Week 10 Reflection

Week 10 Reflection

Chapter 21 Instructional Designers and P-12 Technology Integration

          After reading chapter 21, I understand that the three types of instructional design, system, product, and classroom are easily translated into our schools technology integration plan.  The chart on pg. 209 helped me understand the three types a little easier.  The systems portion represents the main programs or software used to track and monitor a student’s progress throughout their year, my school I know uses SuccessMaker and A+ Lab.  The product aspect is the software or programs practice work, drills, games, or quizzes that help the student understand and review the content.  The last type, classroom, is the integration models both of which I had never heard of before.  The ASSURE model and the NTeQ model are explored in the chapter.

          I thought the ASSURE model with its six step approach sounded fairly reasonable.  I myself would say I use this model to an extent.  When I plan for a unit or topic, I try to incorporate multiple websites with interactive aspects and plan computer lab time for projects or webquests.  I may not follow the steps in order or write the information down as I complete them but I plan ahead, execute it to the best of my ability, require all students to participate, and always reflect and adjust for the next class or even the following year.  The NTeQ model in my opinion felt a little more overwhelming with its ten step process but again many of these I do in my thought process and do not necessarily write them down or check them off.  I do my best to incorporate and use technology as much as possible and hopefully do it in a standards based relevant way that my students can benefit from.

          It was interesting to read about the three states that were given an opportunity by EdTech to implement technology initiatives.  I had never heard of this and would be interested to find out more about it.  I was most surprised to read that the “student gains on high stakes tests were inconsistent.”  They go into reasons why but the entire time I read this I could only think about the students at my school who we are failing by putting them through a computer program for “credit recovery.”  We are sending these students on to the next grade level unprepared.  My school is one of the few in our district to use the A+ Lab for credit recovery.  I am expected to place a student into the lab if they fail a nine weeks or they come from another school with a failing grade.  Once they have completed a few lessons on the standards they failed I am to replace their score with a 70 percent.  This is solving our problem of having 16 year olds in the 8^th grade but I do not believe we are setting them up for success.  Many of my students have now realized that this is an easy out and are relying on this program to pass.  This is using technology for an easy out; the students are simply not increasing their achievement.  They are watching a lesson and taking sometimes up to 60+ tries to pass the test at the end to complete the standard.  If we as educators know how important technology is we need to be using it appropriately, however in this example we have no choice.

Technology integration into our schools and classrooms is improving our students learning and preparing them for the real word when done efficiently and appropriately.  Some schools may have more availability of resources or better technological professional development but it comes down to teachers, parents, students, and support staff working together to use technology to increase our students’ achievement.