and develop trainings or individual growth plans to maximize teacher support. In addition administrators should also invite feedback from educators to help them develop useful and appreciated professional development opportunities and growth plans. I think too often administrators and districts should practice what they preach to ensure that we keep excellent teachers in the education field as well as foster the growth of teachers to get them to that point of exceptional status.

Performance Support Systems

Performance Support are systems that afford access to resources, tools and support information to users when needed to fulfill their jobs with validity. I believe that having access to an online portal such as this could help me to develop into a better teacher and constantly enhance the rigor of my goals. If there were such a portal it could be used to invite constant communication between me and my administration about my goals, resources and information I could use to enhance my instruction and teaching abilities. 

Knowledge Management and Learning

Schools accumulate a great deal data, which must be organized in a way that we can make sense of it in order to make informed decisions. In order to make the most of this data we must view it, share our ideas and thoughts as well as organize the ways we approach to solve them. With the problem I address above it would be great to utilize the knowledge as to what we know is wrong: retention of great teachers and the reasoning behind why so many have left the education field. I believe the steps needed to solve this problem would include surveying current teachers of various fields, developing individual growth plans for each teacher, tailoring and catering professional development towards meeting those growth plans, creating committees to enhance school culture and develop reasons for teachers to stay and lastly follow through with the steps needed and utilize resources such as online performance support system to organize and provide resources to make these steps successful.

Informal Learning

Since switching to a new position in education and become part of a new team of veterans in this position I have relied heavily on informal learning to help me develop into my new job. Having the opportunity to sit down and collaborate with my colleagues on how to approach has helped me to be successful in my first full time week in this position. Am I a master? No, but I will develop overtime with the help of my colleagues and their knowledge based on prior experiences and success.  I am not sure if the knowledge codified but I do feel that it could be managed through the creation and utilization of Google Docs or some type of online message board. I do feel however that the knowledge gained would be better left as an informal learning opportunity.

Evaluating, Implementing & Managing Instructional Programs & Projects

Evaluation in Instructional Design

Evaluation is just as important and implementation of instruction in the classroom. Before evaluating student work one must develop  plan for evaluation. As stated in the text, " It is important that evaluation findings be used, rather than "filed away", and Patton has developed an evaluation model specifically focused on producing evaluation use."Through our text we explore models such as CIPP and Kirkpatrick models for evaluation. Through further research I have located two more evaluation models I would like to discuss. 

Bushnell's Systems Approach to Evaluation 

This particular system is founded on the idea that the product will only be as good as the effort that goes into the process. Evaluation is required between each stage of the four step process to ensure that the program will meet its objectives and is well designed. I would use this model to first begin the in put stage (prep, materials, planning) and evaluate from there what further things would be needed at this stage to enhance my lesson of unit. From there I would go through the process stage (implementation) then evaluate how the implementation of instruction went. Next I would be the output stage (what the students do/formative assessments) and from there I would assess student knowledge gained periodically through out various activities. Last, I would end with the outcome stage (what do my students know/summative) and then I would use the data collected to evaluate the effectiveness of  the lesson. Although I feel that this model is simple and straight to he point, which I like, I think there should be an additional step in which I would need to do an additional stage that consisted of me being reflective of the entire process to better my instruction from there. If I am just evaluating through each step and then repeating those same stapes with out making further changes for the future then I will never grow as an educator. 

 Ralph Tyler’s Evaluation Model

This is a goal based model that focuses on how performance parallels with specified objectives. This process starts with establishing goals/objectives before analyzing any type of data collection. Then processes, activities and products are developed and implemented and all relate back to the objective. From here data is collected and referred back to the objective for analysis and evaluation. I think it is missing one key component and that being student need. Of course we all start with our standards and TEKS to guide our instruction but how can we develop measurable objectives for our students if we have no data to back it up with? This is where pre-assessment must come into play to determine student need and build objects from there. I really do like how all of the components tie back to the objective/goal because I believe that is how you build sound instruction but I do believe data is needed in order to base your objectives and make them meaningful to your students. 

Project Management and Resources 

 

Situation: You have been assigned to develop a series of professional development sessions focusing on technology use in the classroom for teachers during a time of economic decline. How will you use Situational Leadership to facilitate this project and manage scarce resources?      

I have been in a situation such as this before. After reading our text I think and I have a little bit of a different perspective as to how to approach this specific situation but overall I feel that it validated my actions. In this particular situation I would begin by assessing the climate of my audience by emailing a pre-workshop survey to get to know who are my novice and veterans. From there I would develop my training around the need of my audience by utilizing what I have used in the classroom. It is hard to sell something you have never done or used yourself because you cannot predict problems or struggles you might encounter. Also, I would predict common misconceptions and struggles with technology used in the classroom such as the following:

• I only have four computers in my classroom? No problem, incorporate technology usage in your station work.  
• I do not have any computers but we have a computer lab? Utilize it at least twice a month. It has been my experience that no one ever uses the computer lab because it requires advanced planning. Once I figured out that out half way through my first year I was planning ahead and using it once a week!  
• I  only have one iPad? Again utilize it at station or create a center around it. 
• I only have projector? Invest in a wireless mouse and make your projector screen interactive for your students. 

From there I would talk about free resources that I know are available on the computers and help teachers find lessons that center around technology to increase their technology usage.  I might also ask a couple of other teacher who have had success implementing technology on a low budget to share their experience and activities. No matter what the economy we must prepare our students for real world and if we do not keep that in mind we are doing a huge disservice to youth.

Johnson, B. R., Dick, R (2012).  Evaluation in Instructional Design: A Comparison of Evaluation Models. In R. Reiser & J. Dempsey (eds.) Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (pp. 96-104) Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.