EDLD+5370+Reflections+on+assignments+in+EDLD+5306+Concepts+of+Educational+Technology

**EDLD 5370 Reflections on Assignments in EDLD 5306 Concepts of Educational Technology**
Reflecting on the assignments in this course, I found them to be very informative. Researching the Texas STaR chart and creating a presentation on the data really gave me insight that I did not have up to that time. We have been asked every year to complete the STaR chart, but I don't think anyone really understand what it was used for and its ramifications.

In the past I have always completed my STaR chart with a half-hearted effort**.** I never took completing the chart seriously. I now see the impact that it really has if the information is put to use properly. I never knew that this data could affect funding for our campus. I also never related my responses to the effect it may have on my student's education and learning. I realized during the course that if I am not equipped to use technology in some of the ways listed, I am doing my students a disservice. After realizing this, I began to take what I was learning much more seriously because I could see the impact down the line.
 * __Self-Assessment__**

__**Learn as a Learner**__ When approaching the assignments, I first wanted to get a full understanding of what was expected. This is how I best learn. I like to work with the end in mind. This was difficult for me at times because I have never been involved in an online learning environment, so this was very foreign to me. Once I mastered this, I was able to successfully complete the required assignments.

The use of discussion boards was also a big help because it allowed me to ask questions of others on things that I did not quite understand. The only problem is that responses would come much later sometimes. The use of a wiki or blog would have probably been a better idea in order to get a quicker response. As a result of this, I incorporated the use of a blog in my classroom in order to provide my students with the same opportunity.

__**Lifelong Learning Skills**__ I had to create a power point presentation in video format. I had never done anything like this before. It was an enjoyable experience and I learned a lot from it. The process of trying to figure it out was enjoyable, intriguing, and frustrating at times, but the goal was accomplished. I concluded that this is the same experience that I must provide my students with. Give them the task and let them figure it out. With the internet, all the resources you need are within a few strokes of your keyboard. Communication with colleagues was made simple with email and blogs, or wikis. These are the same tools that students can use in order to accomplish tasks. These are the things that students use on a daily basis outside of the classroom, and these are the things that we need to bring into the classroom in order to keep them engaged. Prensky (2008) stated that in order to make education relevant to students' lives and truly prepare kids for the future, we need to bring the after school attractions into the schools.