EDLD+5362

=5362 - Informational Systems Management = =Reflection =

__Self-Assessment __ After reading the title of the course, Informational Systems Management, I knew from the beginning that the course would be challenging for me. I knew that the material would be new learning for me and out of my comfort zone. I discovered quickly that this strand of technology contains many acronyms and this course had a large amount of them to recognize such as: LMS, SIS, CIS, SRS, and SIF. In fact, I really did not have a clear understanding what an information system was, so I wondered how I would learn to manage it. The course began much like a history class while we studied the evolution of the Internet and the World Wide Web. I had limited knowledge of our district’s student information system until this course. I now know how important such a system is to a school district and how much data they collect for learning and instruction. I thoroughly enjoyed the assignment where I had to interview one of my former teaching buddies, Jeanne Logsdon who had retired. I recorded her experiences that the Internet brought into her classroom. She spoke about many educational tools that she used in the past and how teaching is much different today. We also had to compare two networks and I chose to compare Curriki and WiZig, which I thought teachers in my district could use. I joined both networks and participated on them before doing my assignment. I was able to take a class online on WiZig with several other people from across the world. That was a great experience for me, allowing me to participate in a global learning activity. Another assignment in this course was to design a model classroom which I enjoyed, especially since we did not have any budget constraints. Our final project for the course was a presentation on our technology plan which was important to learn in depth.

__Learn as a Learner __ Information Systems Management was my second course online in this degree program, so I was still new to online learning. I struggled using the courseware in my first course, and felt a bit more confident. My most enjoyable assignment was interviewing my teacher friend. As we shared our experiences, we were able to clearly see the impact that the Internet made on teachers in the past. It allowed me to see through the eyes of someone whose decision to retire was partly due to technological changes in education. Teachers, like my dear friend, who were close to retirement age already, chose to end their career. My experience with [|WizIQ] proved to be exciting. I joined a lesson from an instructor across the world. The class had a small group of learners for the virtual classroom. It gave me a small glimpse of the type of learning that our youth can access. Some of the lessons had a small fee, but most were free. I had to take the class on how to use WizIQ first, so I would be ready for the course I signed up for. I searched a course on technology and found an interesting one titled, “Integrating Technology for Active Lifelong Learning (IT4ALL)”. I discovered that it was a nonprofit organization that included a team of volunteers who are passionate about instruction and learning and who promote free e-learning around the world (Integrating Technology for Active Lifelong Learning, 2009)

__Lifelong Learning Skills __

The instructor for our course, Dr. Sheryl Abshire, took over a few weeks after it began. In fact, she was editing the course as we were taking it. One thing I learned is how important your delivery as an instructor is even when your content is difficult to explain. Dr. Abshire’s lectures were wonderful and she pulled you into her content by her simple explanations of technical terms. She absolutely made the course enjoyable by her encouragement and disposition. I learned to be encouraging to others and support them through the tough times, and they will rise above the situation. She made you feel like you could do anything. “The world’s best teachers are not repositories of knowledge, but skilled navigators who lead young minds to discovery and understanding (Arshem, 2002). I also learned to try new things like taking the online class in WizIQ. I was able to stretch my learning to a new horizon that I have never used before. The experience was well worth my time and my experience with [|Curriki] was used to give our teachers yet another resource to use for accessing lessons, but it’s much more.

“ Curriki is an online environment created to support the development and free distribution of world-class educational materials to anyone who needs them. Our name is a play on the combination of 'curriculum' and 'wiki' which is the technology we're using to make education universally accessible” (About Curriki, 2011).

It has collaboration capabilities in Curriki that allow you to edit and create curriculum with others across the world. Many of us do not value our knowledge, but can give one or two small suggestions that can make a big difference to someone’s lessson. I try to encourage teachers in my district that their ideas are valuable and worth sharing. What I like about online collaboration, it allows those that are afraid to speak out in front of others, the opportunity to share anonymously, if they choose. I have discovered that I get so excited about new tools or resources that I want to share them immediately with everyone. I have had to learn to restrain myself and hold them back for the right opportunities, so that I do not overwhelm teachers. It is important to time those resources and not send too many. I have had many teachers who take the time to thank me, which I appreciate so much. I have been thinking of other ways to share my resources. I thought about a monthly newsletter, a blog, or wiki. I have a website, but many teachers do not have the time to check it, or they do not know where to find it. My challenge is to find ways to get my presence or website known to others. References //About Curriki//. (2011). Retrieved from Curriki: http://www.curriki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Main/About Arshem, H. (2002, March). Impact of Internet on Teaching and Learning. //USDLA Journal//, Vol. 16: No. 3 doi: ISSN 1537-5080. //Integrating Technology for Active Lifelong Learning//. (2009, October 13). Retrieved from WizIQ: http://www.wiziq.com/IT4ALL

Course Embedded Assignments

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