Growing in Technology...

Planting Seeds For !e Future

EDUC 526 Cap"one Expe#ence in

Educational Technology and Learning

Grow$ Assessment

By Jody Barnyak

Professor: Ma' Hixson

APU Mur#eta

July 27, 2012

Section 1Introduction

Even as a very young child, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher. When my

first husband died in 1992, I began my schooling to get my teaching

credentials. I decided that teaching would be a great job for a young mom

with two small children. I have been teaching now for 17 years, with 16

years in kindergarten. Because of my love for children, teaching

kindergarten has truly turned out to be the perfect job for me. I have also

held the position of grade level chair for my grade level for ten years, and I coordinate the Reading For Rewards Program with the Lake Elsinore Storm

for my school.When I started the master’s program at APU in April 2011, I had been

contemplating going back to school to get my master’s degree for a few

years. I had remarried in 2006, and my family has since grown to four children and five grandchildren. My youngest child had started college in

the fall of 2010, and I decided that the time had come for me to pursue my

educational goal. With my kids off at college, my after work life had slowed

down substantially. It was difficult not having “activities” to do in the

afternoons and/or evenings. I was actually bored, and knew I needed to

take a class or get involved in something.

Another reason for pursuing my master’s was the monetary factor. With

two kids in college, our monthly income seemed to be dwindling. I was also working on my retirement plan and knew that having my masters would give me a financial boost.However, I was not sure what I wanted to focus my degree on. I looked into

Technology in Education, and I looked into Integrating Arts into Education.

The Integrating Arts program was offered on weekends, and I really didn’t want to spend my weekends at school. I was very interested in the

Technology in Education program, because today’s society kids are so

digital, and I had really been seeing a difference in my students in recent years. Their attention span had been getting shorter and shorter. Although I wanted to learn more about computer technology, I was also

very apprehensive. Before my experience at APU, I was definitely

technologically challenged. I could manage emails, pay bills online and

surf the web, but that was all! I wanted to learn how I could incorporate

technology in my classroom. I wanted to make learning more fun and

exciting again. I was definitely nervous about starting the program, but excited and anxious to learn as well.

Personal GrowthSince starting the graduate program at APU, I feel so much more confident in my computer technology skills. Through much hands on experience

(sometimes for many hours at a time), I am actually applying it in the

classroom. I grew up without computers or cell phones and bought my

first computer when I was in my early thirties. When I started teaching, we

were using chalk boards or white boards. Now, I have learned to

incorporate technology in ways that I had never thought were possible. I have learned how to use video clips to introduce or reinforce concepts, how to make a movie, how to embed a video in a document, how to make a podcast, how to make a keynote presentation, and so much more.

I have always known that I am a visual learner. I need to see something and

how it works to understand it. Also, being interpersonal, I work well being

in classes with other people and would not enjoy taking online classes. Being able to learn with a hands-on approach (kinesthetic) has really

helped with my content mastery as well. I am also very logical, so concepts

and reasoning need to make sense in order for me to understand them.

(mathematical)

Since I am now an empty nester, my house is very quiet when I get home

from work. This has made it easier for me to do homework in the evenings.

Taking two classes at a time while working full time has definitely proved

to be challenging, but really loving what I have been learning has made this

journey enjoyable. I’ve always been pretty good with time management and I do well meeting deadlines. I divide my assignments into small parts and work on one part at a time. However, my planning has not always been

perfect. There have been more than a few times when I have become

incredibly stressed and frustrated. Usually this would happen when I could

not get some type of technology to work, and I would stress to complete

the project by the deadline. Fortunately, the professors at APU have been

very helpful and for the most part, readily available. I also spent many

hours at the Apple store, and their instructors were very helpful. When I started the technology program, I bought a new MacBook Pro, with the

one-on-one package. I certainly did get my money’s worth!

Another thing I have learned about myself throughout this program is that I seem to do better with classes that have a few large culminating projects, rather than many smaller projects. Most of my classes here at APU have

been designed that way, which has allowed me to experiment, and make

revisions as needed throughout each course.

When I first came to APU’s orientation, I met my study buddy Mary Molitor. It has been nice to have each other for support throughout the classes. I have met many other people as well, both fellow students and instructors. All of us entered into this program from different backgrounds, in different lines of work or teaching different grade levels, and with varying degrees of technology skills. However, we are all here to learn how to use

technology in a positive way to educate others.

Although I don’t attend church on a regular basis, I have always had a

Christian world view. Being a part of APU’s program has given me the

opportunity to explore my beliefs, and how they influence the way I work

and interact with my students and coworkers.

Professional GrowthWhen I started the APU Technology program, I was not using computer technology in my classroom with the students. I had a computer to check

emails and took my class to the computer lab weekly, and that was all. Since then, our class was equipped with an ELMO document camera and a

projector, and I have gone to a district meeting to allow me to access YouTube and other websites. Now I am regularly using some PowerPoint slideshows, and accessing the Internet to find videos to support my

curriculum. Most of the videos that I have used are less than five minutes and keep my kindergarteners attention.

As I stated before, I knew very little about computer technology before

starting this program. However, I was very interested in learning how to

effectively use technology in the classroom (as well as outside the

classroom). In my 17 years of teaching experience, I have noticed in recent years that my students had grown less attentive during class. It has become more difficult to keep their attention throughout a lesson. A new

teacher at our school, who is much younger than I, had shown me some of the interesting ways to incorporate technology in the classroom. It was intriguing to me and I knew that I had to learn how to incorporate

technology in order to keep up-to-date with today’s learners. I have begun incorporating many of the instructional strategies into my

teaching that I have learned in this program. I used what I learned from

EDUC 523 and EDUC 525 to create a website with resources and activities. Although my students are only in kindergarten, the website is also a useful tool for parents to keep up on what’s happening in the classroom

including activities for my young learners. I am also planning to use what I learned from EDUC 519 and EDUC 523 to make iBooks for different subjects in my curriculum. I can create an iBook to store information; photos, videos, worksheets, etc. for each subject. Instead of keeping

everything in a file cabinet, I will organize the information in iBooks.For my Action Research Study, I want to find a way to get to the gym on a regular basis. Regular exercise is important to me to keep in shape and stay healthy, and also to tighten parts up that seem to be not as firm as they once were! I also like the way exercise makes me

feel emotionally as well. It increases the serotonin in my brain which makes me feel good about myself. The problem is I seem to get in the groove for a few months, and then something comes up (time issues or illness or something), and I fall out of the rythym.

Technical GrowthAfter reading Marc Prensky’s “Digital Immigrants vs. Digital Natives”, I definitely knew that I fit into the digital immigrants category. I was not very computer savvy. This is part of the reason I decided to pursue APU’s digital technology program.

Teachers are life-long learners, and must be willing to change and swing

with the pendulum. Being back in school again has reminded me how

important learning is, and how much I enjoy it. APU’s program has helped

me realize why today’s students are so different, and it also helped me to

develop lessons and activities to help them learn. There needs to be a

delicate balance between traditional lessons and the incorporation of technology.

It’s important to keep today’s learners engaged and we must incorporate

technology when appropriate. The Technology and Learning program has exposed me to various techniques, programs, and ideas on how to

effectively incorporate technology within lessons, assessments, and

projects.

I don’t think I’ll ever be a “techie”, but I am so much more comfortable with

the computer now. In EDUC 524, I learned how to make a movie with

iMovie. I developed a webpage with embedded videos and documents in

EDUC 525 to keep parents informed. In EDUC 513, I learned about LiveBinders, which is a great organizational tool. In EDUC 515, I made a

webquest with Questgarden, and I made my first podcast. I didn’t even

know what a podcast was before! The review of the Multiple Intelligences in Education 522 was nice, because it helped me realize what styles I teach

to the most. I have learned how to use such programs as Keynote, Adobe

Acrobat Pro, Adobe Photoshop Elements, iMovie, iBook, and more. I have

discovered wonderful educational websites for online games and

assessments, etc. I feel that now I can basically speak the same “language” as our technology department in my district. This is certainly a big jump for me, because that wasn’t the case a year and half ago!I am delighted to say that I have used several of my projects in the

classroom that I learned from various classes, some of which are:

1. Create instructional KeyNote presentations with links to videos and

games. (EDUC 519, EDUC 523, EDUC 525)

2. Create instructional videos, podcasts and vodcasts for procedures and

instructions. (EDUC 515, EDUC 514)

3. Edit photographs for newsletters. (EDUC 517)

4. Create a website on www.jbarnyak.weebly.com for parent/teacher communication. (EDUC 515 and 520)

5. Create documents for classroom use. (EDUC 519)

Although we still have PC’s in our classrooms, next year I will be moving

into a classroom with updated technology. I am planning on buying an

iPad this summer, and incorporating some of the iBook and Keynote

presentations I have created in my classroom.

Life-Long Learning PlanAlthough I love teaching kindergarten, in recent years I felt like I was in rut. I felt that I needed to learn new things and take on new challenges. Being

in this program has reminded me how much I like being in school. When I first started teaching, we were required to take 150 hours of classes

every five years to keep our credential updated. As of four or five years ago, that is no longer the case.

Being an empty nester now, I know I need to be involved in something

more for me to feel challenged and involved. APU’s program has definitely

kept me busy, and provided the challenges!

This program has better prepared me to create lessons that are interesting

and engaging for today’s learners. Education is constantly changing. I believe it is better to know about the various methodologies so that I am

better prepared for my students when changes occur. I plan to stay

involved in order to stay up-to-date with the latest and greatest in

educational technology advancements. I also believe it is important to stay

connected with the professors at APU. They have been so inspiring to me

throughout this program and they have such good insight into the future

with regards to technology in education. I also plan on taking additional courses to gain additional knowledge within this particular field of study.

I have learned so much in the Technology and Learning program, but I plan

to spend more time developing my website, and learning more about iBook, InDesign and document design.

Due to financial constraints with the California education budget in

education, the future is very uncertain for many in this field. I feel very

fortunate to have started teaching so many years ago, before our current recession. I also feel that I am blessed to be able to go to work each day, and do what I love. I am hoping to retire in about 11 years and want to

continue to keep up-to-date with incorporating technology in education.

SECTION 2History of Coursework and Course Evaluation

Course Number Course

Name

Instructor Term Completed

Key Learnings

EDUC 512 Productivity Software

Jim Sullivan

Spring 2, 2011 Adobe Connect, Webquest, Podcast, Webpage, hardware and software

EDUC 512-This was a good introductivity course introducing me to Adobe

Connect and threaded discussion, making a webquest, searching out information on various websites, developing a webpage, and

understanding binary codes. I also enjoyed how Jim Sullivan would take

things apart to show us how they work!

Course Number

Course Name

Instructor Term Completed

Key Learnings

EDUC 515 Evolving Educational Technologies

Lance Martin

Spring 2, 2011 Webpage, Podcast, Vodcast, Blogs, Weebly, Educational Websites

EDUC 515-This class was very informative for me. I had never blogged, or even watched a podcast/vodcast. I made my first webpage, podcast, vodcast, and learned about blogs. Lance was very helpful, especially

because I was a novice in these subjects.

Course Number

Course Name

Instructor Term Completed

Key Learnings

EDUC 513 Digital Age Literacies

Jim Pinckard

Summer 2011 LiveBinders, Technology Implementation and Management Plan, Online Discussions with Googe Docs

EDUC 513-I really enjoyed learning about LiveBinders. It’s a wonderful organizational tool. We used Google Docs to create documents collaboratively with online students. Jim Pinckard often had difficulty with

keeping communications working with our online classmates.

Course Number

Course Name

Instructor Term Completed

Key Learnings

EDUC 514 Digital Video in the Classroom

Tory Temple

Summer 2011 Video creating and editing, Rule of Thirds

EDUC 514-This was an excellent course. It was very challenging and

required many hours of homework. However, I will use my newly acquired

knowledge in both my professional and personal lives. Tory was a very

engaging instructor. This was one of my favorite classes.

Course Number

Course Name

Instructor Term Completed

Key Learnings

EDUC 522 Learning in the 21st Century

Nicol Malone

Fall 1, 2011 Multiple Intelligences, Digital Bloom’s Taxonomy, Unit Plan

EDUC 522-This was helpful to review multiple intelligences, and I learned

about the digital version of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Nicole was very

encouraging, and this was the first class where I became aware of saving

my coursework for my capstone. It would have been beneficial to know

about my capstone requirements earlier in the program.

Course Number

Course Name

Instructor Term Completed

Key Learnings

EDUC 525 Web Design for the Classroom

Linda Mulhauser

Fall 1, 2011 Web design, storyboarding, flowcharts, keynote mapping

EDUC 525-This class helped me to fine-tune the Weebly website I had

created in a previous class. I was able to make my website more user-friendly for parents and students. Linda was very energetic and eager to

help.!

Course Number

Course Name

Instructor Term Completed

Key Learnings

EDUC 517 Digital Imaging

Tim Holder Fall 2, 2011 Photoshop Elements, Rule of Thirds

EDUC 517-Learned how to crop, edit, and enhance photos. This was probably my least favorite class. The program was very difficult to

understand. Tim was very patient with those of us who were having

technical difficulties. However, I don’t feel I really learned this program

very well.

Course Number

Course Name

Instructor Term Completed

Key Learnings

EDUC 524 Curriculum Design and Delivery

Joanne Gilbreath

Fall 2, 2011 Web design, Keynote, storymapping, flowcharts

EDUC 524-This course helped me to develop a more engaging keynote

with hyperlinks to games and videos. I learned that keynote presentations can be more than just linear. Joanne was very informative and up-to-date

with the latest technology.

Course Number

Course Name

Instructor Term Completed

Key Learnings

EDUC 519 Document Design for the Classroom

Matt Hixson

Spring 1, 2012 Adobe Creative Suite, iBook, portfolio proposal, growth assessment

EDUC 519-This class focused on Adobe Creative Suite and iBook. I really

enjoy using iBook and will be doing my capstone in iBook. We also looked

at interactive apps and websites. Matt is very calm and organized. I left each one of his classes feeling confident to take on new challenges.

Course Number

Course Name

Instructor Term Completed

Key Learnings

EDUC 523 Hypermedia-Enhanced Learning Environments

Tory Temple

Spring 1, 2012 Video game project, content absorption rates, screen capturing, Second Life, GEARS

EDUC 523-This class focused on interactive learning. I learned how to

make an iBook, including media widgets. I produced a keynote

presentation defending technology in education. After much practice, I learned how to download videos and embed them in my keynote or iBook.

Tory really got me excited about different ways to use technology in my

classroom.

!

Course Number

Course Name

Instructor Term Completed

Key Learnings

EDUC 520 Creating Web Media

Tory Temple

Spring 2, 2012

!

Course Number

Course Name

Instructor Term Completed

Key Learnings

EDUC 526 Capstone Experience in Educational Technology and Learning

Matt Hixson

Summer 2012

Evaluation of the Impact of the Ed Tech and Learning ProgramThis program teaches many strategies of implementing technology in the

classroom. I have only just begun to use some of these technologies. When I complete the program and move into a classroom with updated

technology, I plan to incorporate more technology into my everyday

teaching. So far, I have developed a class website. This allows me to keep

parents informed of general class guidelines, as well as up-to-date

information. I am also incorporating videos from educational websites, as well as PowerPoint presentations. I am looking forward to when I don’t have homework, so I can devote more time creating presentations for my

students.

Program EvaluationMy overall experience at APU has been positive and inspiring. It is hard to

believe that I am almost finished with my master’s program. I have truly

enjoyed all of my classes. The staff has been very warm and helpful. Not only the instructors, but the front-office staff and the support staff at the

main campus, have all been wonderful. Although I have experienced many

frustrations along the way, I am very thankful for my uplifting experience

at APU and have recommended it to many of my friends.The main strength of this program is the instructors who understand and

use technology in their own life and profession. They are able to speak

from experience about what works and doesn’t work, and have working

knowledge of both PCs and Macs. We all came into this program with

varying backgrounds and technological experiences. All the instructors were very patient and understanding of everyone with differing

technological backgrounds, especially those of us who started the

program at a very beginning level.With that said, there are minimal recommendations for this program. I would recommend that we be informed and guided about our capstone

earlier in the program. Maybe one concept that could be taught is how to

organize our projects and material, so that we could combine everthing in

one place...ready for our capstone. For me, I had just purchased my

MacBook Pro when I started the program, so my projects were not kept in

an organized way. The only other issue that proved to be frustrating at times, was that some teachers had a hard time getting online classmates into our class session. This took time away from our instruction, both for in class and online students.