Educational+Technology+Leadership+Comprehensive+Exam

**Educational Technology Leadership: Integrating Technology in Education for a Digital Age**

The Master of Education in Educational Technology Leadership program at Lamar University is designed to prepare educators to proficiently use technology and lead administrators, educators, and students within the community in integrating technology into the classroom. This program’s goal is to produce educational leaders that are trained in learning styles and how to best design instructional systems and materials to facilitate learning through technology (Lamar University Academic Partnerships, 2012). The purpose of this summative final report is to document how this program and the experiences within it facilitated my development as an educational leader who is proficient in ITSE’s Technology Facilitation and Leadership standards. In addition, it will serve as a reflective tool that will allow me the opportunity to further develop an overall vision for the application of the knowledge gained within the program to best serve the educational community. **Position Goal** As a business and technology teacher, I have long had a passion for technology education. The Educational Technology Leadership Program at Lamar University helped me transform that passion into a specific vision for leading educators in the use of technology in education. I believe technology programs not only prepare students for a digital age, but arm them with the critical thinking skills necessary for future success. Immediately, I would like to pursue a position as a campus technology specialist so that I can work with fellow educators in strengthening their technology skills to promote interdisciplinary success. Ultimately, I would like my work and educational experiences to culminate with a position as a district or state Career and Technology Coordinator to allow me the opportunity to develop high quality programs to be implemented within campuses district and ultimately statewide.

**Leadership Goal** My passion for technology began during my studies at Tulane University where I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. Several teachers along the way encouraged and fostered my love for technology and helped me see the value of technology in teaching me to critically think and problem solve. I found that the skills I learned through my technical studies made me a better thinker, and in turn, a better student in all my classes. In addition, the step-by-step nature of programming required that I break down problems into steps and taught me to think methodically. I decided to become a teacher specifically to use technology to teach students to problem solve and develop a love for technology that would lead them to technical careers.

Once I entered the school environment, although I loved passing on my love of technology to my students, I was regularly frustrated with the lack of structure in the career and technology programs and in the constant resistance from administration in allowing us to utilize new technologies with students. Although budgetary and safety concerns are real issues that must be addressed when utilizing new technology, especially internet based technology, these issues should not hinder educational institutions from properly training students in how to effectively use those new tools as they are necessary to live and work in an increasingly digital age. My motivation in pursuing a Master’s in Educational Technology Leadership was to gain training and experience in how to best facilitate the use of technology in classrooms and how to systematically implement change on a larger scale. This program allowed me opportunities to collaborate with teachers and administrators on areas concerning technology training and the valuable role that technology will continuously play in education. In addition, it gave me opportunities to reflect upon and refine my own vision of leadership which is to be an empathetic and effective leader who embodies and encourages excellence. In due course, I hope this program will play a vital role in preparing me for my ultimate career goal as a Career and Technology Coordinator which would allow me to develop challenging career and technology programs that will strengthen the development of students prepared to be competitive in a global workforce and implement the TEA’s proposal that “academic concepts are reinforced and applied through high quality, rigorous technical education” (Texas Education Agency, 2008, p. 2). **Vision of Educational Technology**

I believe that schools should teach students how, not what, to learn. A great school is one that welcomes and stimulates the growth of all learners. An effective classroom is one in which students are empowered. School faculty should facilitate and not dictate learning. Quality instructional programs must be rooted in rigor, relevance and relationships. Technology plays an integral role in the future of education so any vision of a successful school system must rely heavily on educational technology. According to the 2011 Horizon Report for K-12, “technology skills are also critical to success in almost every arena, and those who are more facile with technology will advance while those without access or skills will not” (The New Media Consortium, 2011, p. 6). My vision for the future of educational technology is multi-faceted and includes improving technology infrastructure, quality training on the use of technology, a shift to a more constructivist learning style, a seamless application of technology from home to school and reshaping career and technology education programs.

A successful school system must be equipped with the necessary infrastructure to support and enhance education and learning. In their article //Establishing a Strong Technology Infrastructure,// Gura and Percy (2006) state that educational technology should receive an Oscar for best supporting role in education. Often more emphasis is placed on the programs and initiatives that use the infrastructure but, “the show simply cannot go on without a well-maintained, up-to-date technology infrastructure” ( p. 1). Convincing school leaders of the importance of investing in software and hardware can at times be challenging, especially during times of tight budgets. Administrators incorrectly choose to focus on core courses, and invest money in initiatives that they think will improve reading, writing and math scores. The U.S. Department of Education confirmed that these ideas were incorrect and outdated in a 2008 report conducted by the National Mathematics Advisory Panel which found that student achievement was higher in classes that use instructional software and relevant technologies than in those that did not (p. 23). We are educating students in an increasing digital age, and to remain competitive school districts must implement high quality educational technology programs and to do that, we must keep infrastructure current. As Prensky (2008) noted, “for the digital age, we need new curricula, new organization, new architecture, new teaching, new student assessments, new parental connections, new administration procedures, and many other elements” (p. 11).

According to Technology Facilitator Standard I, technology leaders must “ensure that their colleagues possess the fundamental understanding and skills needed to operate specific technologies and understand the concepts associated with technology use” (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p.17). After they have developed a fundamental understanding of technology, they must be trained to develop “high-quality instructional technology tools that are well designed, developmentally appropriate for their students and tied to content standards” (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p.43). Technology can never be successfully utilized within classrooms unless teachers are comfortable and have practical uses for their classrooms. It is the job of the technology leader to stay abreast of current Web 2.0 tools and ensure that teachers are able to incorporate these tools into their day-to-day activities so that technology is not something that they see as a checklist item, but something that is a seamless part of their classroom.

Many students are frustrated at the divide between their school world and the real world that they engage in after school. They are often restricted from using technology tools at school that would make their learning more engaging and allow them to pool information from worldwide sources due to budgetary issues or privacy/ethical concerns. In order to be successful, students must be properly trained in computer ethics and privacy protection and districts must continue to invest in software and hardware to limit student access to inappropriate materials. Then, teachers need to take a step back and transition from the traditional role as educational leader to facilitator. I am convinced that a major problem in education is students’ lack of critical thinking skills, a direct result of being spoon fed information. We must begin encouraging our teachers to take a more constructivist approach to learning. “In a constructivist classroom, students are more involved than in a regular classroom. They are sharing ideas, asking questions, discussing concepts and revising their ideas and misconceptions” (Dede & Sprague, 1999, p. 7). This setting would foster the use of Web 2.0 tools to facilitate student learning. It would encourage students to take ownership of their learning process and become active participants.

The New Media Consortium found that people’s expectations for when and where they learn have changed and education in a digital age demands educational systems that can be mobile and accessible anytime and anywhere (2011, p. 6). The continued use of Web 2.0 tools, up-to-date infrastructure and a constructivist learning environment set the stage for e-learning to continue to boom in our educational communities. Not only can students who due to family, work or other constraints still have equal access to quality education, but it will allow students in traditional settings to extend their learning beyond the classroom. This will aid in curbing the nation’s still too high dropout rates and as continue to promote student ownership in their success. Allowing students to continue dialogs begun in class in their spare time will foster their desire to learn and promote the idea that learning is continuous and not something restricted to school.

As a career and technology education teacher, my first love will always be inspiring young people to pursue technical careers. I am amazed at how many more opportunities are available for today’s students but remain convinced that there is more that needs to be done. Although we have a good groundwork and the implementation of CTE programs needs reshaping. The goal of CTE programs is to prepare students for the workforce or for higher education in their field of study. We need to ensure that our programs are rigorous in nature to prepare our students not just with basic skills, but with real world experience that make them marketable to potential employers and colleges. Continued training of teachers in CTE programs is also necessary to ensure that the content being taught remains relevant. Lastly, programs must form advisory committees and develop partnerships with university and employers representatives to build relationships between CTE teachers and students and promote mentorship and internship opportunities.

**Self-Reflection of Learning, Leadership and Attitude** I began the Master’s in Educational Technology Program as a self proclaimed “digital native” (Prensky, 2005, p.1), unsure of what more I could possibly learn about technology. My goal upon entering the program was to gain the experience and training necessary to enable me pursue a career in technology education outside the classroom. I am passionate about developing cutting edge career and technology programs that keep our students globally competitive. I enjoy helping students find their life passion and giving them real world experience in those fields. I balance my motivation of cultivating student knowledge with my own continuous pursuit of knowledge. I have no desire to remain stagnant and am very interested in moving to opportunities that allow me to reach a broader audience and expand the reach of my influence to a campus and ultimately, a district level. As a constant multi-tasker, I am always striving for continuous improvement and embarking upon some course of study to further my technical knowledge. When I heard about this program, I wasn’t sure of what I would gain but I decided that a masters degree would certainly open up employment opportunities outside of the classroom so I dove in. It had been eight years since I had graduated from college and I was now the person assigning homework, not receiving it. I was surprised by the rigor of the program and took great pride in my ability to juggle school, work and home while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

Although I was a proponent of online learning, I wondered if an online program would foster the same sense of peer camaraderie as in my traditional undergraduate program. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I learned from my peers and the faculty through online lectures, discussion forums and web conferencing. I also began to realize that although I considered myself a native technology user, I was not fully incorporating technology into my curriculum and learned multiple strategies to more efficiently utilize technology to make my job easier and to better prepare students for a digital work force. Participating in group projects where we all collaborated and shared work online was new for me as I have always had some face-to-face interaction with teammates I have collaborated with in the past. I began shifting my teaching style from one where I was the dictator, instructing the students on what to do and how, to one that facilitated student learning in more of a constructivist manner. I realized that I was a teacher who felt that if I left students alone with technology tools without step-by-step instructions that I was failing to prepare them when in actuality I was hindering their critical thinking skills.

Prior to this program, I had never given much thought to my leadership style or to the development of a vision for leadership. I knew that I had the capacity to be a good leader and that when I took the initiative I shined in leadership roles on my campus. This program helped me self reflect and think introspectively about what it means to be a leader and what I have to offer students and my community. As a teacher, I believe the key to my effectiveness has been my ability to communicate with my students in a manner that is clear and consistent, firm yet caring, and understanding yet prodding. On my campus, we utilize the tools taught in Capturing Kids’ Hearts, and I have incorporated the main concept of students not caring what you know until they know that you care into my personal philosophy and teaching style. In addition, I believe that conducting yourself with integrity is paramount to being a successful leader. Having a sound moral character is crucial when developing relationships based on honesty and trust and in making decisions that affect the lives of others. When the decisions are complex or the rules ambiguous, it is our integrity that guides us in making sound decisions. This is what Fullan (2001) in his book //Leading in a Culture of Change// identifies as moral purpose, a key component in effective leadership. As I transition from teacher to school leader, I believe, and my readings support my belief, that my personal style will allow me to move from an effective teacher to an effective leader.

In //Leading in a Culture of Change// Fullan (2001) states that in order to be an effective leader you had to actively pursue five particular aspects of leadership and develop a new mind-set. I found his leadership components to be rather insightful and saw positive signs of my potential as an effective leader. Moral purpose is a component that I aggressively pursue; as I stated earlier integrity is a cornerstone of my personal beliefs. The idea that my moral purpose must be accompanied by strategies for its realization and that I must energize the people around me in its pursuit was impactful for me as I reflected on how to become an effective leader. Another assertion of Fullan’s (2001) that was directly in line with my own personal philosophy was the idea that effective leadership requires a combination of several traits and that leadership styles must vary dependent upon the circumstances. In general, I strive to be what he calls a “coaching” leader and develop the people I support for the future (Fullan, p. 35).I understand the value in empowering people to achieve their personal best and believe that a good leader brings out the leadership qualities in others. However, I also exhibit authoritative (mobilizing people toward a vision) and affilative (creating harmony and building emotional bonds) leadership styles when the situation requires it (Fullan, p. 35).

In //Leadership Eras//, several leadership theories are discussed and the Contingency /Situational Theory most closely aligns with my personal leadership style as I agree that leadership must be adaptive to the organizational or situational needs. There is no one size fits all approach to leadership. In this school of thought, Blake and Mouton’s team management leadership style most closely aligns with my desires as a leader. This approach “utilizes participation, involvement and commitment to achieve results” (Martin & Jenkins, 2008, p. 12). During my interviews with school leaders, the concept of servant leadership came up repeatedly. The leaders I interviewed stressed that effective leadership requires active participation and involvement in all aspects of the work you are leading. A servant leader is one who leads by doing. This is a trait that I exhibit in my work and home life. However, Fullan’s (2001) warning of being careful of not being a pacesetter who sets high standards and works his/her people into exhaustion resonated with me. I have a tendency to work at a frantic pace and others feel inclined to follow which as he states, leads people to “get overwhelmed and burn out”( p. 35).

Although my core convictions are unwavering, my personal leadership style is constantly evolving. Through the course of my master’s degree work, my personal philosophy has become refined to reflect the merging of my core values with those that I have been exposed to during my studies. I am confident that I will emerge from this program with powerful tools and strategies to make me an effective leader capable of impacting and facilitating change in my environment.

**Six Most Helpful Courses** **EDLD 5306- Fundamentals of Educational Technology** Fundamentals of Educational Technology was the first course I was enrolled in during this master’s program. In this course, I envisioned learning about requirements and trends of technology in the classroom. I know what is going on with CTE because that is the area that I work in, but I really wanted to learn about the progress and challenges of technology in the regular classroom. I considered myself to be a “digital native” as Prensky (2001, p. 1) labels those who were born in the digital age. In addition, I wanted to learn how I could help my campus become more technology proficient and participate in the technology movement at a campus and later district level.

The course readings provided a great deal of insight into the plan for technology in Texas. I was excited and encouraged to know that the state of Texas recognized the value of technology in education. The Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology affirms this in its conclusion that “the access and use of technology levels the playing field for all students” (TEA, 2006, p. 18). The readings also gave me a chance to see specifically where my campus was and analyze what we could do to improve our ratings. The work on analyzing STaR chart results was extremely relevant to the work that I do with our campus Technology Planning Committee. I am accustomed to completing the STaR chart but this course gave me the opportunity to analyze our results and compare them to others in Texas. It allowed me to see that we are making great strides in technology integration and it also shed light on what needs to be done to achieve Target Tech status.

The wiki development was also very relevant to my work, both in the classroom and on a campus wide level. My campus technology integrator introduced the campus to wikis two years ago as a means of creating a teacher website and uploading files that were taking up valuable storage space on our network. On my campus, teachers use wikis for class syllabi and as a campus we store handbook and scheduling information on our wikis. Even though we were using wikis, this course opened my eyes to using them for interactive purposes. My students have now made wikis that we will use to display their work and for them to collaborate and evaluate other students’ work. This allows my students to become “content providers rather than content receivers” as Mills (2007) asserted in his article //The Next Wave Now: Web 2.0// (p. 4). In addition, we plan to use the wiki created during this course to facilitate our Technology Planning Committee meetings which will now be virtual. Virtual meetings are an area that I am continuing to research as a result of the experiences developed during this course.

This course made me see myself as a technology leader on my campus. Having to coordinate with others to set up meetings and presenting results that I analyzed gave me great experience in serving a leadership role on my campus. I had always known that I was interested and capable, but this opportunity gave me a platform and a starting place to demonstrate my leadership abilities outside of my classroom.

**EDLD 5311- Fundamentals of Leadership ** Fundamentals of Leadership was the first principal certification course that I took during the master’s program. This course began with the completion of eight personal assessments designed to provide me with insight into my leadership style, personal attributes, and knowledge of state and national leadership standards. Although it was time consuming to complete the assessments, I learned a lot about myself in the process. The TELSA helped me see that to be an effective administrator, I need more experience in three areas: Crisis Management, Budgetary and other Administrative Duties and Staff Related Administrative Duties. I reflected on what factors motivated me to succeed, my ethical orientation and current leadership styles and used this information to determine what kind of leader I aspired to be and what changes or experiences I needed to help me reach my goal. I had never created a vita, in the past I had just used a generic resume. Prior to creating the vita, I really felt that I hadn’t served in many leadership capacities because my job title was “Technology Teacher”. As I reflected on all my duties and experiences in my teaching career during this course, I realized that I have served and continue to serve in several valuable leadership roles within my campus community. This program helped me seek out roles that would further expand my leadership experiences and this course gave me confidence in those developing leadership skills as I put them on paper and summarized all that I had done. I greatly enjoyed reading //Leading in a Culture of Change// by Michael Fullan as part of the coursework for the course. I probably never would have read the book if not required to read a leadership book for the course but it gave me invaluable insights into being an effective leader. I pride myself in being able to develop my own ideas about what makes a leader from my experiences and core beliefs but it is extremely helpful to learn from others who have extensively studied leadership and what attributes contribute to a leader’s success. Additionally, speaking with professional who are already serving as leaders on their campuses also aided in the shaping of my views on effective leadership. As a result of the leadership interviews conducted during this course, I gained a leadership mentor and several steps to take in furthering my leadership development. **EDLD 5333- Leadership for Accountability ** Although this course did not introduce me to the concept of a vision, it forced me to begin developing my own vision for leadership. Previously, I just focused on following the guidance of the administrators before me and on planning for and teaching my classes. The assignments within this course helped me begin to think about what I thought needed to be done and what I could do to help facilitate those changes. In addition, I began developing a vision for becoming a leader and stepping outside the classroom into a role that focused on what could be done to improve our campus and meet our campus and district goals as opposed to just focusing on my own individual and classroom goals. It also helped me see the impact that vision has on school improvement. As Crochet and Jones (2007) assert in //The Importance of Visions for Schools and School Improvement,// “vision becomes critical for school improvement because it also includes the desired functional levels - providing the framework for action steps toward improvement” (p. 1).

In the past, I would cringe as all the numbers from test results were displayed in what seemed like an endless stream of PowerPoint slides. However, the process of analyzing data is an important one and is “an important way to increase staff capacity to both understand and carry out school improvement work” ( Boudett,City, & Murname, 2006, p. 54). During this course, I learned that I get overwhelmed by reading scores of numbers and that it is easier for me to understand their meaning when I break the data up into smaller chunks that are easier to digest. I believe this is why I gave so little attention to the AYP and other data we were required to sift through in staff meetings or department breakout sessions. The data had to have meaning for it to have relevance for me. This allowed me to use the data effectively to brainstorm ideas to improve the scores. The strategies that I developed from identifying strengths and weaknesses from the AYP data allowed me to give valuable feedback to campus administrators on potential ideas for the improvement of test scores. It gave me a chance to present my ideas on something that had a more global impact on our campus community oppositely from my past presentations which typically involved strategies for implementing technology. From this course, I gained an intense interest in reaching sub populations and strategies for improving the educational experience for all students. This led to action plan research on using Career and Technology courses to improve student achievement and retention rates .

**EDLD 5344- School Law ** <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">Student management is an important issue for any administrator and I am certain that I can expect to encounter several student management issues when I begin my career as an administrator. In this course we learned about how a student’s constitutional rights can affect the way they can be treated at school. If you work with students long enough, you will hear them discuss their 4th amendment rights against unreasonable searches due to their frustration over random drug searches or being questioned by the principal. I have had cases where things have gone missing in my classroom but felt unsure of what could be done because I wasn’t absolutely certain of what my rights were as a teacher. This course taught me that although students do not check their personal liberties at the door, administrators and teachers reserve the right to act in the schools best interest. New Jersey v. T.L.O ruled that school authorities can act in loco parentis and are not subject to the constraints of the 4th amendment (Hopson, 2011). This will not only help me make effective decisions as an administrator but also increases my confidence in the classroom. It will help me inform students and teachers as to what our rights are and help us ensure order in our schools while best serving our students.

<span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">As a classroom teacher, I found the information covered in the course on teacher evaluations, contracts and conflict management valuable and informative to me in my current position as well as in my future position as an administrator. I am better informed of my rights as a teacher and will be able to respect those rights when I am an administrator. In addition, the information on the teacher evaluation process gave me insight into the administrator that currently evaluates me and helped me begin to think as an administrator when I evaluate my conduct in the classroom. It has given me empathy for the difficult job that an administrator must perform as a colleague and evaluator and given me tools to handle the job effectively and gracefully.

<span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">Teacher expression was an interesting topic covered in this course. We are all aware that we have constitutional rights that we do not check at the door when we enter the schools in which we serve as employees. However, we often feel shy about expressing our opinions or “freedom of speech” even if it is asked of us for fear of backlash. This course armed me with knowledge and specific case law concerning this issue. At staff meetings, we all have wanted to stand up and express ourselves when an administrator asks what we feel about a new procedure being implemented but we wonder if it will affect our job security. We often feel that a student’s 1st amendment rights are more important than ours. In this course, I learned that speaking about matters of public policy is protected by the 1st amendment due to Pickering v. Board and we cannot face negative action for this as long as we do not breech confidentiality or undermine a supervisor, interfere with our job performance or include any reckless or false statements as set forth by The Pickering Test (Hopson, 2011). As an administrator, I am now equipped with the legal precedents to train teachers on issues of teacher expression and advise them on what is protected and unprotected speech as well as advise teachers on how to effectively handle grievances with school administrators in a way that will ensure their voice is heard but their job security is not impacted.

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">EDLD 5368- Instructional Design ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">In order to stay current and accommodate the diverse needs of our students, online learning has become a necessity in modern education. It allows students to take charge of their learning process and access curriculum on demand. All teachers can benefit from allowing students access to curriculum on demand. Students can work on concepts and get additional practice/lessons without being confined by traditional school hours. I highly anticipated taking this course because I wanted to learn more about content management systems and the specifics of instructional design. In addition to being relevant in education, instructional design is a field that is exploding in the corporate sector as well.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">During the course, I developed my own online course through the free CMS Schoology. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to make the development of an online course one of my internship projects. As a technology teacher, I used websites to store my class schedule and assignments and linked files to my campus storage folders but found that process to be tedious and frustrating, often resulting in files being deleted or not turned in properly. Then there was the problem of having enough space to keep example files and for students to keep copies of their work for their end of the year portfolio. The use of a CMS allowed me to create a course where the scheduling, course curriculum, relevant files and grading could all be done in one place. In addition, I loved the fact that it was simple to use and didn’t require extensive training to set it up. I plan on using the course I designed as staff development in conjunction with my Internship work with our technology facilitator. In addition, I plan to implement a virtual curriculum in all of my classes to allow for communication with students and access to lessons and course curriculum outside of school. Working in conjunction with our campus technology facilitator, we plan to offer online technology training and staff development next school year to save time and resources and allow teachers 24/7 access to staff development resources.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">EDLD 5366- Digital Graphics ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">I was not sure what I would gain from taking Digital Graphics, as I am a technology teacher and have taught Digital Graphics for the past three years. I was pleasantly surprised at the value I gained from the course curriculum and related assignments. The wonderful and frustrating thing about technology is that it is ever evolving and you must commit to continuous improvement if you want to stay current on the newest trends. This course allowed me to utilize my current skills while exposing me to current trends in my own field. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">Although I have taught design principles countless times, it was refreshing to be charged with creating a creative work demonstrating the principles. It allowed me to step into the shoes of the student and remember that it can at times be difficult to determine how to come up with a creative way to demonstrate the required information. I have assigned students projects on creating logos and I have designed logos for clients as a web designer, so I thought I knew all there was to know about planning and designing one, but I was struck by Lea Alcantara’s description of a brand in one of the course readings. According to Lea (2009), the brand is more than simply a logo; it is the idea or perception of the company by the viewer. She also suggested that you get other opinions of you when planning for your logo, which is an approach that I must try with my students the next time we create logos.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">A wonderful outcome of this course was the enhancement of my ability to work within a team on technology projects. Week 4 was my favorite week of the course as I partnered with a great group of ladies to create a professional and useful website on integrating technology into education. I have worked as a webmaster so I am familiar with creating websites and integrating design principles in web design but this project allowed me to work within a group to create content together. It allowed me to use Google Sites to create documents and web pages that all group members could edit and add to. This was an excellent opportunity to explore the ease of Google sites and to test out working as a group remotely using Web 2.0 tools Furthermore; I had the opportunity to lead a group on a project remotely using free Web 2.0 tools. I have never bothered using templates or free tools, I typically work alone and use Web software but I was pleasantly surprised at the high quality website that came together in a harmonious manner, even though it was done by four different people. As a technology leader on my campus, I am always looking for ways to utilize technology to improve staff meetings and trainings and to allow groups to effective work together without countless face to face meetings. This team experience has proven to me that it can be done with ease using free tools.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Reflections on the Educational Technology Leadership Program ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">I entered this program unsure of what I would learn or how I would use the degree earned to enhance my career. I received an email about the program and its low price, online curriculum and 18 month timeframe enticed me to enroll. Already active in technology education on my campus and within my district, I sought this degree to enhance the knowledge and experience I had already acquired. Although I am a proponent of online learning, I questioned whether I could foster true relationships and a sense of community with my peers and program professors through an online program. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">Upon entering the program, I was pleasantly surprised by the sense of community I developed with my peers. Through discussion boards, web chats and group projects, I was able to enhance my ability to work effectively in a group and learned from colleagues all across Texas. Although I was a “digital native” (Prensky, 2005, p.1), the program helped me realize that my skills had become stagnant and I wasn’t taking full advantage of the Web 2.0 tools now available. The experience of working remotely on a group project using Google Docs and Sites was especially rewarding and I have incorporated these strategies for group communication and collaboration in my classroom and on my campus.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">I found the program to be both rigorous and relevant, and I was immediately able to apply the concepts I’d learned to my classroom and within my campus community. At times, it was overwhelming to juggle work, school and my home life, especially once I became pregnant with my third child, but the challenges of the program were reinvigorating and gave me new purpose. After five years of teaching, I was becoming bored in the classroom and was beginning to consider what opportunities for advancement were available. I am passionate about technology and love working with students but I was frustrated with limitations of working in educational technology and wanted to help facilitate change. This program helped me refine my leadership skills and gave me the tools needed be an effective change agent within my community. I had heard about and even taken part in the establishment of a vision and campus goals in the past but this process required that I focus on my own theories about leadership and the future of educational technology. The coursework, required research, readings, self reflections and evaluations shaped my goals and enhanced my knowledge base to allow me to step out into a leadership role of my own in order to implement change and impact all the students within my community, not just the students in my classes.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Personal Professional Development Plan ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">In addition to preparing its graduates for the technical aspects of being a technology leader, the educational technology master's program also prepared us to become change agents within our educational communities. Over the next three years, I plan to continue with the progress I have made during this program. Immediately, I plan to obtain my Principal's Certification through Lamar’s University’s certification program. The Educational Technology Leadership program inspired me to reflect on and articulate my vision of leadership and the experiences during the program have increased my capabilities as a school leader. I would like to obtain my Principal's Certification so that I have the option to pursue leadership roles in my educational community that are not specifically related to technology or that require an administrative certification.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">As technology is constantly evolving, it is imperative that I remain abreast to new developments in technology. During this program I have gained several colleagues that I plan to remain connected to through blogging, email and web chats. In addition, I will continue studying the work of national technology leaders such as Marc Prensky and apply the lessons learned through my work as a technology leader in my educational community. I plan to continue attending TCEA each year and the Technology Applications Teacher Network event that occurs yearly during TCEA as I have always gained a wealth of technology information while in attendance. My goal is to begin presenting a technology concept at the conference each year to reach a wider audience and gain experience in teacher training in a larger setting. In addition to participating in technology conferences in Texas, I would like to find and attend a national educational technology conference to remain abreast with current trends across the country.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">In the next few years, I hope to be able to transition to a technology facilitator/leader position that would allow me to further utilize the skills that I have gained during this program. It is difficult to focus on teacher training and technology integration with a full load of classes to teach so although I love working with students, I hope to transition to a position working with teachers and administrators in the near future. This would allow me to immerse myself in technology integration and further research best practices for the successful integration of technology in education. I plan to continue serving on technology advisory boards for the district and hope to have the opportunity to serve on a state level to help affect change on a higher level impacting all the teachers and students in the state of Texas.

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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">Alcantara, L. (2009). //The art of self-branding.// Retrieved from http://www.lealea.net/blog/ comments/the- art-of-self-branding-part-one/#c79 ======

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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">Boudett, K., City, E., & Murname, R. (2006). The “data wise” improvement process: Eight steps for using test data to improve teaching and learning. //Principal Leadership//, //7//(2), 53-56. ======

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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">Crochet, F. & Jones, L. (2007). The Importance of Visions for Schools and School Improvement. Connexions. Retrieved from http://cnx.org/content/m15634/1.1/. ======

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Dede, C & Sprague, D. (1999). If I Teach This way, Am I Doing My Job: Constructivism in the Classroom//.// //Leading and Learning,// 27(1//).// Retrieved March 8, 2012 from International Society for Technology in Education at http://imet.csus.edu/imet9 /280/docs/dede_constructivisim.pdf ======

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Gura, M. & Percy, B. (2006, October 31). Establishing a strong technology infrastructure. //EdTech Magazine//, Retrieved from http://www.edtechmagazine .com /k12/article/2006/10/ technology-infrastructure ======

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Hopson, M. (2011). //Expression Rights// [Online video]. Retrieved from Epic Player Web Site for Lamar University EDLD 5344 School Law: https://lamar.epiclms.net/Learn/Player. aspx?enrollmentid=1835733 ======

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Hopson, M. (2011). //Teacher Expression// [Online video]. Retrieved from Epic Player Web Site for Lamar University EDLD 5344 School Law: https://lamar.epiclms.net/Learn/Player. aspx?enrollmentid=1835733 ======

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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">Texas Long Range Plan for Technology. (2006). //Texas Education Agency//. Retrieved from http://www.tea.state.tx.us/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=2147494561&libID=2147494558 ======

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Texas State Plan for Career and Technical Education. (2008). //Texas Education Agency.// Retrieved from http://www.tea.state.tx.us/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier =id&ItemID= 2147487444&libID=2147487442 ======

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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 120%;">Williamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). //ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards: What Every K-12 Leaders Should Know and Be Able to Do. Eugene: International Society for Technology in Education.// Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education ======

Appendix **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Kelley Fuller Davis ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">123 Sample Drive Our Town, TX 12345 (999) 555-1234 kelleyfdavis@hotmail.com **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Education/Certification ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">M.Ed. Educational Technology Leadership Lamar University, Beaumont, TX

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">B.S. Computer Science Tulane University, New Orleans, LA

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Principal Certification Texas (In Progress)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Teacher Certifications Secondary Basic Business (6-12), Texas Technology Applications (8-12), Oracle Certified Oracle Academy SQL and PL/SQL Instructor

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Administrative and Leadership Experience **
 * CTE Curriculum DeveloperMcKinney ISD, McKinney, Texas, May- August 2010**
 * Developed district CTE curriculum for technology and business courses based on Texas standards which included establishing goals, essential questions, relevant vocabulary, performance tasks and plans for assessment
 * Uploaded curriculum to district database and trained staff on accessing and utilizing curriculum materials
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Researched textbooks, technology infrastructure, hardware and software needed for new CTE courses and presented findings and budget to district coordinator


 * McKinney Boyd High School Campus Improvement TeamMcKinney, Texas, January –May 2010**
 * Appointed to Campus Improvement Team and given the task of developing a plan of action to address how Career and Technology Education can make an impact on graduation rates and student achievement on campus.
 * Gathered and analyzed data on campus graduation rates, test scores, CTE offerings, studies on how to improve graduation and student achievement and relevant data
 * Collaborated within small group to condense that data into a plan that was impactful and relevant for students on our campus
 * Presented findings in the form of a report presented to campus leaders


 * McKinney ISD Career and Technology Education Advisory Board Co-Lead**
 * McKinney, Texas, 2009-2011**
 * Served as Co-Lead of Technology Applications Advisory Board to McKinney ISD.
 * Facilitated meetings with community leaders and developed agenda and along with co-lead, established direction and vision for advisory group
 * Worked with Board to assess current needs of CTE courses and areas that needed improvement and presented findings of the board to district leaders


 * Mentor TeacherMcKinney ISD, McKinney, Texas, 2009-2011**
 * Served as district mentor to new technology teachers
 * Met weekly with teachers and served as initial contact and resource to resolve any questions/concerns
 * Conducted training and provided support in areas of lesson plan design and development, classroom management, parental communication and classroom assessment techniques.
 * District Oracle Academy LeadMcKinney ISD, McKinney, Texas, 2008-2011**
 * Initiated and developed Oracle Academy Program within McKinney ISD at McKinney Boyd High School
 * Completed 140 hours of instructor training and represented McKinney ISD at Oracle Training Institute conducted at Oracle World Headquarters in Redwood Shores, CA
 * Served as a technical resource and mentor for area and nationwide teachers completing programming training
 * Developed Global Edge Technology Preparation Certification which allowed students taking Oracle courses to receive concurrent credit through Collin County Community College


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Elementary/Middle School Technology SpecialistMarion Elementary/Curtis Middle School, Allen, Texas, 2003-2004 **
 * Conducted technology training for teachers and students on campus software/hardware and Microsoft Office
 * Handled troubleshooting and resolving technical problems involving computer hardware/software or wireless network
 * Assisted teachers with integrating technology into class curriculum
 * Taught K-6 technology classes following TEKS Technology Application requirements
 * Served as campus administrator for Lotus Notes, Windows XP, Citrix, IG Pro Electronic Gradebooks, Sasi Electronic Attendance and Safari digital media system.
 * Designed and maintained campus websites, including Curtis Middle School website.

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Teaching Experience ** **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Professional Affiliations ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Texas Computer Education Association, 2004- present
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">High School Technology TeacherMcKinney Boyd High School, McKinney, Texas, 2006- 2011 **
 * Developed curriculum for and taught various Business and Technology Applications courses including: Database Fundamentals, Database Programming, Digital Graphics, Business Leadership, Business Image Management and Multimedia, Web Mastering, Graphic Design and Introduction to Business
 * Responsibilities included working collaboratively with district leaders and teachers to develop and implement curriculum and monitoring of student success for continuous improvement of the Career and Technology Education Program within McKinney ISD
 * Provided students with opportunities for read world experience within their fields of study which included internships with area business, field trips, business opportunities and professional work experience opportunities to enhance their professional portfolios
 * Served as Technology Preparation teacher in partnership with Collin College which allowed students taking any of my courses to receive concurrent credit for related courses offered at college
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Middle School Technology TeacherFord Middle School//,// Allen, Texas, 2004-2006 **
 * Taught Technology Applications, Keyboarding and Computer Applications according to Texas TEKS.
 * Responsibilities included teaching Microsoft Office Suite, keyboarding principles, computer hardware, internet and networking concepts and web design using HTML.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Technical Instructor ****<span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif';"> AISD Dept. of Community Education ,Allen, Texas, 2001-2004 **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Developed three courses in HTML, FrontPage 2000 and Object Oriented Design with C++ using Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 to corporate employees seeking further technical training.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">HTML course covered hand coding of HTML documents using a text editor.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">FrontPage 2000 was a comprehensive course that included designing, updating and maintaining webs using FrontPage 2000.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">C++ course covered software development as well as core features of C++.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Responsibilities included developing the curriculum, preparing and presenting lectures explaining key topics, assigning and reviewing assignments, assisting students with in-class assignments and correcting student errors.

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Additional Training/ Professional Development ** **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">References ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">References available upon request
 * Desktop Publishing
 * Video Graphics and Animation
 * Web Design
 * Digital Graphics
 * Region 10 Technical Specialist Institute on Technology Integration (40 Hour training)
 * Oracle Academy SQL Instructor Training (140 hour training)
 * Oracle Academy PL/SQL Instructor Training (100 hour training)
 * Diversity Training
 * Mentor Training