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My Journey Through Technology

Mary Jo Pluchino
EDUC 526 Capstone Experience in Digital Teaching and
Learning

Professor Dr. Gilbreath


APU Azusa Campus
http://mastersdtl.weebly.com/
July 7, 2015

Mary Jo Pluchino
Azusa Campus

EDUC 526 Growth Assessment


Summer 2015

1
July/ 2015

Section One
Introduction- Setting the Context:

I came to APU knowing I wanted to obtain my multiple subject credential


and Masters degree. I quickly enrolled and finished my credential in a
year and couldnt wait to dive right into my Masters. I have always been
fascinated with technology and was never afraid to learn and new skill.
Therefore, it came pretty natural to me that I would enroll in DTL Masters
program instead of the traditional program. I made my decision and
enrolled in my first class. After my first day, I knew I had made the perfect
decision for myself.
When I began my M.A., I was a working substitute teaching in 4 districts. I
wanted to get the most teaching experience in different environments, so
I barely turned down work. As I continued through the program and the
work load got heavier, I decided to work less. As a substitute teacher this
was easy. I went down to 2 districts, yet was still pretty busy working
about 4 days a week. This was manageable for me at this time.
My goals were to learn as much as I could about educational technology.
Little did I know, that this is the best time for new educators to learn this
skill. More and more schools are integrating technology, so I feel
extremely lucky to have acquired an abundance of information about
where are schools and districts are headed.

Personal Growth:
Mary Jo Pluchino
Azusa Campus

EDUC 526 Growth Assessment


Summer 2015

2
July/ 2015

Throughout my journey, I have learned thing about myself each step of


the way. I learned how I cope with pressure, my study and work habits etc.
I learned that I am a procrastinator. This is definitely something that I
work on all the time, however it is the way I am. I am obviously able to
get my work done on time and to the best of my abilities, yet its crunch
time the day before. I find myself staying up late or missing dinner to
finish my work on a deadline. I also learned that I work well under
pressure and I like to be busy.
Throughout this process, I have made some great contacts and friends. I
made a few friends that I still keep in touch with till this day. Also, because
of the close classroom environment, I feel comfortable contacting almost
all my professors if I need advice or have a question.
While I was enrolled in this program I got engaged to a wonderful man.
This would be something that I will add to my Spiritual Timeline because it
is a sacred sacrament that I will be making soon.
On a personal level I feel more confident that I am meant to be a teacher.
I am more ready to work in the classroom and am no longer afraid. This
program has taught me enough pedagogy and technology to get me
through my first year. I am excited to keep learning and growing as a
lifelong learner (something I was taught at APU). Also, as I reflect, I notice
that I can deal with tough situations ad find solutions. I have learned
thought my M.A. that it is okay to ask for help, okay to use you PLC for

Mary Jo Pluchino
Azusa Campus

EDUC 526 Growth Assessment


Summer 2015

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July/ 2015

resources, and definitely okay to make a mistake and learn from it. All
priceless lessons.

Professional Growth:
As an educator, I feel that I have grown in many ways. I am more secure
in my philosophies. I know what type of teacher I want to be, and I
couldnt have known this without this program guiding me to find my
individual path. Also, I know the classroom management skills I will use,
as well as my belief that every child can learn, it is our job to find a way
for them to learn.
My overall educational vision has only evolved slightly. I always knew I
wanted to be a warm, encouraging, and reinforcing teacher. However,
since my So What-Who Cares? paper, I have evolved in content and
instructional strategies, standard knowledge and resource strategies. I am
more exposed to the teaching skills which makes me a more evolve
teacher.
During the Spring and Fall 2014 modules, I was offered a long term
substitute assignment that lasted 7 months. This was a major change in
my life professionally. I thought it best to take Spring 2014 off from school
to fully focus on my new assignment. I was teaching 1st grade and my old
elementary school which made the experience that much more special.
During this time, I grew as an educator 100%. Actually having your own
classroom and reinforcing your own rules is a lesson you cannot learn in

Mary Jo Pluchino
Azusa Campus

EDUC 526 Growth Assessment


Summer 2015

4
July/ 2015

the classroom. However, with the knowledge I acquired from APU, I felt
fully equipped and confident I could do this job, and do a great job.
Amongst the stresses, and completely overwhelming moments, this was
an amazing time in my life.
The course that I feel I learned the most instructional strategies was EDUC
522. Learning about the importance of Multiple Intelligences, Depth of
Knowledge, and standards, and technology plays a major role in the type
of teacher I am today. I learned many different strategies to teach ever MI.
I also learned how to bring content knowledge to a deeper level with
Webbs DOK. In this class, we made a movie involving each of these. As I
worked on this project, the instructional strategies became very clear to
me and I know exactly how I could transition these theories into my room.
Also, the technology component of this class was phenomenal!
My Action Research Study is about fitness and staying active. My
question: Will exercising in the morning improve my overall mindset as
opposed to working out at night? I will work out in the morning for a week
straight then at night for a week straight and analyze the similarities and
differences in my overall mood and mindset.

Technical Growth
At the beginning of this program, I felt that I knew a lot about technology.
I always had the newest tablets and smartphones and loved learning new
tricks. However, now looking back, I feel like I knew nothing compared to
Mary Jo Pluchino
Azusa Campus

EDUC 526 Growth Assessment


Summer 2015

5
July/ 2015

what I know now. Now, I can officially use spreadsheets, Google Apps, and
website resources with ease. The DTL program had taught me to use
technology as a tool to teach. With technology, we can teach students the
way they like to learn. We can reach all types of learners more effectively
with technology. During EDUC 512, I learned the ins and outs of blogging,
tabs, and spreadsheets. These skills are still useful today. Furthermore, in
EDUC 515, I learned the importance of Twitter, PLCs, CUE, and many
more useful websites.
After taking EDUC 515, I can say I am very active on Twitter and use the
people follow as resources and share ideas. In EDUC 522, I learned the
importance of student created lessons. Students can use sites such as,
Animoto, Kidblog, or Weebly to create content to show their personal
learning. Another important skill I learned was video creation in EDUC
514. Learning how to use iMovie and GarageBand was very exciting. This
skill will come into importance when I establish my classroom
environment. Whether I use, blended learning or flipped classroom, I use
iMovie to create my video lessons.

Life Long Learning Plan:


After completing my Masters in Digital Teaching and Learning, I feel very
prepared to run a classroom that utilizes technology. I also feel prepared
to help other teachers learn how to use technology. My plans for the
future would include joining CUE and other organizations for educational

Mary Jo Pluchino
Azusa Campus

EDUC 526 Growth Assessment


Summer 2015

6
July/ 2015

technology. I plan on continuing to stay on the cutting edge of technology


and learning about the new resources. I would also love to be a
technology teacher at an elementary school. I would enjoy teaching other
teachers how to use tech in an effective way that works for them.
I have come to a realization that I would love to have 1:1 tablets or
computers in my classroom. Of course I understand that this is
unachievable to many districts at this time, yet I am confident that in a
few years all districts will have tech in the classroom for each student.
In order to stay well-informed of new developments, I will continue to use
my Twitter PLC, my colleges, and soon I will join CUE. Also, I would like to
apply to be a Google Certified Teacher, or an Apple Distinguished
Educator. These certificates will be an honor and help me stay abreast to
new developments.
I will continue to find websites that fit my needs in certain ways. I will also
continue to use applications to assist my teaching, or assists me
personally as an educator. Being that there are a high volume of apps and
websites, it is important to stay current and find the ones that work for
your personal taste.
In 5 years I see myself teaching elementary school and being a
technology instructor for the district and school site where I teach. I plan
to stay relevant in this field and use my knowledge to help others. In 5-10
years I plan on being a Google Certified Teacher, and/or an Apple
Distinguished Educator.
Mary Jo Pluchino
Azusa Campus

EDUC 526 Growth Assessment


Summer 2015

7
July/ 2015

Section Two
History of Coursework and Course Evaluation:
Name
:

Mary Jo Pluchino
LiveBin
der
URL:

Summer 2015

Term:
Cours
e

EDU
C
511

EDU
C
512

EDU
C
514
EDU
C
515

Course
Title &
Instructor
Name
Foundations in
Digital
Teaching and
Learning
INSTRUCTOR:
Joanne
Gilbreath

Instructional
Applications
Productivity
Software

Term
Complet
ed

http://mastersdtl.weebly
.com

Key Skills
Acquired

Comments/Suggestio
ns

Wordle
Livebinders
Tech Safety

Great beginners course.


I was able to begin
learning the basics of
educational technology
and become more
confortable integrating
technology into my
teaching

Keynote
Numbers
Webquest
Google Docs
Tabs

This class was great for


learning Pages and
Numbers. Pages and
Numbers are great apps
to use on the go with
your iPad. I also liked
how we learned to make
posters (etc) with Word
or Pages
Very interesting and
useful class.
We learned iMovie which
is priceless and I know I
will use this skill in the
future
Learning how important
twitter is to develop a
PLC is very valuable. I
still use my PLC for
resources and follow
hashtags as well. I also
really liked how we were
just exposed to so many

Spring
2013

Fall
2013

INSTRUCTOR:
Kristi
Hernandez

Digital Video in
the Classroom
INSTRUCTOR:
Bill Selak

Evolving
Educational
Technologies

Spring
2014
Fall
2014

INSTRUCTOR:
Jason Seliskar

Mary Jo Pluchino
Azusa Campus

Garageband
Rules of
Disposition
iMovie
Rules of Thirds
Twitter
Weebly
Case Study
Flipped
Classroom
Kahoot
Voki
Maker Movement

EDUC 526 Growth Assessment


Summer 2015

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July/ 2015

EDU
C
522

EDU
C
525

EDU
C
526

Learning in the
21st Century
INSTRUCTOR:
Lisa Rodriguez

Spring
2015

Web Design
INSTRUCTOR:
Linda
Mulhouser

Capstone
Experience/
Digital
Teaching and
Learning

Summer
2015

DOK
Multiple
Intelligences
iMovie
Unit Plans
Technology

Haiku Deck
Coding
HTML
Movenote

Action Research
Final Video
Livebinders
Summer
2015

INSTRUCTOR:
Joanne
Gilbreath

online resources we can


use in our class.
I believe this class was
one of the most valuable
as far as teaching and
lesson building. Being
able to create units
based on cognition,
technology, and
standards, is a priceless
skill that will take me far
in my teaching.
This class was so fun!
We got to learn coding,
HTML, and website
building. I know these
skills will come in handy
as I further my teaching
career and grow in
technology education.
Great class to close out
the masters program.
This class has helped me
to come full circle and
reflect on what I have
learned throughout this
program.

Evaluation of impact of the Digital Teaching and


Learning Program:

It is defiantly difficult to just pick one strategy that I have learned but I
think the most valuable lesson I learned was how to use Google Apps
(sheets, forms, slides, docs, google classroom etc). By learning this
strategy, I have the knowledge to eventually have a paperless classroom.
Using Google drive has saved my life in so many ways. No more do I have
to wait till I get home to work on a project, I can log on using my phone,
tablet, or classroom computer. Also, Google apps are so easy to embed
Mary Jo Pluchino
Azusa Campus

EDUC 526 Growth Assessment


Summer 2015

9
July/ 2015

into any blog or website. I believe Google will take over the world one day
and I am excited to see what they come up with next.

Program Evaluation:
My overall experience at APU has been wonderful. Everyone in the
Education staff is beyond helpful and accommodating. I have had certain
needs in the past and they help me with a friendly smile each time. Also,
my professors were very helpful in every class. They are eager to help
and answer emails quickly. Each of my coursed has been clear and
manageable because of the great professors.
It is hard for me to find any weaknesses in this program. Maybe I would
say that a few classes teach things we already learned in another class,
which feels a bit redundant. But, it can also be a strength for some people
if they did not understand the lessons the first time. The strengths that I
feel are most important are the small class sizes, helpful and passionate
professors, and content learned. I feel that I got the most out of my
money spent for this program and I am pleased with the overall
experience and outcome.
I would recommend maybe making sure that each class is used to teach
different skills and strategies.
APU has been a wonderful experience for me. Overall, the program has
taught me to be spiritual, confident, and effective as a future educator
and I couldnt be happier with my overall experience throughout my
credential and Masters. Thank you to all the professors for sharing your
Mary Jo Pluchino
Azusa Campus

EDUC 526 Growth Assessment


Summer 2015

10
July/ 2015

knowledge with me and teaching me to be a user of technology in our


classrooms!

Mary Jo Pluchino
Azusa Campus

EDUC 526 Growth Assessment


Summer 2015

11
July/ 2015

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