Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Rationale Paper
Denise Holder
Second Grade Teacher
Johnson Elementary School
Fort Collins, Colorado
February 2015
INTRODUCTION
Technology has always been an interest of mine. Prior to entering this program, I would spend
my free time visiting different technology websites and teacher blogs to keep up on the latest
technology integration ideas and information. Even though my primary responsibility is teaching
second grade, my peers would come to me to me for technology support and ideas for
technology integration. There are many more educational technology tools that I have discovered
in my journey that I am able to use in my own practice and share with my peers.
When a friend of mine suggested that I join her in getting a Master in Educational Technology
with her, I looked at the program that Boise State Universitys program and decided it was a
great idea. Increasing my knowledge and having the opportunity to share conversations with
other like-minded people about a topic that has interested me for years has been an enriching
experience. I have learned so much through the Master in Educational Technology program over
these past two years. The assignments and experiences have not always been easy, but I am so
proud of the products that I have completed in all of my EdTech courses.
This rationale paper examines the work I have completed in this program. This paper is divided
into five sections that represent the five AECT Standards - content knowledge, content pedagogy,
learning environments, professional knowledge and skills, and research. Each section contains
indicators, at least one artifact per indicator, and a rationale for selection of that artifact. The
artifacts have been selected and placed where evidence of mastery is evident. These artifacts
show that technology is a meaningful teaching tool in education.
Using - Candidates demonstrate the ability to select and use technological resources and
processes to support student learning and to enhance their pedagogy. (p. 141)
The EdTech 541 - Relative Advantage Chart was developed for teachers that are selecting
and including technological resources as instructional strategies to support student
learning in literacy. Roblyer and Doering (2013) believe that technology-based
strategies offer many unique benefits to teachers as they look for instructional solutions
(p.51). This literacy chart is evidence of understanding how the use of technology can be
advantageous for teachers and can enhance their pedagogy by including advantages of
each technology and its expected outcomes. Teachers may locate an area of student need
and select the technology that would assist students in reaching the desired outcome.
Assessing/Evaluating - Candidates demonstrate the ability to assess and evaluate the effective
integration of appropriate technologies and instructional materials.
In the EdTech 505 - Raz-Kids Evaluation Report, I demonstrated the ability to assess and
evaluate the program. Collecting data from various sources strengthened my evaluation
of the Raz-Kids program. As learner outcomes were analyzed through data, I was able to
determine effectiveness of the Raz-Kids program for second grade students. The data
revealed strengths of the program and modifications necessary to improve instructional
practice and the learning environment. Using the data presented in this report,
recommendations about the future of the Raz-Kids program were shared with
stakeholders.
Managing - Candidates demonstrate the ability to effectively manage people, processes, physical
infrastructures, and financial resources to achieve predetermined goals. (p. 178)
The EdTech 505 - Request for Proposal (RFP) required decisions to be made as if I was a
program evaluator called to submit a proposal for services. In this assignment, a fictional
company is seeking an evaluator to help determine the feasibility of implementing their
educational product to the market. Even though this proposal was for a fictitious
company, I took my role as the program evaluator seriously. This process required
selection of an evaluation method, creation of a task schedule, determining staffing needs
and selection of project personnel, and defining a reasonable project budget to evaluate
this product. After submission of the RFP, the course instructor commented that he
believed the acceptance of my proposal was feasible.
Ethics - Candidates demonstrate the contemporary professional ethics of the field as defined and
developed by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. (p. 284)
It is important to make sure that proper credit is given to the creator of the work, whether
it be an image, song, or article. In the EdTech 541 - Summarizing for Second Graders
Slide Presentation artifact, great care was taken in making sure that each image in the
presentation has a corresponding source. A small link is included under each image,
which directs you to the source, and all images selected are labeled for non-commercial
use. As I continue to create public, informative presentations, this practice of citing
sources is evident in my final products.
Gary Bingham, Teri Holbrook, and Laura E. Meyers believe that self-assessment can
play a powerful role in the relationship between a childs motivation and academic
achievement. (p. 59) Hoping to increase student motivation and academic achievement,
student collaboration and self-reflection was built into the EdTech 542 Weather Project I
created. Evidence of this reflective practice can be found in the EdTech 542 - Weather
Reporter Rubric. Students are asked to work together on the project and then reflect and
evaluate themselves in each area before completing a peer evaluation.
Managing - Candidates manage appropriate technological processes and resources to provide
supportive learning communities, create flexible and diverse learning environments, and develop
and demonstrate appropriate content pedagogy. (p. 175-193)
When creating the EdTech 521 - Severe Weather Asynchronous Lesson, special attention
was given to creating materials in the lesson that allowed students to be supported.
Directions were given in both written and oral formats. Visual aids were created and
academic activities were designed to enhance student learning and increase collaboration.
This asynchronous environment is flexible and supportive to students. Creating this
lesson allowed me to meld best instructional practices with technological resources so
that students may learn content in a more engaging and authentic way.
Ethics - Candidates design and select media, technology, and processes that emphasize the
diversity of our society as a multicultural community. (p. 296)
The EdTech 501 - Digital Inequality project identifies the diversity we have when
technology is used. The research opened my eyes to problems that occur because of
digital inequality. In this presentation, these problems are addressed as well as strategies
and processes that can be implemented to close the gaps that are found in access and
skills. I have implemented some of these suggestions, specifically including keyboarding
time and partnering up my students with fifth grade students to be tech buddies, to
close the digital gap in my own school.
STANDARD 3: LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
Indicators
Creating - Candidates create instructional design products based on learning principles and
research-based best practices. (pp. 8, 243-245, 246)
When developing the EdTech 503 - Instructional Design Project that focused on second
grade students creating a Google Slide to put in a shared Google presentation, a great deal
of time, thought, and research of best practices went into the planning of the project.
Because of the Instructional Design methods taught throughout this course, I was able to
design, develop, and implement instruction to all students on how best to teach the
process of creating a Google Slide to second grade students. Martin (2011) believes when
all of the steps in the instructional design process are being followed, focusing on critical
needs and conveying essential knowledge and skills is ensured. To make sure that my
process was appropriate, a subject matter expert was consulted. I used this project in my
classroom this year with great success. Students were able to complete the task using the
design that was created. As a result of my efforts, this project was chosen to stand as an
example for future students.
Using - Candidates make professionally sound decisions in selecting appropriate processes and
resources to provide optimal conditions for learning (pp. 122, 169) based on principles, theories,
and effective practices. (pp. 8-9, 168-169, 246)
Deciding on resources that will guide the learning of students is important. Based on best
practices, the activities listed in the EdTech 521- Weather Asynchronous Lesson Tools
and Resources assignment will aid student learning by providing resources that
encourage cooperation, literacy skills, and weather information in kid-friendly formats.
Students will be able to work independently on most of these resources, which will
encourage student confidence and build subject knowledge. This asynchronous
environment allows students to access educational materials at any time, at their own
pace, and as many times as they need to achieve understanding.
Assessing/Evaluating - Candidates use multiple assessment strategies (p. 53) to collect data for
informing decisions to improve instructional practice, learner outcomes, and the learning
environment. (pp. 5-6)
One artifact that shows evidence of mastery of this standard is the EdTech 542 - Weather
Assessments page from my weather project. A variety of assessment strategies were used
to determine student understanding. Formative assessments inform decisions about the
effects of our daily practice and guide the course of future instruction. Without these
quick checks for understanding, we would not know depth of learning until after the
project was completed. Summative assessments of students determine if learner outcomes
were achieved. When teaching this weather unit, the data collected via these assessments
guided my practice and identified areas of improvement to solidify learner outcomes
when the unit is taught in the future.
Managing - Candidates establish mechanisms (p. 190) for maintaining the technology
infrastructure (p. 234) to improve learning and performance. (p. 238)
When introducing students to technology use in schools, we must be mindful of creating
good digital citizens through effectively teaching guidelines to students. The
informational EdTech 502 - Netiquette web page was created to make certain the students
know the expectations when interacting online. This resource is shared with my students
at the beginning of the year to lay the foundation for good digital citizenship. It is always
available as a resource when needing to
Keeping all resources in one location for primary students is important for ease of
research. Content-specific websites were curated through the use of Symbaloo. The
Insect/butterfly Symbaloo & Weather Symbaloo were created to manage web-based
content that students can access easily. The simplicity of the Symbaloo layout makes use
use of these visually appealing resource easy for primary students. Each Symbaloo is
used for support as students research topics. As students work with these digital curation
tools, they enhance their learning through research, which increases their academic
performance on our second grade research projects.
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Ethics - Candidates foster a learning environment in which ethics guide practice that promotes
health, safety, best practice (p. 246), and respect for copyright, Fair Use, and appropriate open
access to resources. (p. 3)
The US Department of Education (2010) reports that teachers or their students used
computers in the classroom during instructional time often (40 percent) or sometimes (29
percent). Internet use in schools is increasing as it becomes more involved as an
educational tool. Due to this increase in student use of the Internet in an academic setting,
we must make certain that student online safety is paramount. The projects that were
designed to make certain students understand the rules when navigating this online world
are EdTech 502 - Copyright and Plagiarism Scavenger Hunt, EdTech 521 - Netiquette for
Elementary Students guide, and EdTech 521 - Netiquette and You website. Fostering
good digital citizenship through utilization of these resources is best practice when
students are working in an online environment. These resources are shared with my
students at the beginning of the year to solidify the foundation for good digital
citizenship, and they are always available if the need arises for reteaching these rules.
Diversity of Learners - Candidates foster a learning community that empowers learners with
diverse backgrounds, characteristics, and abilities. (p. 10)
Assistive technologies are necessary tools for students with special needs. These
technologies enable them to be as independent and productive as their peers without the
same needs. Challenges for children with special needs can be overcome through the use
of assistive technology and accessibility features. Judge (2000) states that all individuals
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must be better prepared to access, manipulate, and control information and their
environments through the use of technology. A strong community of learners can be
created when using tools such as the EdTech 541 - Adaptive/Assistive Technology for
Students with Special Needs resource. This resource lists technologies that are available
for teachers to use with learners of various backgrounds and abilities.
STANDARD 4: PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
Indicators
Collaborative Practice - Candidates collaborate with their peers and subject matter experts to
analyze learners, develop and design instruction, and evaluate its impact on learners.
In the creation of the EdTech 503 - Instructional Design Project, collaboration with my
buildings subject matter expert (SME) was important. The SME reviewed the design of
the Instructor Guide and evaluated the process to determine if learners would be
successful. The suggestions given by the SME can be easily incorporated into future
iterations of this project. I analyzed the instructions and adapted some materials to
achieve learner outcomes. I felt confident that I was designed a project that would be
effective for my second grade audience, and I was correct as each of my students
completed a Google Slide. These slides were printed and used in a class book that was
printed for each student.
The EdTech 533 - Video Use in an Elementary Setting video is a collaboration of my
colleagues that shares their personal views on incorporating videos into their instruction.
Because I wanted to get opinions from teachers in different content areas, I chose one
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were tools that were created in each course for personal reflection about improving my
practice. Through use of these tools, I was able to take the time to analyze the artifacts
and interpret the data to determine the effectiveness of the design of the lesson, the
materials, and/or my instruction. These opportunities for self-reflection allowed me the
opportunity to deepen my learning about educational technology theories, tools, and
practices and make connections to my current instructional practice.
Assessing/Evaluating - Candidates design and implement assessment and evaluation plans that
align with learning goals and instructional activities.
Research by Hattie (2009) shows that self-reporting of grades has the most positive effect
on student achievement. Because I shared the EdTech 541 - Spreadsheet Integration in
Literacy project with teachers in my building, second grade students are able to input data
into spreadsheets instead of filling in paper graphs to report their grades in our weekly
programs such as Rocket Math, Accelerated Reader, Mastering Math, spelling tests, and
more. This graph or chart gives second graders a very clear picture as to their success and
progress throughout each quarter and also connects to a Common Core math standard for
second grade. These products are wonderful for self-reflection and ideal for use in
student/teacher conferences, parent/teacher conferences, and student/parent discussions.
Assessments, both formative and summative, are an important component in the Weather
Unit that was created for EdTech 542. The EdTech 542 Wild and Wonderful Weather!
Assessments were created to align with the learning goals, based on Common Core
standards, for this unit. Students view rubrics prior to the lessons and are given the
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opportunity to reflect on their achievement and participation in groups after the lesson
using tools I created for this unit.
Ethics - Candidates demonstrate ethical behavior within the applicable cultural context during all
aspects of their work and with respect for the diversity of learners in each setting.
By researching best practices in the field of education to determine which strategies
would work best for students, the EdTech 504 - Influences of Constructivism on Student
Engagement and Learning in the Elementary Classroom project is a clear indicator of
application of this ethics indicator. As a result of this artifact, I was able to assist students
with differing backgrounds reach their potential in spite of their diversity. I concluded
that, if teachers purposefully set up a constructivist environment in their classrooms, all
students could demonstrate the 21st century skills of communication, collaboration, and
creativity.
STANDARD 5: RESEARCH
Indicators:
Theoretical Foundations - Candidates demonstrate foundational knowledge of the contribution
of research to the past and current theory of educational communications and technology. (p.
242)
The EdTech 504 - Annotated Bibliography is a document that was created by researching
the past and present practices regarding constructivism. This research defined what
constructivist approaches look like, the use of a constructivist approach is used in
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a two-part survey (Part 1 and Part 2). This research provided data that determined learner
attitudes and experience with technology. The results also informed and guided
instruction when creating the Learning Task Analysis, utilizing instructional design
research to ensure that the content would be aligned with capabilities of the current group
of second graders.
Assessing/Evaluating - Candidates apply formal inquiry strategies in assessing and evaluating
processes and resources for learning and performance. (p. 203)
Through the use of the EdTech 501 Maturity Benchmarks Survey Sheet, I was able to
assess and evaluate the technology processes and resources in my district and at my
school. I discovered that my district has quite a comprehensive technology plan. At
school level, it was discovered that we have to adhere to the district technology plan but
we do not have one of our own. The EdTech 501 School Evaluation Summary allowed
me to make recommendations to school administrators for improved student learning and
performance in each of the five areas listed in the summary.
Ethics - Candidates conduct research and practice using accepted professional (p. 296) and
institutional (p. 297) guidelines and procedures.
When you have read something and wish to share the information learned with others,
there is an ethical responsibility to give credit to the author. Research was conducted for
the EdTech 504 - Influences of Constructivism on Student Engagement and Learning in
the Elementary Classroom paper to define constructivism and demonstrate how a
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REFERENCES
Bingham, G., Holbrook, T., and Meyers, L. (2010) Using self-assessments in elementary
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Hattie, J. (2013). Hattie ranking: Influences and effect sizes related to student achievement.
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Hickey, D. T., Moore, A. L., & Pellegrino, J. W. (2001). The motivational and academic
consequences of elementary mathematics environments: Do constructivist innovations
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doi:10.3102/00028312038003611
Judge, S.L. (2000). Accessing and funding assistive technology for young children with
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Martin, F. (2011) Instructional design and the importance of instructional alignment. Community
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Roblyer, M.D. and Doerling, A.H. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching (6th
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