MAET YEAR 2: FINAL REFLECTION

CEP 800, 815, & 822

Ryan Moore
July 25, 2014
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MAET YEAR 2: FINAL REFLECTION
LOOKING BACK

When I was teaching, I had an administrator do an observation one day in my
classroom. I was nervous, as this was not my normal administrator. It was the Assistant
Principal; a man who had a dry sense of humor, and always seemed upset. I was nervous
throughout the lesson and tried not to let the nervousness show. Of all things, he came in as we
were discussing different methods of producing light; focusing on the pros and cons of different
types of light bulbs. When the lesson was finished, I asked him what he thought. He responded
with the following phrase: I always look at observations as a function of learning. Did I learn
something from the lesson? I did. Nice job. Now I need to switch the type of light bulbs I have in
my house.
Right or wrong, his view of an observation stuck with me (a full report did arrive in my
mailbox later). Since then, I have looked at meetings, clinics, and classes with this same lens of
focus. Did I learn anything? I can honestly say that this experience has produced a great deal of
information to digest; information that I will be using for a long time to come.
Learning theories, and their approach to how the mind deals with new information, was
something I found incredibly interesting. Looking at how function of the mind has been
approached over the years is fascinating. The fact that psychologist had different views and
approached this subject from different angles shows that what we understand of the world
around us is constantly changing. If theories of the minds workings are changing, how does that
relate to education? I would argue that like the theories of the mind, philosophies regarding best
practices in education change as well. We are constantly building upon what we know to be true
at the current moment. We analyze data that is brought before us, and begin to seek change if it
is necessary. Add to this, the rapid advancement of technology, and it only makes sense that
change is inevitable.
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A great example of this is the TPACK framework. TPACK evolved from Shulmans work
where he developed the idea of PCK. Koehler (2011), describes PCK as, The blending of
content and pedagogy into an understanding of how particular aspects of subject matter are
organized, adapted, and represented for instruction. Shulman developed this concept in 1986.
Since then technology has gained a solid foothold in the educational community. Because of
this the idea of PCK was modified to incorporate the technological component (Mishra, P., &
Koehler, M.J., 2009). The overlapping area that Schulman described as being the combination
of pedagogical and content knowledge now includes the technological knowledge. This
demonstrates how theories are constantly evolving.
The other concept that really stuck to me was Shulmans article relating three conditions
related to misinformation in students. Amnesia, fantasia, and inertia were terms I have heard
before, but never in this context. When explained in this manner, it made sense. The idea of
amnesia, where students (even at high-level educational settings) will forget what they have
learned. Inertia, where ideas can stay with you, but are in a form that is completely useless.
Fantasia, which I recently demonstrated to my wife when asked for directions, is demonstrated
by students that are confident they know something but really do not (Shulman, 1999). This
struck me as a defining concept, as it put the finger on what I had witnessed in the classroom. I
would envision this to be like the child who does not have the prior knowledge to properly
assess a situation. I needed this knowledge, the explanation of these ideas, to fill in the missing
piece of the puzzle. Now with this, I have the tool to better approach the students. I have a
better understanding of what is causing the student problems.
What concerns me more about this topic is the comment Schulman (1999) makes
toward the end of the article regarding how we typically approach these conditions. The reason
people forget, misunderstand, or go inert is that they havent been taught enough, and that the
answer is to teach them more. I worry about this because I see this happening. Instead of
finding ways to connect the new information to the students prior knowledge, we insist on
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presenting more concepts to pile on top of the already forgotten information. Having a view into
how this misconception is typically handled will allow me to prepare for the future. It will allow
me to better address this situation with my staff.
How does this matter to me and how does it influence the future? These examples
shows that to be complacent and to sit back and teach, or in my case, act as an administrator is
not enough. Working with technology to redefine lessons is key to increasing student
engagement. It is important that I lead my staff in a direction that allows for use of TPACK. The
seven trans-disciplinary cognitive skills mentioned by Misra, Koehler, and Henriksen (2011)
present a great framework from which my staff can begin developing units. These cognitive
skills fit in well with the International Baccalaureate framework that we are incorporating into our
elementary and middle school programs. By weaving these trans-disciplinary skills into the
plans of inquiry that the staff is developing, inquiry based lessons can be created that make the
most of the teachers knowledge and the technology that is available. Along with this, a critical
review of how technology is implemented within my building must occur. How does technology
use compare to the SAMR model? Are we just substituting technology for books and writing
implements, or are we using it as a means for redefining an assignment.
While technology is an important component of todays education, it depends heavily on
the pedagogy involved. Without proper pedagogy, the technology is useless. The instructor has
to have that ability to bring the content to the students at a level that will allow the student to
connect to the information. As it was mentioned in Teaching That Sticks, the content has to be
credible. It has to be given in a manner that the brain can understand and easily comprehend. In
doing this, connections are made to the data that allow for the student to begin to relate to the
information on a deeper level (Heath, C. & Heath, D., 2007). The student has to be able to
encode the information, take it and connect it to prior knowledge so as to be able to better retain
the new information. If the instructor cannot do this, then the affordances that come with
technology will be lost. In order to make sure the staff can better provide this connection,
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professional development is something I will have to better implement; specifically, professional
development that hinges on the TPACK framework. This is important because technology in the
hands of the uninformed teacher make the teacher no better than the students. He/she will not
understand how to use such a device. It then may only serve as a very expensive paperweight.
Moving Forward

Over the next five years, I see my position as an administrator and a director of
technology expanding. After the work completed in this course, I see my role in technology
being that of a leader for the district. Instead of only managing the infrastructure upgrades, I see
the position shifting to become a valuable resource to the teachers. In examining at what they
need in their classroom, I will be able to bring in professional development to help explain how
to properly implement the technology into the classroom. Classroom observations will serve as
a means to help improve this implementation. This role will be that of support. To best make this
effective, I plan on adding a monthly technology component to the district professional learning
community meetings. The goal of this restructuring will be to provide continued in-services on
how to best merge technology with the curriculum.
I also see my job as an administrator influencing my staffs use of technology and
pedagogy. From this context, I can provide support for the staff. Peer observations,
collaborative networks, and professional development will serve as a means for improving
technology use and pedagogical skills within the building. In my DreamIT project, I discussed
the use of chromebooks to begin student collaboration with other schools. This would serve as a
pilot program for the district. The district will use this proposal as a springboard for the upcoming
technology bond our district will seek from the public. The data from this pilot will help to defend
the districts position on the bond proposal.
Along with the data from the pilot, the skills the students learn will help them compete in
the next generation workforce. Tools like the chromebooks will serve to redefine writing projects.
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Evolving from the static paper and pencil, to the dynamic world of microblogging, shared
documents, and cloud computing. Written text becomes more engaging when multimedia
components are added, and hyperlinking text allows the reader to journey through the text.
Even though my district faces a large amount of at-risk students, there is no excuse why the
students shouldnt be able to have access to the best education we can offer. The
implementation of this new technology will make it hard for some families to work at home on
projects, but the district is working to make computer labs and school technology available after
school for these families.
Staying informed, and on top of best practices for education, will be of the utmost
importance. I have recently realized the power of Twitter for finding information. One tweet can
offer many suggestions on where to find valuable resources. Online journals will also serve as a
valuable source of information. Conferences, such as MACUL and ISTE, will serve to provide
the access to cutting-edge new ideas and instructional methods. Finally, visiting other schools
will allow my staff and myself the opportunity to see how others have approached teaching with
technology. Through observations of this nature, collaborative networks can be established that
will only benefit the skills of my staff and myself.
In conclusion, I have found the notion to return to the classroom to be very appealing
after completion of this course. I am excited to apply the concepts that I have learned. However,
I will remain an administrator, and take this information and use it in a different context. I will use
it to help guide my staff toward improved teaching techniques. I will use it to better the
technology they have, and to better their understanding of how to best use this technology.
Those that struggle with this, I will advise, and help refine their techniques. My role as an
administrator, like education, is ever changing. With the knowledge I have gained from this
coursework, I can now apply that knowledge to helping others reach that ideal condition where
technology, content, and pedagogy meet in equilibrium.

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References
Heath, C., & Heath D. (2007). Teaching That Sticks. Retrieved July 16, 2014, from
http://delaney.typepad.com/files/teachingthatsticks.pdf
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M.J. (2009, May). Too Cool for School? No Way! Learning &
Leading with Technology, (36)7. 14-18.
Mishra, Koehler & Henriksen. (2011). The 7 Trans-Disciplinary Habits of of Mind:
Extending the TPACK Framework Towards 21st Century Learning. Retrieved July 16,
2014, from
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.msuedtechsandbox.com/MAET/year3-
2011/wp-content/uploads/Mishra-Koehler-Henriksen-draft.pdf
Pedagogical Content Knowledge. (n.d.). Retrieved July 24, 2014, from
http://mkoehler.educ.msu.edu/tpack/pedagogical-content-knowledge-pck/
Schulman, L. S. (1999, January 1). What is learning and what does it look like when it doesnt
go well?. . Retrieved July 24, 2014, from
http://www.msuedtechsandbox.com/2010RouenY2/Readings/wk1d1_shulman.pdf