Ranking of Project Learning Outcomes

In my opinion all of these learning outcomes are essential and equally important in the field of education, particularly now as we continue to see more and more innovations in educational technology and the enhanced instructional designs that can be developed in order to facilitate learning. Still it is without a doubt that some of these learning outcomes take precedent before the other due to the fact that perhaps one cannot be done without perfecting the prior outcome. These PLO will be ranked from the most essential to the last in narrative form.

The first Program Learning Outcome I have chosen is the Demonstrate knowledge and skills in current and emerging instructional technologies. To me this perhaps the most important because it in the field I want to work for, I am aiming to be known as a knowledgeable authority in the emerging technologies and how they can be applied in an educational setting. I have always been fascinated by technology and its advances, but what draws me more to its use is that it can be applied to many scenarios, and education is one of them. As the father of an autistic child for example, I have been able to see firsthand how the use of a tablet with educational apps has helped my daughter make leaps in her education, particularly in her visual and speech abilities. These are the kind of innovations I expect to see emerge more as we move forward. I definitely see myself using new technologies mostly to experiment with their capabilities for education. Although I am great supporter of technology in the classroom, I also find concerned with the fact that some technologies can result in being more like gimmicks or fads rather than having any educational value. I find myself wanting to be involved in determining which of these technologies does have a place in the classroom and if they can be used to effectively enhance the delivery of academic instruction.

The second outcome that I ranked was PLO 1: Demonstrate knowledge and skills related to learning using technology. As it is important to determine which technologies will be beneficial to the learning environment and how they can be blended with instruction, it is also important to see the technology from the perspective of the party that is to receive the academic instruction; the student. It is important to be aware of how students interact with the technology and the difficulties they may face. This is the reason why we attempt to find ways to use particular technologies that allow us to design instruction tailored to the individual needs of the students. Students learn in different ways and while some can easily absorb information visually others are able to do so more efficiently through auditory means. This obviously has an important role in the classroom. Students are the very reason why we rigorously try to determine what the most efficient technologies available for them are for effective learning. Understanding their needs is imperative in this field, especially in the classroom of the 21st century. As the traditional classroom evolves rapidly, it is time we realize that the attention is now on each student as an individual and not as group where we risk students being left out.

 For the third outcome, I have chosen PLO 7: Utilize technology to collect and analyze data, interpret results, and communicate findings. When it comes to using technology in the classroom, it is essential to be observant of the results of student interaction and how well these technologies operate. Collecting data and being analytical of the information that is gathered is important in order to study and perform informed decisions on how the students are learning and how these technologies are effectively providing the wanted results. In my classroom this must be done in order to be able to make the right decisions when addressing the use of educational technologies and how academic instruction will be developed in order to teach students. It is essential that all the data is analyzed for only then can an instructional designer be able to understand what content is needed in the classroom and how can he or she make it compatible with the individual needs of the learner.

The fourth outcome that I have chosen is PLO 4: Apply research to support learning in a technology-enhanced environment, this is when the work that needs to be done in order to create effective designs of instruction takes place. Here we gather all the collected data and information and begin to design what will become the bulk content that is being taught and enhanced through the use of educational technological tools. This is an important process because we determine here what types of methods and theories can assist us better in educating students by aligning the customized instruction with the individual needs of learners. This is also essential in the classroom because it is also a concern that I have to improve myself in being able to translate research and data in order to ensure that what we are trying to create is not flawed in its designed, but extremely beneficial and well designed; leading students to successful outcomes.

The fifth outcome I have chosen is PLO 8: Demonstrate the ability to make informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of learning and leadership. This is of course what we have aimed for after being aware of emerging new technologies, figuring out how to use them to deliver instruction and determining how these technologies will help and enhance student learning. It’s important that after every aspect of these technologies are explored, that we are able to make knowledgeable decisions when it comes to how these technologies will be implemented into the classroom and what their functions will be. This must be done in order to support leadership in the classroom and facilitate the job of the teacher making their interactions with the students go smoother. This is something that will definitely have a place in my classroom, because the purpose of this educational technology is to empower and create leadership in both teachers and students.

The sixth outcome to be chosen is PLO 6: Evaluate technology resources to facilitate effective assessment and evaluation. Technology facilitators must make a strong effort to ensure that the technology used to assess students is used responsibly. This means that it is essential to ensure that the assessment techniques are appropriate to the task, and the assessments in fact assess what they are intended for, that they are "valid" in test-speak. Technology facilitators also have a responsibility to identify the misuse of technology in assessment and speak out when misuse occurs (Tangient LLC, 2014). Evaluating technology resources is important in a classroom environment because educators must be aware of how they are going to measure and inquire on the progress and success of not only the students, but also the technology that has been chosen to keep track of this information.

The seventh outcome I have chosen in this ranking is PLO 5: Exemplify ethical practices of technology usage.  I have placed this learning outcome in the later rankings of my list because exemplifying ethics, although extremely important when it comes to choosing technologies and developing instruction, it should come as automatic concern when implementing these technologies. It also happens as a direct result from researching these technologies carefully and gathering the right data that is to be introduced in order to develop instruction. It is also essential for my classroom setting because I am interested in being able to deliver instructional content with technological tools in a multicultural setting, This is in itself requires of me as an educator to take into account all the ethical considerations that come about from teaching in a diverse setting. I also consider the other ethical implications of using technologies over the web are extremely important in creating instruction, especially when it comes to copyright issues of the content that will be used. Of course, as mentioned before, proper research and accurate citations of the borrowed content can always help the educator avoid troubles that can put their jobs in danger.

 The final Learning outcome of this list is by no means less important than the others. This is PLO 3: Design learning opportunities that apply technology-enhanced instructional strategies to support the needs of all learners and it is in my opinion the final step after all data is collected, all technologies are chosen all. While attempting to determine what are the right technologies which can enhance academic instruction; it is also important to know and be aware of how these technologies can be blended with instructional strategies and how it will be used to benefit the individual learner. This is very important to me also because it is something I still need to improve upon, especially if I want to be able excel in determining the academic value of these emergent technologies. Still, my time in this course has helped me become more experienced with strategies for education, and how to apply learning theories effectively into instruction in order to get positive results when educating. Hopefully this is also something that I will be perfecting during my career. This is certainly something that will be very necessary to me in a classroom setting because it will help me determine how to test these emerging technologies and design innovative ways in which the can be applied into a classroom through the integration of strategic instructional design.

References:

Tangient LLC (2014). Facilitating Effective Assessment and Evaluation; A Technology in Education Portfolio. Retrieved on January 19, 2014 from http://technology-in-education-portfolio.wikispaces.com/Facilitating+effective+assessment+and+evaluation