Overview
Hello and welcome to my Educational Technology ePortfolio. This portfolio was developed as an assignment for the Intro to Educational Technology class (ETEC 524) at Texas A&M University-Commerce which I am taking as an elective in the pursuit of a Master of Science in Organization, Learning, and Technology (OLT) degree. The purpose of this ePortfolio is to showcase my learning and ability to use educational technology to enhance my teaching and better help my future students. The entirety of the ePortfolio is presented on one page and separated into sections including 1) Overview, 2) Philosophy, 3) Informed Decision-Making, 4) Communication, and 5) Design and Technology. In each of these sections I have provided artifacts to showcase my learning and understanding of each of these areas. A reflection is included for each section where I explain the artifact presented, offer insights into how the artifact applies to the section's topic, and discuss what I learned while creating the artifact.
To begin, here I have included my resume to give viewers of this portfolio an overview of my academic achievements and professional experience. Over the last five years, I have worked diligently in completing my degrees and have been fortunate enough to acquire part-time work experience. Though only one of my part-time jobs gave me the title of "teacher", I have learned many important skills during all my jobs that have helped me learn to work in a team, communicate effectively with others, resolve high-intensity conflicts, and train fellow coworkers. I plan to utilize these skills in combination with the knowledge I have learned in my college courses to guide adult learners in their own professional development or academic pursuits. My goal is to continue to learn to use new educational technology tools so that I can integrate these tools into my future classes and better assist my students in their learning.
To begin, here I have included my resume to give viewers of this portfolio an overview of my academic achievements and professional experience. Over the last five years, I have worked diligently in completing my degrees and have been fortunate enough to acquire part-time work experience. Though only one of my part-time jobs gave me the title of "teacher", I have learned many important skills during all my jobs that have helped me learn to work in a team, communicate effectively with others, resolve high-intensity conflicts, and train fellow coworkers. I plan to utilize these skills in combination with the knowledge I have learned in my college courses to guide adult learners in their own professional development or academic pursuits. My goal is to continue to learn to use new educational technology tools so that I can integrate these tools into my future classes and better assist my students in their learning.
Philosophy
Developing my teaching philosophy and educational technology philosophy has been an important learning experience for me. When I first realized that I had a passion for education that led me to want to help others by teaching, I began to explore teaching strategies and listened to the experiences of other teachers and learners. I also examined my own learning experiences and tried to identify techniques, strategies, and personality traits I observed in my teachers that I admired. Through my academic studies and personal experiences, I gained a better understanding of why such strategies and characteristics were meaningful to me. When I did finally sit down to develop my own teaching philosophy, I found that identifying which theories I was focusing on and how I would use my knowledge of these theories to interact with my students, develop my curriculum, and conduct my classes gave me a new confidence in myself as an educator. Developing my philosophy and presenting it as an official statement also served as a reminder of my goals for both myself and my students which I will continually refer to as I work on completing my degree, interact with my future students, and create new learning materials.
While taking Principles of Adult Learning (OLT 554), I learned about adult learning theories. I was required to write a TEACHING PHILOSOPHY paper explaining which theories I would incorporate into my teaching, why these theories are important to me, and how I would act on these beliefs in the classroom. It was during this class that I developed my own teaching philosophy which focuses on the importance of utilizing andragogy, transformative learning, self-directed learning, and experiential learning theories with adult learners specifically. While taking ETEC 524, I was then required to compose an educational technology philosophy statement. Though I did not have previous experience incorporating educational technology into instruction, I was able to practice using educational technology tools for this class which helped me to envision how I would integrate my teaching philosophy with the use of technology. In my FIRST DRAFT, I introduced my educational technology philosophy but failed to provide my personal story which would help readers to better understand who I am and my own experiences that led me to develop my philosophy. I also struggled with directly explaining how I would use technology in my classroom and did not give any detailed examples. In my SECOND DRAFT, I improved these previous shortcomings but still struggled to adequately define transformative learning which contributed to readers being confused about my approach and intention in incorporating technology. The draft presented below is my THIRD DRAFT in which I have tried to clear up any misunderstandings about transformative learning.
Educational Technology Philosophy Statement
I believe that all learners have valuable life experiences, skills, and goals that should be acknowledged and actively integrated into course curriculum. By integrating these aspects into my courses, I focus on acting as a guide as opposed to a classroom leader. Though I would be presenting learners with important information as part of the course, I would also be focusing on getting to know my students as individuals and assist them in exploring their own unique self-concepts, life experiences, skills, and goals. Helping students to connect these personal characteristics and motivations to the course material will aid them in experiencing transformative learning which is the type of learning I am most passionate about helping my students achieve. Transformative learning is a learning theory developed by sociologist Jack Mezirow that views the learner as a whole person who can learn new information while simultaneously reevaluating previous knowledge, beliefs, and understandings through reflection and critical thinking.
Though I currently have little professional teaching experience, I am interested in teaching adult learners in either professional development or higher education settings. In my personal experience as a learner, transformative learning often occurs when both experiential learning and self-directed learning are also experienced. For example, when I first became interested in pursuing a career in teaching, I engaged in months of self-directed learning by researching online with resources such as YouTube and Reddit. I also read many books and journals to develop a better understanding of the teaching profession and what different options were available to me. The time spent engaged in self-directed learning helped me to develop my own opinions and secure a foundation in my approach towards teaching. However, it was not until I began teaching children in a Montessori that I truly understood all that my research had taught me. Having the hands-on experience of teaching and learning from veteran teachers allowed me to experience transformative learning. I was able to apply the knowledge I had learned on my own to the new skills and techniques I was being taught on the job. This experience was transformative in that it helped me to reassess my previous beliefs and assumptions and integrate the new knowledge I had learned into not only my teaching practices but into my personal worldview.
Though experiential learning and self-directed learning can be achieved in many ways, I think utilizing educational technology in my classes is a rewarding and efficient way for students to experience these types of learning. Experimenting with technology in the classroom will give students opportunities to complete assignments and create materials in nontraditional ways that may be new and exciting to many students. Even when students are proficient in technology in general, there are always new educational technology tools to explore or a strengthening of skill and understanding in tools that are already familiar to learners. Learning new programs and having the opportunity to work with these technologies in a hands-on way will personalize a student’s learning experiences and encourage them to actively interact with the material. For example, having students introduce themselves using Book Creator to create an eBook will help me get to know my students and will help them to get clear on their experiences, goals, and intentions for taking my course. Actively engaging with their assignment by using a creativity tool such as Book Creator will give them practice in relating the upcoming course material to their own transformation both academically and personally.
By having students reflect on their interests, experiences, and goals and by giving them opportunities to use technology to express themselves, I believe they will be on their way to experiencing transformative learning. Encouraging students to identify these aspects of themselves and apply what they discover to the material being taught in class will also increase the motivation and independence of learners so that they can succeed in self-directed learning assignments. I think it is important to integrate self-directed learning into class curriculum because this experience will show students that they can learn any material, subject, skill, or profession that they desire. Assigning self-directed learning projects will offer confidence in not only their proficiency of the material being taught and the educational technologies being used but will also offer a personal confidence to the learner. This confidence is extremely beneficial to the learner’s well-being as well as their academic and professional pursuits.
Educational technology also encourages adaptability and vulnerability in the classroom which makes both learners and teachers more open to constructive criticism. Traditional course work that does not incorporate technology often leads to complacent students who become uncomfortable interacting with others or exploring new techniques, methods, and technologies. Incorporating educational technology will help both students and I be more open to change which creates further opportunities for learning. Engaging with technology allows for the teacher and learner to go through similar experiences as we explore new technologies. This will create opportunities for important relationship-building interactions between learners and teachers to occur. These experiences unify the classroom which assists learners in achieving transformative learning.
I believe that all learners have valuable life experiences, skills, and goals that should be acknowledged and actively integrated into course curriculum. By integrating these aspects into my courses, I focus on acting as a guide as opposed to a classroom leader. Though I would be presenting learners with important information as part of the course, I would also be focusing on getting to know my students as individuals and assist them in exploring their own unique self-concepts, life experiences, skills, and goals. Helping students to connect these personal characteristics and motivations to the course material will aid them in experiencing transformative learning which is the type of learning I am most passionate about helping my students achieve. Transformative learning is a learning theory developed by sociologist Jack Mezirow that views the learner as a whole person who can learn new information while simultaneously reevaluating previous knowledge, beliefs, and understandings through reflection and critical thinking.
Though I currently have little professional teaching experience, I am interested in teaching adult learners in either professional development or higher education settings. In my personal experience as a learner, transformative learning often occurs when both experiential learning and self-directed learning are also experienced. For example, when I first became interested in pursuing a career in teaching, I engaged in months of self-directed learning by researching online with resources such as YouTube and Reddit. I also read many books and journals to develop a better understanding of the teaching profession and what different options were available to me. The time spent engaged in self-directed learning helped me to develop my own opinions and secure a foundation in my approach towards teaching. However, it was not until I began teaching children in a Montessori that I truly understood all that my research had taught me. Having the hands-on experience of teaching and learning from veteran teachers allowed me to experience transformative learning. I was able to apply the knowledge I had learned on my own to the new skills and techniques I was being taught on the job. This experience was transformative in that it helped me to reassess my previous beliefs and assumptions and integrate the new knowledge I had learned into not only my teaching practices but into my personal worldview.
Though experiential learning and self-directed learning can be achieved in many ways, I think utilizing educational technology in my classes is a rewarding and efficient way for students to experience these types of learning. Experimenting with technology in the classroom will give students opportunities to complete assignments and create materials in nontraditional ways that may be new and exciting to many students. Even when students are proficient in technology in general, there are always new educational technology tools to explore or a strengthening of skill and understanding in tools that are already familiar to learners. Learning new programs and having the opportunity to work with these technologies in a hands-on way will personalize a student’s learning experiences and encourage them to actively interact with the material. For example, having students introduce themselves using Book Creator to create an eBook will help me get to know my students and will help them to get clear on their experiences, goals, and intentions for taking my course. Actively engaging with their assignment by using a creativity tool such as Book Creator will give them practice in relating the upcoming course material to their own transformation both academically and personally.
By having students reflect on their interests, experiences, and goals and by giving them opportunities to use technology to express themselves, I believe they will be on their way to experiencing transformative learning. Encouraging students to identify these aspects of themselves and apply what they discover to the material being taught in class will also increase the motivation and independence of learners so that they can succeed in self-directed learning assignments. I think it is important to integrate self-directed learning into class curriculum because this experience will show students that they can learn any material, subject, skill, or profession that they desire. Assigning self-directed learning projects will offer confidence in not only their proficiency of the material being taught and the educational technologies being used but will also offer a personal confidence to the learner. This confidence is extremely beneficial to the learner’s well-being as well as their academic and professional pursuits.
Educational technology also encourages adaptability and vulnerability in the classroom which makes both learners and teachers more open to constructive criticism. Traditional course work that does not incorporate technology often leads to complacent students who become uncomfortable interacting with others or exploring new techniques, methods, and technologies. Incorporating educational technology will help both students and I be more open to change which creates further opportunities for learning. Engaging with technology allows for the teacher and learner to go through similar experiences as we explore new technologies. This will create opportunities for important relationship-building interactions between learners and teachers to occur. These experiences unify the classroom which assists learners in achieving transformative learning.
Informed Decision-Making
The courses I have taken and the job experiences I have had have helped me to develop skills in informed decision-making. The college courses I have completed have given me practice in researching and have taught me how to consider multiple and often conflicting perspectives about a problem, situation. or concept. I have learned how to incorporate my own knowledge, knowledge from others, and formal knowledge and information such as learning theories, peer-reviewed articles, and research studies into my decision-making. Considering different types of information from different sources is important in putting together a whole picture of an issue so that the most efficient and helpful decision can be made.
In regards to teaching and learning, I have had the opportunity to learn how to use educational technology tools that are new to me. By reading and thinking critically about the material assigned in ETEC 524, I was able to learn how to think like an educator. I learned new concepts such as the SAMR and TPACK models. I also experimented with many different kinds of educational technology tools including blogs, eportfolios, creativity tools, and information literacy tools. My BLOG, which was completed as a requirement for ETEC 524, presents my experiences practicing with these technologies. In the blog, I explore how I would utilize these technologies in my classes and what kinds of assignments I would create. Experimenting with technology myself and writing about how I would create lessons utilizing these various tools has given me practice using my informed decision-making skills in my own teaching and learning because I had to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each new tool as well as plan how I would incorporate the tool into a meaningful lesson.
Communication
Communicating clearly is one of the most important skills to me because I have seen first-hand in both my personal and professional experience how devastating miscommunicating can be. Miscommunication can cause stress, worry, disharmony, and even anger in some individuals. Clear communication is also necessary in order for businesses and organizations to run smoothly and remain profitable. Likewise, strong communication skills are needed in a classroom because the teacher needs to know how to connect with students as individuals. It is also the teacher's role to clearly convey the necessary information that the student needs to learn as well as the expectations for each assignment.
While experimenting with creativity tools, I discovered the website Book Creator which allows users to create their own eBooks and publish them on the Book Creator website. I decided to practice using this tool by creating an "About Me Book" which I plan to use as an introductory assignment in all my classes. This assignment will help students to reflect on their own experiences, skills, and goals. Requiring students to submit their own eBook will also help me get to know my students and better understand their learning needs and motivations. Creating an eBook that is customizable and allows for artistic and creative expression will make it easier for students to communicate important information about themselves that could be helpful to identify. Identifying important aspects about themselves will help them to integrate this knowledge into the information they learn in my class so that they can further develop their own unique beliefs and perspectives. My goal is not only to teach students new information but to help them develop the skills needed to think for themselves. Creating an eBook that allows them to reflect on any congruencies between personal and professional goals that align with the learning objectives of my class will contribute to more meaningful learning experiences.
The eBook shown below is an example I created of my own story that I will use to communicate my expectations for this assignment. While creating my own eBook, I was able to relax and have fun with the project. This allowed me to have more authenticity in how I presented my story which helped me to reflect on my experiences and goals. This project strengthened my view of myself as a competent teacher because I became more clear and directed in my intentions which will aid me in developing better communication skills to use with my students. Giving students insight into my own life and experiences will also increase the chances that they feel understood and supported by their teacher as people often share similar goals and ideas even with those who initially appear quite different.
While experimenting with creativity tools, I discovered the website Book Creator which allows users to create their own eBooks and publish them on the Book Creator website. I decided to practice using this tool by creating an "About Me Book" which I plan to use as an introductory assignment in all my classes. This assignment will help students to reflect on their own experiences, skills, and goals. Requiring students to submit their own eBook will also help me get to know my students and better understand their learning needs and motivations. Creating an eBook that is customizable and allows for artistic and creative expression will make it easier for students to communicate important information about themselves that could be helpful to identify. Identifying important aspects about themselves will help them to integrate this knowledge into the information they learn in my class so that they can further develop their own unique beliefs and perspectives. My goal is not only to teach students new information but to help them develop the skills needed to think for themselves. Creating an eBook that allows them to reflect on any congruencies between personal and professional goals that align with the learning objectives of my class will contribute to more meaningful learning experiences.
The eBook shown below is an example I created of my own story that I will use to communicate my expectations for this assignment. While creating my own eBook, I was able to relax and have fun with the project. This allowed me to have more authenticity in how I presented my story which helped me to reflect on my experiences and goals. This project strengthened my view of myself as a competent teacher because I became more clear and directed in my intentions which will aid me in developing better communication skills to use with my students. Giving students insight into my own life and experiences will also increase the chances that they feel understood and supported by their teacher as people often share similar goals and ideas even with those who initially appear quite different.
In addition to using eBooks to communicate with technology, I also experimented with Google Slides to create a sample author report which I would use with my students if I were teaching a college English class. This sample author report presents an author by including an "About", "Influences", "Mission", and "Notable Works" section. I chose to include these sections as part of the requirements for this assignment because understanding the intentions, life experience, and social culture of an author is important to be aware of before reading and studying that author's work. Though this specific assignment is short and does not require extensive research, I do believe it can succeed in communicating the overall essence of an author. Providing students with this example should assist them in creating their own introductory author reports which will help them go into new readings with a better understanding of the intentions of the author they are reading. Researching and then communicating learned information through Google Slides also gives students practice putting together presentations which they can utilize in more sophisticated research projects in both my class and their future endeavors.
Creating this example author report helped me to improve my communication skills by breaking down a larger concept into smaller, more manageable pieces. By providing a general overview of the author in the "About" section and then separately tackling the specific influences, missions, and notable works, I was better able to understand who Henry David Thoreau was as well as the purpose of his works. Creating this example allowed me to put myself in my students' shoes and actively engage in the same research I will be requiring them to conduct. This project will help me to better explain research practices and assist students in discovering important aspects of influential authors as well as how their work relates to both historical and current social issues.
Creating this example author report helped me to improve my communication skills by breaking down a larger concept into smaller, more manageable pieces. By providing a general overview of the author in the "About" section and then separately tackling the specific influences, missions, and notable works, I was better able to understand who Henry David Thoreau was as well as the purpose of his works. Creating this example allowed me to put myself in my students' shoes and actively engage in the same research I will be requiring them to conduct. This project will help me to better explain research practices and assist students in discovering important aspects of influential authors as well as how their work relates to both historical and current social issues.
Design & Technology
Designing instruction using technology is a skill that I have little experience with but am working to improve. The projects I have completed have allowed me to discover that using technology has the ability to greatly enhance learning. Each technology offers different affordances to learners and, if used correctly, using technology to design instruction can help learners by adding efficiency and breaking the barriers between educator and learner. Though I am just beginning to discover the educational technology tools available, as well as how different methods of using these tools can affect students, the projects I have completed have given me a glimpse of the possibilities that technology offers in designing instruction.
For example, in ETEC 524, I had practice developing lessons that integrate technology. In Culture Issues in Organizations (OLT 515), I had the opportunity to create my first module of a training program. I chose to create a training program in diversity designed for teachers in high multicultural environments. The original module I completed for this class can be viewed HERE. It was during the process of creating this module that I learned how to identify learning objectives and create activities, tests, and other handouts for students to engage in active learning.
To transfer this training module in diversity from a written document meant to guide teachers in the classroom to a module that could be presented with technology, I created a presentation in Emaze. In the presentation, I include some of the same information available in the original document, however, I modified the wording and provided more colorful and creative visuals in each slide. I decided to include definitions from the original project along with instructions for completing each activity. The most important difference I noticed between my original written document and the new Emaze presentation is that, in the Emaze presentation, I was able to communicate directly to the learner. This helped me design the instruction in a more straightforward way. Instead of focusing on how to communicate my intentions to the teacher, I was able to talk to the learners directly and designed each slide for easier comprehension for those participating in the lesson. Though it was a challenging endeavor to recreate the lesson with technology, the experience was beneficial to my learning because it gave me practice in experimenting with a new creativity tool. It was rewarding to experiment with different backgrounds, images, styles, and effects. Having these options helped me to imagine myself in the learner's place and I attempted to make the presentation engaging through the use of these creativity features.
For example, in ETEC 524, I had practice developing lessons that integrate technology. In Culture Issues in Organizations (OLT 515), I had the opportunity to create my first module of a training program. I chose to create a training program in diversity designed for teachers in high multicultural environments. The original module I completed for this class can be viewed HERE. It was during the process of creating this module that I learned how to identify learning objectives and create activities, tests, and other handouts for students to engage in active learning.
To transfer this training module in diversity from a written document meant to guide teachers in the classroom to a module that could be presented with technology, I created a presentation in Emaze. In the presentation, I include some of the same information available in the original document, however, I modified the wording and provided more colorful and creative visuals in each slide. I decided to include definitions from the original project along with instructions for completing each activity. The most important difference I noticed between my original written document and the new Emaze presentation is that, in the Emaze presentation, I was able to communicate directly to the learner. This helped me design the instruction in a more straightforward way. Instead of focusing on how to communicate my intentions to the teacher, I was able to talk to the learners directly and designed each slide for easier comprehension for those participating in the lesson. Though it was a challenging endeavor to recreate the lesson with technology, the experience was beneficial to my learning because it gave me practice in experimenting with a new creativity tool. It was rewarding to experiment with different backgrounds, images, styles, and effects. Having these options helped me to imagine myself in the learner's place and I attempted to make the presentation engaging through the use of these creativity features.
To further utilize technology in the designing of instruction, I created three multiple-choice quizzes using the website Quiz-Maker. These quizzes were apart of my original diversity training program. In the original training program, I instruct the trainer to hand out paper copies of the quizzes and then go over each answer with the learners. Now, with the use of technology, I was able to create online quizzes that give feedback to the learner. A teacher's guidance and direction will still be needed to expand on the reasonings behind the answers, however, there is also value in using the online quizzes because the learner is able to take the quiz as many times as they feel is necessary. I also experimented with different styles of quizzes that offer slightly different affordances. For example, the Stereotype Quiz requires the learner to finish the quiz before the answers are provided. The answers are then provided one at a time on separate pages which encourages the student to first take the quiz independently and then carefully consider, one at a time, each question that was answered wrong. The Microaggressions Quiz and Intersectionality Quiz offer instant feedback for each question separately which is helpful because learners will know immediately if they are on the wrong track and will be able to gain a better understanding of the topic more quickly. However, the Microaggressions Quiz and Intersectionality Quiz differ in that the Microaggressions Quiz only provides the initial feedback as each question is answered while the Intersectionality Quiz also offers a comprehensive view of all questions and their answers on one page at the end of the quiz. Another unique feature of the Intersectionality Quiz is that I included buttons for sharing on social media which made the quiz a little more fun and interactive.
Creating each of these quizzes has helped me to think carefully about each affordance that different styles of quizzes offer. Being aware of the impact that these different features could have on learners is important because some learners may react better or worse to different methods of feedback. Different lengths and types of questions can also influence which style of quiz I would choose. Practicing creating online quizzes taught me to think more critically about subtle changes and how designing instruction with technology has many facets that I had not considered. Being aware of the potential for technology to have infinite possibilities when designing instruction is an important reality to be prepared for and this project has helped expose me to this fact.
Creating each of these quizzes has helped me to think carefully about each affordance that different styles of quizzes offer. Being aware of the impact that these different features could have on learners is important because some learners may react better or worse to different methods of feedback. Different lengths and types of questions can also influence which style of quiz I would choose. Practicing creating online quizzes taught me to think more critically about subtle changes and how designing instruction with technology has many facets that I had not considered. Being aware of the potential for technology to have infinite possibilities when designing instruction is an important reality to be prepared for and this project has helped expose me to this fact.