Reflection Essay 1

I was not sure what to expect from this course. Once I read the syllabus, I was a little worried because as I came to later realize, I am a digital immmigrant and my use of technology to enhance learning in the classroom is far from what it should be. Prior to starting the course, I had no idea what the Texas Long Rangle Plan for Technology was or what it encompassed. I did recognize that my technology skills were at the beginning stage and while I use e-mail for communication, I wasn't sure what bogs were or how they were used or what wikkis were for that matter. While I have completed the STaR chart for years, I had no idead what this really was and why it was I had to complete this chart every year. The course is named "Instructional Leadership and I figured out from the syllabus that technology was a main foucs of the course, but I wasn't sure at the beginning how the one rulted from the other.
After completeing the course, I belieive that I now understand the purpose of the couse in the preparation of future administrators. Technology is central to the learning style of twenty-first century students. As a future administrator, I must understand that technology and the ways it can be used to enhance student learning. I must demonstrate leadership by not only modeling the use of technology, but also by teaching the ways technology can be used to teachers who may be digital immigrants like myself or to digital natives who may simply not be as aware of how to use the skills they possess to enhance studnet learning.
I believe that I effectively achieved the outcomes intended by the course professors. I learned about and can explain the purpose and content of the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology. I learned to use digital tools such as blogs and wikis and finally forced myself to prepare a power point presentation. But more importantly I came to recognize that technology must be integrated into the ways students learn to access, analyze, and interprete information and present it to others.
As far as the course outcomes aligning with what I envisioned, I would have to say, yes, at least to the extent I envisoned it. As stated earlier, I was not completely aware of what this course entailed and even after reading the syllabus, I was not completely sure. It wasn't until I completed each assignment week by week that I came to understand what the purpose of the course was and how valuebale technology can be to today's learner.