New Directions in IDT

 Section VIII addresses new directions and emerging technologies for IDT. Select three of the following and reflect on how you might apply them in your current or future position in the IDT field:

• distributed or e-learning environments
• reusable design or learning objects
• networks or Web 2.0 technologies
• rich media
• digital games or simulations
• virtual worlds

Out of the following my position inquires the following as an Afterschool Program rich media, digital games or simulations. With rich media, my afterschool program tries to incorporate curriculum that uses a variety of educational online media tools. I noticed by incorporating Youtube, eBooks, and Brain Pop Jr. the learning environment is more enjoyable and students are eager to learn.   Depending on the environment or how the lesson is prepared digital games or simulations can be presented as computer games, board games, or a computerized setting. With this type of learning students are creative, sharing, experimenting, and benefiting from one another.

As a program specialist I feel I should fulfill all staffs’ needs by making sure they are fostered and learning the ends and outs about technology. On my end, I like to me sure I’m always up-to-date with technology before presenting any new information. Technology is a learning process!

Section IX focuses on issues related to instructional design, rather than new technologies: professional ethics, diversity and accessibility, the nature of design, and providing instructional guidance. For each of the technologies you selected above, discuss what ethical issues using the technology might present. Does the technology enhance accessibility and accommodate diverse learning needs? How and/or can you design instruction using that technology? How much guidance would instruction with that technology require? What kinds of guidance would be necessary?

There are many ways on going about professional ethics, diversity and accessibility, the nature of design and providing instructional guidance. It depends on the way the teacher handles the issue. Since I’m the one who gives the Site Coordinators of our Afterschool program the actual curriculum I would like to say how I would approach a situation if I came across an issue that may be presented to me. For instance, if students were having trouble understanding the curriculum provided, I would definitely make sure each student needs were met. I would make sure all students’ needs were accommodated by using the technology. If they needed one on one help until they understood how to use the technology we could also provide this guidance as well.   

 

Getting an IDT Position and Succeeding at It

This section of your textbook focuses on jobs in the profession of instructional design and technology: lessons and tips on how to get one and organizations that can support the job search and continued learning in the IDT field. Many of you already have a job in the field or in a related field; however, based on this week’s readings, you’ll reflect on where you are, where you want to go, and what you need to learn or do to get there. Begin your post for this week with some background: what is your current job, what program are you enrolled in, what brings you to that program, and what do you expect when you graduate (change jobs? obtain a promo)
Within the past few years I can say, I love being involved in the education field. I've had the opportunity to meet several people in my past who have guided me and supported me through my journey of learning. It took lots of time and patients to get to where I am today. I feel very blessed !! 
Here's a little about my journey to where I am today...  After graduating college with a BA in Art and Design Studies with a Minor in Advertising, I decided to go back to school to pursue the Alternative Certification program to teach Art. Art is a passion Ive had and always wanted to be able to teach students what I love. Since I was so motivated to teach, I enrolled in classes at TAMUC. I began subbing for Commerce ISD and gained so much learning experience on how to deal with parents, students, and teachers within my three years. Not only did I sub but I was also working for an Afterschool Program with Cooper ISD teaching Art to elementary and high school students. After receiving my teaching certificate I decided my calling was working with the Afterschool programs. The students I helped each day, I felt were depending on me to be there for them. I wanted to be able to give back to students who needed the help Afterschool, as well to students who may not have the help at home. I started looking for current jobs in the Dallas area and found a job as a Site Coordinator with an Afterschool program.  I applied for the position with Richardson and everything started falling into place. Before perusing the position I was certain to make an effort to go back to school to finish my Masters. I realized after I finished my Alt. Certification I didn’t have many classes to complete my masters. I am currently enrolled in the Master’s program ETEC  Education Technology and expected to graduate this December. At this time I work for Richardson ISD’s PACE Afterschool Program. I am currently now promoted as a Program Specialist. Ive been in this position for three years and can truly say I love my job. Richardson has 39 Afterschool Programs and I oversee fifteen of those schools. Right now I feel like I’m in the right place of my career path. I don’t expect to change jobs but I would like to eventually obtain a promotion when I graduate. 

Next, describe the kind of work that you want to do and the type of organization or institution in which you want to work. Use the WorkMatrix in the chapter titled “Getting a Job in Business and Industry” to help organize your thoughts. Do you most desire first, second, third, or fourth level service? Or would you rather design or develop instruction? What features of work are important to you? What economic sector do you want to work in? Based on these intentions, explain what you need to learn. What skills and qualifications do you need? Will you obtain the skills you need in the required courses in your program? What electives might you need to take to help you develop skills specific to your aspirations?

I love learning and believe there is no end to learning. The skills I have I would like to develop instruction instead of designing.  I feel comfortable in the position I have now as a Program Specialist. I'd like to develop instruction rather than design it.  I know I have other skills that I need to learn when it comes to the educational field. In my opinion technology is our future and keeping up with technology should be a must! Based on the importance of how technology is growing and how it’s being implemented into the classroom. My priority is to make sure to stay up to date all the time. There’s a lot to know about different programs and I do have the desire to learn.  

Finally, what organizations would best support your continued learning after you graduate? Do you think you would benefit from joining those organizations before graduating? Explain why or why not?

_{The following organizations I was looking at were The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) and The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). I feel both organizations could help me become a great leader!  I would like to use both because they are reliable resources when I graduate. Both resources would be available to help further my education after I graduate. I would be able to join in on workshops, webinars, use them for online resources, and many other useful tools to enhance my knowledge.}

 

 

Trends & Issues Various Settings

Chapters in Section V identify trends and issues in IDT in various contexts: business & industry; military; health care education; P-12 education; and post-secondary education. Select at least 3 of these 5 contexts and compare/contrast the IDT trends and issues. Then explain how they are similar or different from the IDT trends and issues in the context in which you work.

Business and Industry

Chapters 18-23 discuss the trends and issues in IDT in various settings across different contexts.  The three settings I choose are Business and Industry, Military and training environment, and Health Care Education. Over the years IDT trends and issues have changed. IDT focuses more on how trainings can help with better results. Trainers must do some research to identify best practices for their specific needs. In the corporate world trainings are developed for new employees or even current. Once the trainer has found their best practice, the instruction for the business will help create a more effective workplace.

Military

Military, to me has a very interesting need for IDT. With military they are focused on security and safety. I notices military was another method of business there is technology training modules involved. With technology changes, designers should keep in mind what technology is being used. Also, with different forms of technology and weapons entering into the military it’s very important for designers to develop the appropriate training procedures. One issue arising for the military would be funding. Deciding which technologies are most important spending money and the best ones to keep. It is our responsibility to train individuals who are entering into the military. Making sure they are capable and understand how important their job really is.

The curriculum I develop for my Afterschool program, I always think whether the lesson is developmentally appropriate for the certain age group I’m writing the curriculum for. I think this is similar to how we look at training the military. The trainings must be important just like our lessons.

Health Care

Health care involves so many areas such as hospitals, public private and non-profit organizations. It is growing into a completely digital environment. Health Care is similar to those in the military you are often dealing with life and death on a daily basis. Professionals today use digital resources in their practices. Software developers are selling customized programs. The software created, training modules should be presented to users to make sure the correct technology training is implemented. As a trainer for my Afterschool program, it’s very important to know the newest information in order to provide the most appropriate training. With the medical field certain requirements should be met including trainings and required education.

Chapters in Section VI discuss global trends and issues in IDT. As the world’s population grows exponentially, we face unprecedented challenges that have implications for learning. How and can we prepare our youth to address the problems of living in a world with 9 billion people when the earth’s resources cannot sustain that many? Does our current education system, curriculum, and instructional practices help learners foster the complex problem-solving skills necessary to tackle these issues? Are there methods and practices used in European and Asian countries that we should use here in the US? Why or why not?

I think that we need to teach our youth living on this earth is an opportunity and by being a part of this world is a huge responsibility. When challenges come along we should teach our youth to make certain decisions that will affect others. We should also teach our students to not want more than what they can’t have or need. I understand at times this is hard to understand but if a student’ lives outside their means the decision making in life can get harder. The problem solving strategies in today’s society I feel students are working more towards this issue. After reading about the parent involvement in Europe and Asia, I think both countries have a huge accountability held to them. They have a huge number of students who have succeeded and I believe this is something the U.S should start looking into. By learning from one another and using each other’s resources maybe we can prepare our future with best practices.

Human Performance Technology

Chapter 14 discusses the concept and evolution of human performance improvement. Several sections of chapter 14 present a variety of non-instructional solutions to performance problems. Identify a performance problem in your area of work and identify non-instructional solutions that may help solve the problem.

 A performance challenge I face in my area of work is increasing knowledge of Teachers who are not knowledgeable about interactive whiteboards. On a regular basis my coworkers and I meet to go over furious ways to incorporate technology into our Afterschool program. When training we go over the following, how to use a variety of resources, how to set up the interactive whiteboard to the laptop, and how to use the software. We provide the trainings on a monthly basis for our teachers. As an Afterschool program we would like to improve and increase our student’s learning. When looking at the problem I ask myself are our teachers motivated and eager to use the technology? Maybe what we ask needs to be clearer? Are teachers lacking in this skill area? Either way in order for our program to improve teachers will need to start being evaluated in order to meet the goals and objectives we are looking for. I believe this may help solve the problem in some aspect.  

Chapter 15 presents performance support systems. Define performance support systems and explain how a performance support system might (or might not) help solve the problem you identified above.

Performance support system is a variety of different tools to help the learner perform a task which in some cases should improve the learner’s performance.  In my opinion a performance support system would help solve the problem of teachers not understanding and needing further training to use Interactive Whiteboard in our Afterschool programs. If we were able to provide our teachers an electronic support site on the schools network system for interactive whiteboard help and training with how to videos, audio, etc. Our teachers who are in need of the extra support could learn how on his/her own time. I think teachers would become motivated and eager to improve students learning with these changes.  

Chapter 16 explains knowledge management: the way we manage information, share that information, and use it to solve organization problems. Organizations, such as schools, accumulate a great deal information/data, which must be organized in a way that we can make sense of it in order to use for making decisions. What knowledge would help solve the problem you identified above and how would that knowledge need to be collected and managed to help facilitate problem solving?

In Chapter 16 the best option that could help solve the issue would be Access and collaboration. Our teachers need the extra training on how to use Interactive Whiteboard and gain knowledge. Teachers would be able to collaborate with one another and support each other. If at any time someone is struggling with understanding the issue it can be resolved by making sense of the situation right then.  

Chapter 17 describes types of informal learning. What informal learning experiences have you participated in at your organization? Could those informal learning experiences be shared with others? Could the knowledge gained in those settings be codified and managed? And should it be managed or should the informal experiences be replicated or broadened for others?

Informal learning to me is what we as Graduate students do to collaborate with one another on each other’s blogs, we also learn from one another in the process. I had an informal learning experience during my student teaching a few years ago. At times I would be observed and speak with my mentor. I loved being able to learn from interacting and not just from a textbook it was much more than that. I was able to take the time to ask certain questions if needed. She was able to inform me than just looking in a textbook. I think everyone can learn from informal learning.

From my experiences I feel those setting can be codified and managed. While I was student teaching I made sure to keep everything I had. I knew I would be using what I was learning/teaching in my near future and would share with others. Once I graduated, I still go back to my notes to see what information I can use for the job I have now. Even though I’m not an Art teacher I create the Art Curriculum. I reference back to the learning tools I used previously. I do feel the notes I took can be used for others in the same field.  

Evaluating, Implementing & Managing Instructional Programs & Projects

Chapter 10 discusses evaluation in instructional design and provides you with two evaluation models, the CIPP and Kirkpatrick models for evaluation. Search for at least two other models used for evaluation and summarize these models. Describe how you would use them to evaluate your instruction. Reflect on what other questions that instructional design evaluation should address besides whether the instructional design leads to comparable amounts of learning and learner satisfaction as traditional methods. What else would be useful to know?

After searching two models I’ve found the ADDIE model and Dick and Carey model. The ADDIE model is normally used by instructional designers and training developers. The five phases are Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The following model is identified by guidelines for building effective training and performance tools. I could definitely see myself using this model more.

ADDIE model has five phases:

Analysis- content to be learned, goals are recognized and objectives.

Design- how the instruction is presented, how the learners will interact with the content delivered. The design assessment is planned.

Development- how the instruction is created

Implementation- a process for training the teacher is produced.

Evaluation- monitor, feedback for both student/teacher that focuses on the main content and performance.

Please see below for the display of the ADDIE method:

 

 

Another common model would be the Dick and Carey Systems Approach Model which was published in 1978 by Walter Dick and Lou Carey.

According to Dick and Carey, "Components such as the instructor, learners, materials, instructional activities, delivery system, and learning and performance environments interact with each other and work together to bring about the desired student learning outcomes".The following approaches to this module are as followed:

· Identify Instructional Goal(s) knowledge, attitude, or skills

· Conduct Instructional Analysis- such as recognizing what the student has remembered and if the student can perform a certain task.  

· Analyze Learners and Contexts-finding characteristics such as previous skills and experiences.

· Write Performance Objectives- A description of the goal that will evaluate the students performance.

· Develop Assessment Instruments- using varies testing strategies such as behavior testing, pretesting, post-testing, practice items/ practice problems.

· Develop and Select Instructional Materials

· Design and Conduct Formative Evaluation of Instruction

· Revise Instruction: To identify poor test items and poor instruction

· Design and Conduct Summative Evaluation

 Please see below for the following Dick and Carey Method:

 

Chapters 12 & 13 focus on project management and how to manage projects when resources are scarce. You have been assigned to develop a series of professional development sessions focusing on technology use in the classroom for teachers during a time of economic decline. How will you use Situational Leadership to facilitate this project and manage scarce resources?

As a facilitator, I would definitely make sure my project turned out successful. I would set a goal making sure each person was aware of the outcome of the project. Making sure all lines of communication are open. I believe this is very important. To me working as a TEAM is a big part of leadership. When you work as TEAM the pieces to the puzzle seem to fall into place. Therfore, the project will gradually start coming together. Communication is a big part of collaborating within a project to make it work and make it succeed. The resources on the other hand,I would definitely use what I know first then be sure to connect with the outside resources. Also, giving feedback is another big part of leadership I would like to take a role into making sure the project is getting done.
 
Ways to incorporate technology resources into the classroom:

Blogging

Interactive white boards

Podcasting

Internet

Theories & Models of Learning & Instruction

1.      Epistemology (the study of what and how we come to know) is discussed in multiple chapters in this section. Distinguish epistemology from instructional methods or theories. What are the differences between theories, methods, or models of learning and epistemologies or underlying beliefs about ways of knowing?

This section of the textbook highlights Epistemology and how people learn and gain their knowledge. Throughout each chapter I understood the effectiveness of each model, method, and theory. For instance, instructional models, methods and theories are how you show the information to the students. When you present a lesson the model is described the way it’s planned. Models are the lesson plans to your teaching. For example, methods are how teachers teach the students. In order for the teachers to provide what needs to be taught to students, teachers have a method of information that needs to be learned. Theories for teaching are grounded on how the teacher views her/his are going to teach/run her/his classroom.  What are the teacher’s beliefs?

Since the text includes many models and theories. It’s probably best to think about the knowledge the students already have, and how we as the facilitator can help our students grow as individuals.

2.      Chapters in this section discuss three contrasting epistemic stances: positivist, relativist, and contextualist (or hermeneutical). Positivists believe that the only truth or knowledge is objective truth. Relativists don’t believe that objective truth is possible and that all knowledge is subjective to perception or relative to a particular frame of reference. Contextualists believe that truth or knowledge is relative to context rather than individual, subjective understanding. While designers and educators with a positivist stance generally apply behaviorist principles to the design and development of instruction, those with either a contextualist or relativist epistemological framework employ constructivist theories and methods. Reflect on whether your stance is primarily positivist, relativist, or contextualist. Then, identify an instance when your perspective or stance as a learner conflicted with that of your instructor. Describe the conflict that you experienced and analyze whether opposing epistemic stances may have been at the heart of the conflict.

For the following chapter, I would like to take a stance and say I’m more of contextualists. I do believe that truth or knowledge is relative to context rather than individual, subjective understanding.  For instance, I view certain situations in different ways when they take place.  As a Program Specialist for my afterschool program I create several lessons in which I incorporate different teaching strategies. I understand not ALL students learn the same way; every student is at their own pace. Therefore, changing the learning environment can be a great opportunity for students. There are times I have questions about the curriculum implemented but I have not had a conflict with a parent, instructor or administrator. I provide our students with the instruction needed in order for them to complete their task. The learning process can be a struggle a times. I do believe when you have the right learning approaches for your students there is not just one way for students to gain knowledge.

3.      Differing epistemic stances lead to differing approaches to learning and instruction, and ultimately to problem-solving. Explain differences in problem-solving when approached from behaviorist and constructivist perspectives. How do the approaches differ in both the nature of the problem to be solved and in facilitating the problem solving process? Finally, what effect might these differences have on learner motivation?

The difference between constructivist and behaviorist processes would be behaviorist the teacher controls the process more than the learner and with the constructivist the learner is in control and the teacher is more interested in the learner’s process. I would like to put myself in the shoes of a constructivist. Since I have a background as an Art teacher I would like to use the following senerio. For instance, I would let my students understand and construct their own understanding of a project. I would like my students to gain knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences through their artwork. For my student to act on this I like them to ask questions and assess what they know. Therefore, constructivism the learner is to work through the problem at hand. The students would be critical thinkers and need to come up with the solution.

Defining the Field

How do the definitions in the first chapter compare to your own definition of instructional or educational technology? What experiences or other influences have shaped your definition? How has your definition changed from examining the definitions in the first chapter of this book?

After reading chapter 1, I would explain instructional or educational technology as a developing tool for students. I understand there are several devices out there that are used in classrooms today. A few I am familiar with are projectors, whiteboards, elmos, ipads, ipods, and promethean boards most of these are effecting teaching strategies.  By using these tools it is a visually stimulating learning place for students. My idea of instructional technology is being able to use all resources that may be available. These devices are a great way to communicate and capture higher learning in the classroom. Technology is our future!  

Next, think of a lesson or unit of instruction that you have developed. Or if you haven’t ever taught or developed instruction, think of one that you have received. How does that lesson adhere or fail to adhere to the six characteristics of instructional design? How would you redesign it to better adhere to the six characteristics?

I would like to talk about one lesson in particular students love to do in my Afterschool Program. We like to integrate varies subjects within one lesson. For completing this assignment students were asked to read the book “Flat Stanley”. Students were given detailed instructions. Once the students read the assignment they were then asked to create a class blog, after creating the blog students were asked to collaborate with one another about the story and act out a few parts to the story. At the end of class students had the chance to create their very own postcard. If you haven’t read any of Flat Stanley’s stories he travels to many different places. At the beginning of the assignment students were given a task the assignment was based on a “goal oriented” method. The assignment was definitely “students centered” meaning students were actively learning on their own, brain storming, and working in a positive learning environment.

In the 3^rd chapter, Reiser distinguishes instructional media from instructional design, excluding teachers, chalkboards, and textbooks from the definition of instructional media. Why? Would you consider teachers, chalkboards, and textbooks instructional media? Is the purpose of instructional design to incorporate media into instruction?

In today’s society there are many ways to define the word “media”. When defining the word myself, it depends on the type of media I may be referring to. For instance, if you are talking about “media” the following words come to mind television, radios, magazines, or newspapers.  Other types of media: oil pastels, painting and drawing. I would definitely consider chalkboards, textbooks, and teachers apart of instructional media it depends on how they are incorporated into each lesson or how you look at it. Teacher and textbooks are the main focus when delivering instructional material into the classroom. I don’t think I would say the “purpose” of instructional design is to incorporate media as much as instructional design provides itself to benefit the student.