Comprehensive+Exam+Report

=Comprehensive Exam Report =

Courtesy Copy of Report:
Educational Leadership Comprehensive Exam Lydia Sanchez EDLD 5388 June 28th, 2010 Dr. Abernathy and Dr. Mason

There are many technology careers available for a person with a graduate degree in educational technology. Since I enjoy working with at risk students in a Title 1 district, I plan on remaining with San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) for a while. Within the district, some potential technology positions are Technology Project Manager for Special Projects, Technology Project Analyst for Special Projects, and Executive Director for Technology Initiatives & Support. Although these are some options I have available to me upon graduation, I haven’t yet decided if I want to pursue any of them. For now, I will remain in the classroom where I can practice integrating technology throughout all of the content areas. Until I master this, I can’t be effective in other areas. I would like to eventually become a technology teacher at middle or high school levels after I master technology integration. Beyond that, I’m not certain at this time.
 * Position Goal**

**Educational Technology Leadership Goal** As a technology leader I can help educators meet the needs of all students regardless of learning abilities. An article that caught my eye came from //Literacy in the New Information Landscape// by David Warlick. He so eloquently states that children "…Have taught themselves how to play the information. Their classrooms and libraries must become places where they learn to work the information" (Warlick, 2007). Children are exceptionally gifted in the use of technology. Give a child a new piece of technology and he'll figure it out in no time. For this reason, I have chosen to enter the field of educational technology. As a leader, I plan on creating technology rich classrooms where students love to learn, but keeping the teaching focus on curriculum. In this type of classroom, technology will be used as the source or tool to the learning and teaching of the Texas essential knowledge and skills (TEKS). I will ensure that professional development is addressed in the same fashion. For example, a session’s focus might be teaching students how to compare and contrast. I would provide student friendly, step-by-step instructions to teachers for using Kidspiration. The objective of this session would be to teach educators how to create a thinking map that helps students organize their information. Teachers would be provided the opportunity to create the maps themselves and short follow-up sessions would be provided on an as needed basis.

Now that I reflect on my graduate studies in educational technology at Lamar University, I've realized that many educators, including myself, are not adequately preparing students to compete in the world they will enter as adults. So I hope to lead the way in creating a school environment for students that "…become places where they learn to work the information" (Warlick, 2007).

**Vision of Educational Technology** What is a vision? According to the BNET Business Dictionary (2010), a vision is “A statement giving a broad, aspirational image of the future that an organization is aiming to achieve.” In order to develop a vision related to technology in education, it’s important to understand how quickly technology is changing, the importance it holds in student’s lives and the global community, the difficulties educators face in keeping up with new technologies, and the funding required to achieve a vision. Keeping all of this in mind, I turned to //The 2009 Horizon// //Report// for guidance. Johnson, Levine, & Smith (2009) suggest that the educational system faces some technology challenges with respect to teaching and learning. They mention five “Critical challenges.” In brief those educational challenges include “…A growing need for formal instruction in…technological literacy” and a need to adapt materials for a changing student population. Furthermore, Johnson et al. (2009) states that “Significant shifts are taking place in the ways scholarship and research are conducted….” Other challenges facing educators are computer systems that are not equipped to provide assessment and other student data in a timely manner, and the push toward using mobile devices rather than stationary ones, like a desktop computer.

As an educational technology leader, I am prepared to tackle challenges one step at a time. That is, my vision is to integrate technology within the curriculum in order to create a more engaging environment for my students and to become a role model for other teachers on my campus. Furthermore, I plan to show that technology integration helps students think at a more critical level by providing evidence from student products, such a project-based learning and state assessment results. I plan on spreading the word and offering to teach and/or seek out district or local experts to help meet the needs of teachers in integrating technology in their classrooms. The challenge educator’s face in moving toward the use of mobile devices requires funding. However, my vision is that every classroom will have access to shared mobile devices within the next five years. I plan to write a proposal for shifting toward purchasing more mobile devices instead of stationary ones. Additionally, my vision includes the formation of a committee that supports technology on my campus. This committee will have the power to make decisions and recommendation about the best technology practices for our teachers, students, and the campus. Most of all, my greatest vision is that all students will enjoy coming to school to learn everyday; and that educators will feel enthusiastic about teaching once again.

**What I Learned** **About Myself** I have to admit that I was not going to pursue a Masters Degree in Educational Technology for fear that my technology skills were too outdated for me to succeed. Pursuing such a degree would be so difficult that I would not be able to complete any of the assignments, or so I thought. But then I asked myself two things. First of all, would this degree benefit me in any way? Secondly, is this an area of weakness for me? In both instances the answer was yes. So, I decided to not let fear get in the way. As a result, I’ve gone on to learn so much and accomplish tasks that I would have never predicted for myself. Furthermore, I’ve learned that I am a strong person who overcomes her fears and confronts challenges.

Moreover, the online learning environment of this program presented additional pressures and challenges. Completing and submitting assignments by their deadline was at times challenging due to technology issues. However, somehow I persevered in completing all of my assignments on time. As such, I’ve also learned that I’m a very disciplined and determined person. It takes determination to keep on going despite obstacles that get in the way. And, there were plenty of them. Moreover, I’ve learned that I am not a quitter. The obstacles that I have encountered, both personal and program related, would have forced others to quit. Not me. So to sum up what I’ve learned about myself in one word, it’s courage. Yes, I’ve learned that I’m courageous. According to //The American Heritage Dictionary// online courage means, “The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005).” I’m a much more confident person because of this graduate program.

**My Technology and Leadership Skills** Over the course of this program, the technology skills that I already possessed were updated. I was confident in using programs such as word, excel, and power point. However, I’d never used Google Docs before. I remember feeling so amazed with the collaborative environment that Google Docs offered. I’d never seen anything like this before. When collaborating on a project in the past, I would have sent an attachment by email. The other person would open it, save it, revise it, and return it to me as an email attachment. Never again will I use this method for collaboration. However, my amazement did not end there. I continued to learn new things, that now I use on a daily basis. I’ve created a grade-level wiki that my students and I use in class. I’ve recommended they continue to visit the wiki over the summer, so they can retain what they’ve learned. Another student made an UDL electronic book for a project she presented at the district’s Gifted and Talented (GT) Showcase. I’m so impressed with everything that I’ve learned that it has truly become a part of my life, both at home and at work. One area that I hope to improve on as I move forward is the process of integrating technology in a fashion that proves successful for my students.

Although my technology skills have improved tremendously, I can’t say the same for my leadership skills. Although my principal and other educators are now turning to me with their technology issues, I’m having a difficult time getting them to buy-in to the need for integrating technology. As one of my colleagues mentioned in a recent discussion on the discussion board, many educators have never seen the TA-TEKS. I know that most are aware that they exist, but that’s were it ends. I feel many educators are happy with that, because they don’t have time to learn something new. The fear of technology forces other teachers to avoid the topic altogether. When the staff has this type of attitude, getting an immediate following is much more challenging. On a more positive note, I have noticed that some teachers are welcoming my new-found knowledge. They are beginning to see me as the troubleshooter and have shown interest in some of the technologies I’ve used, such as the grade-level wiki. I’ll continue to model and share technology products with fellow educators. I’m hopeful that my non-threatening leadership style will help me lead my campus into the 21st century. I lead them without them knowing it. This is the way I prefer it.

**My Attitudes** Since I began teaching seven years ago, my attitude has fluctuated. I began my teaching career on a very positive note. I was programmed to reach all learners. What I wasn’t programmed for was the reality of the teaching profession: long hours, high-pressure, extremely low level students, tons of paperwork, and negative teacher attitudes. So quickly, my attitude began to change. I was truly discouraged by my inability to reach all learners and by teacher negativity. I became so negative. Another teacher brought it to my attention that I was making her uncomfortable. Rather than get upset, I reflected on her comment. Upon doing so, I realized that I had become the negative person I myself did not like to be around. So I made a real effort to change my attitude and to say things in a more positive way. Apparently this helped, because that same teacher started turning to me to for help. However, it was not until I began the graduate program at Lamar University that I experienced the greatest change in my attitude. Every time I learn something new, I can’t wait to model it for my students and share with others. I’m very excited most of the time and I show it outwardly. Sometimes I have to close my door, so that I do not disturb other classrooms. Instructional assistants that visit my classroom on a regular basis, positively comment on the energy in my classroom. The energy starts with my excitement. Just as negative attitudes are infectious, so are positive ones. I try to think of this every time I start to think negatively.

**Six Courses that Helped Me Most** A major project for this course was creating a wiki for use in collaborating with other teachers. The purpose of the wiki was to provide a forum for educators to collaborate about issues pertaining to the implementation of the Texas Long-Range Plan. The experience and knowledge I gained from using a wiki that has helped me the most. The benefits to using this tool are many. Educators often struggle to meet in person. A wiki eliminates scheduling issues because it provides a forum for discussion where all members can participate regardless of location. The flexibility of the wiki allows members to contribute to the discussion from any location at anytime. Additionally, a wiki can reduce emails. My inbox is overloaded. Some of those emails are weak attempts to collaborate that are unsuccessful most of the time for at least one of its intended collaborators. Furthermore, a wiki can be used to co-author a grant proposal or any document for that matter. Co-authoring allows all members to revise and edit each others work, therefore, creating a better-written proposal or document. Also, completing this distance learning graduate program may not have been possible without the use of a wiki.
 * Concepts of Educational Technology – EDLD 5306**

Another tool that I used in this course was a blog. Although I’d heard and even enquired about blogging, I’d never blogged myself until I took this course. Blogging is not something my campus uses. As such, I don’t use it in my classroom either. With the knowledge I gained in this course, I will be implementing it into my classroom. This upcoming school year, I plan to use blogging as a resource for writing. So far I have thought about posting writing prompts and having students brainstorm ideas about the prompt using a blog. Additionally, I also learned about the Texas Long Range Plan. It’s unfortunate that I wasn’t aware of this plan prior to taking this course. My district has not made it a priority to make educators aware of this plan, whose requirements are an expectation for all Texas educators. Taking the time to learn about the Texas Long Range Plan has put me at an advantage over other educators in my district, because it’s only a matter of time before the district makes it a priority.

Since this was my first course, it helped me overcome my fears of technology. Also this course helped me quickly discover that learning challenging things, although frustrating, can be fun and exciting.

Overall, this was the most challenging course in the graduate program. However, it was the greatest fun I had. What I enjoyed the most was completing the projects that were assigned. The still photo video also provided therapy for me in dealing with my father’s alcoholism in my childhood. This is the most personal assignment I’ve ever created.
 * Multimedia and Video Technology – EDLD 5362**

Furthermore, this course taught me about the process of creating multimedia projects. It’s not just about taking pictures and videos. It involves a process: planning, creating, editing, and publishing multimedia onto Youtube for example. The two major assignments for this course were creating a still picture video independently and a moving picture video in a collaborative group. The still picture video was a much more simple project than the moving video project. The moving picture video assignment was to create a public service announcement (PSA). This project was more difficult because it required collaboration over long distances. My group members lived many miles away from each other: Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. We divided up the tasks for this project in a fashion that we felt would make it easier to take to video production. For example, I was in charge of the storyboard, another member was in charge of the script, the other was in charge of the video production and music, and two of us were in charge of filming. We had challenges along the way, but the greatest challenge was trying to transfer our individual pieces of the project to one location for final video production. These challenges forced my group to be resourceful. As such we learned how to use technology that wasn’t even required for the course, but that we could not have completed the project without. One of these tools was File Transfer Protocol (FTP). This technology allowed us to transfer files between our computers, so we were able to put together all of our pieces.

As a result of this course, I expanded my knowledge of technology tools and learned to collaborate in a long distance setting. Additionally, I learned that the most important qualities to have when working with technology are patience, determination, and discipline. Most importantly, I learned that you must respect the ideas and talents of all members in a group.

Aside from my internship course, this was the most time consuming course I took. However I was really able to integrate a lot of my new technology learning into the final project with a specific purpose.
 * Teaching with Technology – EDLD 5364**

Once again this project required group collaboration. Having worked collaboratively on this assignment helped me develop the skills necessary to succeed as a team. The assignment called for creating a plan and preparing the resources necessary for a teacher with limited technology knowledge to be able to integrate technology in the classroom. Although this was a major undertaking, the final product our group delivered was fantastic. The final product can be found in a Google site at []. The project included a variety of lessons on erosion that integrated electronic UDL books, links to videos, and power point presentations. Additionally the site included a short video tutorial that shows the teacher how to navigate around the Google site. Collaborating with my team was much smoother that in my first course. As such, this course also helped me assess my own progress in using technologies and collaboration.

Fortunately my main role for this group project was creating, organizing, and maintaining the Google Site we used as the arena for our project. Up until this point in my graduated studies, I’d only experienced working on a wiki. As a result of this project, I learned how to create a website. Some of my other duties were to ensure that as a group we were covering all of the rubric requirements for the assignment.

As a result of this course, I discovered that I am and organized and detailed oriented person. Moreover, this course confirmed that I picked the correct degree program. I have absolutely enjoyed everything I’ve learned.

This course was by far the most interesting class of them all. From beginning to end, this class kept me engaged. The history of writing that was presented to me in the beginning gave me a true understanding of writing’s evolvement into digital graphics. The British Library of virtual books was simply amazing. The detail I was able to see in the historical manuscripts, such at the Libson Hebrew Bible, allowed me to further understand the history of writing along with the design principles.
 * Digital Graphics, Animation and Desktop Publishing – EDLD 5366**

This was a great lead into the class project of creating a four-page newsletter. This was my opportunity to show what I had learned about the design principles. Some of the principles I incorporated into my newsletter were the golden rule, the rule of thirds, and C.R.A.P (contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity). I discovered that by following the design principles one ensures that the graphics they create hook the reader into reading the information on the graphic source. In other words, the design principles help captivate the audience with an attractive brochure, newsletter, etc., so that they will read the content in the graphic source, rather than ignore it or even throw it out.

My campus just recently received net books for our students to share. I plan on teaching my students about the design principles throughout the year as they create products that I can use to assess their learning. For example, I might have the students make a brochure that shares information about the Dwarf African Frogs or the Fiddler Crabs that we study in science. Or I might have them create a one-page newsletter about the Texas Revolution. There are numerous opportunities for me to apply what I learned in the course in my classroom.

As I learned about the Instruction Design Models, I reflected on my own personal teaching style. I discovered that my teaching styles favor the pragmatic or cognitive theory, but also display characteristics for the behaviorism theory. I teach every lesson in the format of “I do, we do, you do.” The students understand that first they need to pay attention to what I do, then we do it together (teacher guided), and finally they do it independently. This teaching method follows the pragmatic theory that states learning needs to be guided. Knowing my own teaching style is the first step to making changes to my preferred teaching style, constructivism theory.
 * Instructional Design – EDLD 5368**

Additionally, in order to design lessons for my students I need to be aware of their learning styles. Students fall in to three learning styles, visual, tactile, and auditory. As I took an inventory of my class this year, as assigned in this course, I realized that my student’s learning styles varied widely. One style did not outnumber the others. As such, my instruction should be designed to teach to all three of the learning modalities. Since each class is different, I plan on taking an inventory every year at the start of the school year. With this information known, teachers can more effectively plan their lessons. In this course we practiced creating an online learning environment. My goal was to create an environment that was best suited for my students learning modalities, disabilities and language needs using the backward design. Simply put, the backward design starts with the end in mind. It places the focus on the learning you want your students to achieve and it works backward from there.

As I move forward in my career, I will take what I learned in this course and apply it in my teaching to better improve my student’s learning.

This course taught me the importance of a comprehensive needs assessment in order to improve student learning and standardized tests results. In order to determine the needs of our students we need to review student data in a number of different ways and from a number of different reports.
 * Leadership for Accountability – EDLD 5333**

This course allowed me to get hands-on experience in reviewing and analyzing my own campus data on reports such as the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS), Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), and the Campus Comparison Group. These reports were analyzed for learning trends by campus as a whole and in subgroups. Analyzing the reports in such a fashion helped me determine if there is a particular group of students that were struggling based on common factors such as ethnicity, attendance, and language. Ultimately, this is the first and most important step to creating change to student learning and in the school’s accountability rating. As a teacher, I can apply these same principles to analyzing my classroom’s data to help guide my instruction.

**My Reflection of the Overall Degree Program** All of the courses I took in this program are relevant to my daily work. Furthermore, the program’s focus on Texas standards and accountability reports made it even more relevant. This program’s online format and concentration on technology made my teaching methods more relevant as a 21st century educator.

Flexibility in learning was this program’s greatest strength. I completed my assignments at the times that were most suitable for me. Unlike a traditional classroom, the online learning environment classroom is not face-to-face or in a stationary location. I could travel and take my classroom with me. All I needed was a computer with Internet. Another strength of this program was the opportunities available for collaboration. Due to the lack of a face-to-face learning environment, collaboration is a major part of this program. Without the collaboration, my success in this program would not have been possible. Communities of collaborators were formed away from the courses themselves using wikis, chat rooms, and facebook, just to name a few.

The program’s concentration on technology provided me with hands-on experience in the use of current technologies. Furthermore, it taught me how to integrate technology in my teaching, how to use Web 2.0 tools effectively, conduct a comprehensive needs analysis, how to follow rubrics to complete my assignments, and so much more.

The knowledge I gained from this degree program is invaluable. It extends beyond the knowledge I gained from course instruction. Learning in the 21st century is a world that not everyone is a part of. As a result of this program though, I’ve become a part of this modern world that I can now share with my students.

**My Personal Professional Development Plans for the Next Three Years** In the first year, my focus will be on mastering what I have learned in this program. My greatest area of concentration will be integrating technology into the pre-existing curriculum in my district. Furthermore I plan to extend on my internship’s field experience hours, by offering technology training to the teachers on my campus based on their needs. Finally, in my first year I plan to build a committee of teachers that will help move my campus forward on the technology front.
 * Year One**

During my second year, I will continue my efforts from the first year. Additionally, I will lead the committee into focusing on the development of a campus web site that is actively used by students, teachers, parents, and all other stakeholders. Furthermore, I will participate in professional development courses to stay current with the changes in technology.
 * Year Two**

In year three, I will continue with plans from years one and two. Furthermore, I will seek Microsoft certifications as a learning consultant into a Ph.D. program that will enhance my M.Ed. degree in technology.
 * Year Three**

BNET. (2010). BNET Business Dictionary. Retrieved from http://dictionary.bnet.com/definition/Vision+Statement.html?tag=col1;rbDictionary
 * References **

Houghton Mifflin Company. (2005). The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Retrieved from http://dictionary.com

Johnson, L., Levine, A., & Smith, R. (2009). //The 2009 Horizon Report//. Austin, TX: The New Media Consortium.

Warlick, D. (2007). Literacy in the new information landscape. //Library Media Connection, 26//(1), 20-21.


 * Appendix A – Curriculum Vitae**

9594 Campton Farms San Antonio, TX 78250 Home 210-520-6368 Work 210-732-4411 Cellular 210-748-0708 mailto:lydiasanchez@peoplepc.com
 * Lydia Sanchez **
 * Personal Information:**

Birth Date: June 27, 1967 Place of Birth: Belvedere, California Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Gender: Female Marital Status: Married 16 years Spouse’s Name: Mark Sanchez Children: Matthew, 13 years; Christopher, 11 years; Marly, 7 years


 * Education:**

Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas M.Ed., Educational Technology Leadership, August 2010

St. Leo University, Tampa, Florida B.A., Business Administration, Minor: Accounting, 2003 GPA: 3.33

Golden West College, Huntington Beach, CA A.A., Business Administration, Minor: Accounting, 1991 GPA: 3.68. Dean's List for Academic Honors, 1991


 * Certifications:**

State of Texas Educator Certificate: EC-4 Bilingual Generalist San Antonio Independent School District: Gifted and Talented Teacher


 * Related Work Experience:**

Delivered instruction in English and provided Spanish support as needed, and assisted students in transferring academic Spanish into academic English in preparation for the upcoming school year
 * San Antonio Independent School District, Rogers Elementary School (Summer School), San Antonio, TX**
 * Second Language Transition Teacher, Summer 2010**

Planned, prepared and delivered instruction in two languages, Spanish and English, for all content areas and for a diverse student population; provided small group tutoring for struggling students and after-school instruction for gifted and talented student(s); translated parent communications; prepared supplemental resources; and created a grade-level wiki
 * San Antonio Independent School District, Fenwick Elementary School, San Antonio, TX**
 * Bilingual Fourth Grade Teacher, 2004 - Present**

Managed two classes, morning and afternoon; planned and delivered instruction in two languages, English and Spanish; translated parent communications; created supplemental resources and displays; and supervised an instructional assistant.
 * Northside Independent School District, San Antonio, TX**
 * Pre-Kinder Bilingual Teacher, 2003 - 2004**


 * Other Experience:**

Underwrote the insurable risk of clients; educated clients about their insurance policies and other company products; responded to a high volume of customer calls; retained customers through effective problem solving; and motivated co-workers to exceed performance expectations
 * United Services Automobile Association (USAA), Property and Casualty Insurance Company, San Antonio, Texas**
 * Insurance Specialist, 1999 - 2003**

Maintained customer and vendor records; processed payroll; and balanced and maintained company bank accounts
 * Klein & Martin Attorneys at Law, Century City, CA**
 * Full Charge Bookkeeper, 1998 - 1999**

Restructured computerized accounting system; trained co-workers to use computerized accounting system; reconciled accounts receivables and accounts payables that resulted in the recovery of $14,000 in uncollected revenues ; managed accounts receivables, accounts payables , payroll, and bank accounts
 * Pacific Coast Installations, Inc., Paramount, CA**
 * Full Charge Bookkeeper, 1995 - 1998**

Translated for clients, English to Spanish; determined if clients qualified for unemployment benefits; assisted clients in locating jobs; monitored clients were regularly looking for work
 * Employment Development Department, South Gate, CA**
 * Employment Program Representative, 1991 - 1995**


 * Professional Activities:**

· 2009-2010 Member of the Positive Behavior Support Team - created and lead the first phase in implementation of strategies for supporting positive behavior on the campus · 2007-2009 Lead GT teacher - requested nominations for possible gifted and talented students, lead the evaluation process, participated in the decision-making process, and supported GT students and teachers · 2005-2007 Bilingual Lead Teacher - delivered and communicated information between district leaders and campus bilingual teachers, and supported bilingual teachers and students · 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 Campus Leadership Team - participated in the decision making process for the campus and communicated necessary information to grade-level team members · 2005-2007 Academic Coordinating Team - coordinated curriculum planning, decision making, and all other grade grade-level tasks


 * Skills:**

· Software: proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Photo Story, Movie Maker, Grade Speed · Technology Equipment: Proficient in using desk tops, lap tops, video camera, digital camera, projector, document camera, net books, Interwrite Board, ipod, web cam, cell phone · Languages: Proficient in English and Spanish · Other: Type 55 wpm, Web 2.0 tools, and the Internet


 * Publications:**

"Biographies." //Who's Who Among America's Teachers.// Austin: Marquis Who's Who, Inc., January 2006, 364. Featured as one of America's most respected teachers.

"Biographies." //Who's Who Among America's Teachers.// Austin: Marquis Who's Who, Inc., January 2007, 364. Featured as one of America's most respected teachers.


 * Presentations:**

· Marzano's Nine Strategies, San Antonio, Texas, 2009. Presented Marzano's Nine strategies that I use in my classroom to other educators within the district · GT Parent Information Meeting, Fenwick Elementary Cafeteria, 2008. Informed parents of nomination process and GT characteristics, and answered questions · GT Parent Information Meeting, Fenwick Elementary, 2007. Informed parents of nomination process and GT characteristics, and answered questions


 * Union Affiliations:**

· Member - American Federation of Teachers, 2003 · Member - National Education Association, 2004 · Member - San Antonio Alliance, San Antonio, Texas, 2004


 * Honors and Awards:**

· Who's Who Among America's Teachers - Educational Communications Inc., 2006 - 2008 · CSULA Accounting Society, Los Angeles, CA, 1993 · Golden Key National Honor Society, 1991


 * References:**

Available upon request