Dick Elsbree High school mathematics teacher, Idaho Falls High School 10/1/2012 Introduction: I have always been

interested in technology. I was addicted to video games ever since the Atari, and continued as I progressed through my life and started my career as a CNC machinist in the aerospace field. I always enjoyed the transition from manual machine to computer controlled machines, and as I worked in the field for 10 years I was always pushing for the latest and greatest techniques and tools. That led to a love of science and math which in turn led to an undergraduate degree in biology. Then I decided to go to the classroom and chose to teach mathematics so I could get into the classroom as fast as possible. However, once I hit the classroom I found myself teaching just as I had been taught, which was a very boring approach to mathematics. Eventually, I realized that my love of technology was an asset. I realized that technology was a tool that made my job easier, and my students more engaged. It started with document cameras and now involves Ti-Nspire calculators as a classroom response system, a document camera, computer based labs, websites, and other technological tools. This paper is to demonstrate my growth as a teacher in integrating technology while showing that I meet the standards of the A.E.C.T for gaining a masters degree in educational technology. Standard 1: Design Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to design conditions for learning by applying principles of instructional systems design, message design, instructional strategies, and learner characteristics. (Earle & Persichitte, 2005, p. 14) 1.1 Instructional Systems Design

This standard is broken down into five parts analyzing, designing, developing, implementing and evaluating (A.D.D.I.E) which were all part of the instructional design project in educational technology (EDTECH) 503. The final project was to create a unit of instruction from scratch. This process followed the A.D.D.I.E model of design and each process was completed while completing the final project. The basis of my final project was a unit on polynomials which focused on finding zeros and the end run behavior of the graph. The graphs would be created by hand and using technology (in this case a TI-83 plus). The final project included user analysis, instructional development, instructional design, implementation, and evaluation. The process really demonstrated Lohrs statement about the A.D.D.I.E model in which he said, It can help you design entire curriculums and lessons as well as tiniest elements of an instructional visual" (2008). After going through the process it really opened my eyes to how much I was shortcutting the process, and allowing the curriculum to dictate the objectives and understandings. Since this project I have been much more cognizant of the transfer goal in design, since retention is really the goal of any educator. 1.2 Message Design In EDTECH 506 Graphic Design for Learning our final project was to create a website based lesson that included all of our projects throughout the semester. Once again I selected a project that focused on math but this time it was for graphing linear functions. The goal of the project was for students to be able to see the relationships between linear scenarios expressed as word problems, slope-intercept equations, point slope equations, and tables of data. Once the connection was made the concept of slope, and the fluidity of dealing with multiple representations of the same data would increase. The process of creating a graphic design for learning was much more difficult than I initially believed it would be. Much like the process of instructional design the creator has to think through the entire process and really analyze the details of the concept before trying to create a visual aid that supported learning. As

Lohr states details like contrast, alignment, repetition, and proximity can make the difference between something that is and is not instructionally useful (2008). The creation of an instructional visual was also more complicated than using the appropriate techniques to create them, one has to be knowledgeable in learning theories such as cognitive load and constructivism so that the message will be received in a meaningful way and not simply forgotten. As visual were created I realized that making a truly useful diagram took a lot more planning than simply pasting an image on a piece of paper, it truly is a form of communication which requires the author to think through every part of the message and all of the possible ways it may be received. 1.3 Instructional Strategies Educating a child is like fixing a car. First we use different methods of diagnosing what is wrong, and then we reach into our tool box and find what we need to correct the problem. Instructional strategies are the same way; different strategies are needed to teach different concepts. When I first read this standard I thought about the webquest I developed in EDTECH 502 The Internet for Educators. In this project I created a self- paced lesson on projectile motion for my algebra 2 class. The project entailed finding the equation for projectile motion on one of the selected math websites, the creation of an entertaining problem that models quadratic motion, the gathering of actual data to complete the problem, and either a video or a poster that demonstrates the problem and the solution to the created problem. I thought of this project because it was the first time I had ever created a webquest, and I planned on using it in my classroom. This was a new instructional strategy that I hadnt used before, so I had to plan it carefully. I had to scaffold the quest in such a way that the students would be able to complete each task at home, thus the information had to flow easily from one task into the next thus the sequencing was imperative. In the districts curriculum this concept wasnt brought up so I wouldnt be doing any direct instruction to aid the students so they were responsible to learn the math on their

own. This project required a motivational component, since it was self-paced, that I had to analyze if the class would be able to succeed in the task. The steps that I went through in creating this webquest demonstrated the process of selecting the proper instructional strategy for the learning goal. I have found that I enjoy the webquest for an out of the classroom activity, and I still use this webquest in my algebra 2 class. 1.4 Learner Characteristics One artifact that dealt with learner characteristics was demonstrated in my Learning Theories paper written in EDTECH 504 Theoretical Foundations of Educational Technology. Learner characteristics are the aspects of the students that make them behave in certain ways. In this paper I chose to focus on the constructivist theory of education and the change from bare number problems to rich mathematic tasks, also known as open ended questions. The concept behind the change to rich math tasks is that an open ended question has multiple entry and exit points, the experience of the learner will dictate the strategies a student will use in order to navigate the problem to a solution. Of course the arguments against such task use a similar argument that the experience of a student in mathematics is to have a bare number problem with only one correct solution and one corresponding algorithm for finding the solution. Also if we as teachers are relying on students to attack a problem based on previous understandings then we those previous understandings have to be correct. This discussion over the appropriate use of constructivist learning theories in the classroom demonstrates how the learner characteristics that deal with how students approach a math problem are constantly being considered. However, in my own classroom I use the open ended problems cases can and will be made for both styles of learning, and since we will never have a set of learners that are completely uniform, it is necessary as an educator to lesson to all the strategies that are shared so that we can meet the needs of all of our students.

Standard 2: Development Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to develop instructional materials and experiences using print, audiovisual, computer-based, and integrated technologies. (Earle & Persichitte, 2005, p. 18)

2.1 Print Technologies As a teacher I make a lot of materials that are meant to be printed out. As far as we have come in integrating technology into the classroom the handout is still the quickest and has no underlying issues like internet access. One of the first examples of this was my concept map from EDTECH 502 the Internet for Educators. This concept map was one of the first attempts I had for making a printable item that actually had more than a few seconds worth of planning put into it. The map is for my algebra 1 class and consisted of mostly text with only the one diagram. The purpose of the image was to have a written out example of how to succeed in my class and it basically broke down the grading scale so that students would understand the importance of doing their homework, and doing well on the tests. The image consisted of a calculator and checkmarks which are pretty universal in their understanding. As I evaluate the image now after taking EDTECH 506, I feel the page is still strong with a good use of brief paragraphs, whitespace, and contrast. 2.2 Audiovisual Technologies I feel that in todays society we love to watch videos. We watch them, at home, at work, and on the go on our internet capable portable devices. In my own personal experience students prefer the video instruction to the actual instruction since watching a video is a behavior that is natural to them no

matter what the occasion. In order to test this theory and practice creating instructional videos, I created a video in EDTECH 597 Edutainment called Euclid Teaches Again. In the video I use a method similar to Dora the Explorer to invoke Euclid the mightiest of all geometry teachers to teach a student how to figure out the difference between inscribed and circumscribed angles. The video is not all that different than an actual lesson in my class except for it is presented with a few lame special effects, cheap costumes, and bad acting. However the result was great, the students loved the video when I showed it to them, and the uniqueness (to put it kindly) stuck with them, and the difference between the angles seemed to be cemented into their brains as well. The inclusion of audiovisual technologies is having and will have a huge effect on education, the model wont be when they come to school they will learn it, it will be they can learn it wherever whenever and practice it at school. 2.3 Computer-Based Technologies In my first semester at BSU I was tasked with creating a virtual field trip. Since I live in eastern Idaho I thought this was an excellent way to expose kids to areas they have not been to before. I decided to make a virtual field trip of Puerto Rico. Since I had visited there once on vacation I had tons of photos and lots of interest in the area and wanted to learn more. The field trip takes the students through the main tourist attraction of Puerto Rico while linking them to sites to find more information on each. In EDTECH 541 Integrating Technology in the Classroom Curriculum we had a PowerPoint presentation to complete where we used PowerPoint effectively, in essence keeping the words to a minimum and having some kind of picture to go with the text. My presentation was on geometric transformations. First off it was a fun project to create since I got to put a little of my personality into a slideshow about math. Secondly it was a great review of the topic of transformations. I put it on my class website as a review for students who missed the lesson, and the response was quite favorable for this particular lesson.

These two projects use technology differently. The field trip project is essentially a collection of websites, very similar to going to a library and finding reference materials for each location. So in essence the field trip is a link to information found on the web. The PowerPoint Project is an actual lesson using internet resources to make it more interesting. These resources include a video, quizzes, and lots of images. Both are computer based in nature but the content and use are quite different. 2.4 Integrated Technologies In EDTECH 541 Integrating Technology into the Classroom Curriculum I created a spreadsheet project in which students were exploring the differences in parent functions and how adding numbers moves the parent function from the original parent function without the additional numbers. This project was designed to use excel, but could easily be adapted to the family of Texas instruments calculators as well. The lesson requires a brief introduction to the concept of a parent functions as discovered by plotting points. The explorer guides could be printed or delivered electronically for students to work with. This is an example of using technology to make graphing easier and accessible to all so that the underlying concept of transformations can be taught to students of any ability level. The great thing about integrated technology is that the lesson can be delivered in a variety of ways so it can please the traditional teacher as well as the innovative teacher and help students of any level. Also lessons with integrated technology can improve student engagement and motivation. Doering and Roblyer (2013) cite numerous research that shows that word processing software increased the amount of writing that students do and the changes that the software has created on revision. I think that spreadsheets and databases are the word processing software of mathematics. This is essentially what Doering and Roblyer (2013) report when they mention the results of Goldberg and Waxman and the increase in motivation that spreadsheets bring to the math class. Standard 3: Utilization

Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to use processes and resources for learning by applying principles and theories of media utilization, diffusion, implementation, and policymaking. (Earle & Persichitte, 2005, p. 22) 3.1 Media Utilization I created two in EDTECH 541 Integrating Technology into the Classroom Curriculum that demonstrated media utilization. The first project was the Foreign Language Learner (FLL) project which was to create a lesson for FLL students using internet resources. For this project we had to find examples of internet resources, tool software, instructional software, and productivity software. Each item was to have a unit plan that would work for it. For example the internet resource I chose was Epals, an online pen pal program where students would be paired up with native speakers so language learners and native speakers could help each other in their own respective languages. Another proposed unit was to make flip cards using Google docs. The concept was that if students used both the visual and audio pathways in their brains by combining images and verbal practice transfer would increase. Both of these units required me to select the appropriate online tool that would make the implementation of the instructional design theoretically successful. The other project was the Social Networking project. This was a project for my geometry students in which they would help the carpenters that were building a Habit for Humanity house so they could see how geometry was used around a construction site. The assignment had three parts; they were to make an image portfolio of their work and the geometry they found on the site using Flickr. They were going to use Skype to communicate with a class in my hometown of Port Angeles, Washington that was doing the same project. Finally each group was going to add links to a Diigo page about construction in Idaho and the use of geometry in construction so that they would know what to look for at the job site. The focus of the project was to show how math is used in the real world by

having students working on an actual job site. I thought about this project while reading about situated learning. Situated learning is apprentice style learning. As Herrington and Oliver (1995) state, It is embedded in the social and physical context within which it will be used. This means that learning is a hands-on experience where learners are paired with experts so that they can learn all of the aspects and culture that goes with that field. Culture in this sense is described as terminology, use, and all other pertinent information about a certain field. This style of learning leads to a large amount of knowledge in a certain environment but the learning is difficult to incorporate into the everyday classroom. The culture of the construction workers would then show the importance of the math they were doing in class. Once again the design of the project dictated communication thus students would be using Skype and Diigo to compare notes and resources on building and Flickr to share their experience. 3.2 Diffusion of Innovations In EDTECH 501 Introduction to Educational Technology we learned very early about the digital divide. The digital divide in a nutshell is the difference between the haves and have nots in the technological sense. In the town where I teach the district is working at how to deal with the push towards one-toone computing, but even with the technology being handed to every student, there is still the issue of access to the internet at home. The digital divide paper I wrote two years ago before the Luna legislation about one-to-one computing was an example of a letter to my principal addressing concerns about student access to computers and the internet at home. My solution was to have the library stay open for longer period of time, and to teach classes at the public library as well about internet usage, thus helping students that were not as familiar with the internet catch up in their knowledge of the internet, and have additional time to get online tasks done. This was just a small idea that would require a small change in existing structure to create positive benefits in smallish town with a school that has a fairly high socioeconomic standing. However as Idaho Falls culture diversifies and the

socioeconomic status of the school continues to decrease other solutions will need to be created to address the issue of inequity in a digital society. 3.3 Implementation and Institutionalization One of the most needed changes to accommodate teachers with the integration of technology is to increase professional development. I discussed the issues at my high school in my Professional Development paper form EDTECH 501. The three most common models of teacher professional development (TPD) as mentioned by Gaible and Burns are Standardized TPD, Site-Based TPD, and Self Directed TPD (2005). In this paper I looked at the differences between the train-the-trainer models, the self-directed and site-based models of professional development. I realize that the size and needs of each school may be different but the development in whatever shape it takes on is necessary for the changes that are coming in education in the form of educational technology. In my own experience my school has been trying to implement the usage of Google Docs for our new advisory period. However, issues arouse with professional development being optional instead of mandatory so several of the teachers dont understand how to properly use the program and share folders. This is an example of the importance of professional development when trying to implement technological changes into an environment that is not familiar with that item. 3.4 Policies and Regulations I have completed many tasks that involved discussion of the rules and societal norms in my class. One example was my copyright scavenger hunt in EDTECH 502 the internet for educators. The Scavenger hunt was to help students understand the legal ramifications of using images, video, and music in their projects. With the internet being a prevalent tool in the world, especially in education it is important that students understand their legal responsibilities when it comes to creating presentations.

In the same class I also created a netiquette site to discuss the norms of using technology to communicate with each other. The internet makes people feel a sense of anonymity and thus people act as if they wont get caught, this at least is my theory about sexting and cyber bullying. It is important that students realize that what they upload onto the web is traceable, viewable, and hurtful to more than one person. In EDTECH 541 Integrating Technology into the Classroom Curriculum I made a presentation about internet safety. With the anonymity discussed above people have to be careful about their interactions on the web, since you dont truly know who you are talking to in the case of random people you meet. Along with safety from internet predators, students have to be aware of attacks on their computers in the form of a virus or other malware. Since the dream house project required the use of Skype, Flickr, and Diigo this presentations specifically addresses issues of security that come up when using these tools. Standard 4: Management Candidates demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions to plan, organize, coordinate, and supervise instructional technology by applying principles of project, resource, delivery system, and information management. (Earle & Persichitte, 2005, p. 25)

4.1 Project Management In EDTECH 551 Technical and Grant Writing, our overarching goal was to complete a grant for some item that we might need or want in the classroom. In my case it was a classroom set of Ti-Nspire CX CAS calculators and the Ti-Navigator system. This project required me to look at the needs of the students, come up with a plan to meet those needs, come up with a way to evaluate the effectiveness of the

calculators to report back to the funding source, and how to maintain the resource. It was a great project and luckily it was selected by the Toshiba Technology Group and was funded. Now that I have the resource I have been implementing instruction that was created for a calculator based curriculum, and so far my students have been really engaged. In EDTECH 505 Evaluation of educational technology we created a method to evaluate a request for proposal for a phony company selling educational units. This process made my partner and I examine the steps needed to effectively evaluate a program of instruction. In the completion of the assignment we performed an educational evaluation, determined an evaluation method, created a task schedule, selected necessary personnel, and created an operating budget. This process really helped show the amount of detail and examination one should take when adopting a new technology. 4.2 Resource Management In EDTECH 501 we created a technology use plan presentation that could be presented to our schools as a way of planning, monitoring and controlling some of the technical resources in our educational areas. In the presentation I focused on the meeting AYP by focusing on math education and integrating the most modern research based instructional models of using multiple representations and integrating multimedia into mathematics instruction, as well as adopting the teaching for understanding concept that the Idaho Math Initiative promotes. This plan outlined the material that would be necessary, the training and training method that would be used to implement the changes, and the timeline to complete the project. This is just a small taste of what creating a full-fledged institutional change would entail but it really opened my eyes to what our district technology coordinator goes through when trying to implement any kinds of changes to policies. 4.3 Delivery System Management

In EDTECH 541 Integrating Technology into the Classroom we were tasked with creating units that integrated technology into several different curriculum areas. Being a math teacher it was easy for me to create units for math and science, however we also had to create units for social studies, and art classes and that was more of a stretch of my thinking. The artifact I chose for this category was the unit I created for a social studies class about the assassination of President Kennedy. In this project students were to write a persuasive essay about whether conspiracy reports were valid, or if one should believe that Oswald was a lone gunman. The task had students create a map of the events using Google maps so they could get a visual representation of where the event took place (much like when a forensic investigator creates a mockup of a crime scene). Then the students would read several of the conspiracies surrounding the event, as well as the actual Warren Commission Report sections about the event. Based off of the evidence they would then write their paper persuading the reader to their point of view. The project used a variety of methods and investigation to present the learner with information which were selected since they were internet based, accessible on any computer that the school owns, and free. This project shows a the forethought one has to display when deciding on a delivery system, I am sure I could have found a better tool for the mockup of the shooting, it might have cost money, or not ran on the of the schools older computers. 4.4 Information Management In EDTECH 541 I created a video integration website that had two parts a video library and a lesson plan using videos. Management of materials is necessary in order to separate the good materials form the less useful materials that one finds on the internet. The video library highlights 10 videos I would use in my geometry class. Having the videos put into a library makes it easy for me to find the videos and implement them into my classroom, and it also makes it so students can find them easily by accessing my class website. The lesson that is tied in with the video library is a mathematics beauty contest which

is a fun project to do if you have a good report with your class since it is slightly insulting, but my classes have always enjoyed the project. I will probably organize resources for my classes using this method since it puts things into a nice organized manner. Since I will be piloting a blended learning class next year I will be integrating more web resources and this resource will be very useful. Standard 5: Evaluation Candidates demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions to evaluate the adequacy of instruction and learning by applying principles of problem analysis, criterion-referenced measurement, formative and summative evaluation, and long-range planning. (Earle & Persichitte, 2005, p. 28)

5.1 Problem Analysis I believe I met this standard when I completed the final evaluation assignment of a coworkers Geometry Dream House project in EDTECH 505. In this project I evaluated a project that a coworker tried during a summer school geometry class to see if it was worth integrating into a district project based learning portfolio. The project included designing an evaluation, looking at the stakeholders, and making a final recommendation. Since problem analysis is the basis of decision making and this assignment was all about evaluating a project so that a decision could be made I feel this assignment is an excellent example of problem analysis. The needs assessment that was part of my final project in EDTECH 503 also demonstrates the analysis of a problem so that a solution can be made. In this case the problem was how to better use the graphing calculators that our district purchased to help them understand graphing functions better. Once again a problem was analyzed, and then a needs assessment was created based off of the problem that was analyzed.

5.2 Criterion-Referenced Measurement The internet integration project from EDTECH 541 Integrating Technology into the classroom Curriculum showed examples of using rubrics to judge learner mastery. This project was comprised of three parts each with the same goal. The overarching goal was to familiarize students with theorems in a way that might aid in transfer of the knowledge instead of rote memorization. So the project had students making a cartoon strip about a theorem, a postcard project about the theorems where the theorems are linked with a single photo, and visual proof where theorems are proven using Geogebra. Each project had rubric associated with it so mastery was clearly defined to the students. This beginning work with criterion referenced grading led me to investigate more into standards based grading at the high school level, now a group comprising of myself and three others are writing materials and piloting standards based grading in our Algebra 1A classes. 5.3 Formative and Summative Evaluation In my final project for EDTECH 592 Problem Based Learning I crated a unit about measurement in the real world. The students were to go out take measurements based off of their knowledge about finding missing measurement of triangles, proportional reasoning, and trigonometry they would complete a 3-d map of the school and submit it to Google Earth. Since the project was to last several days there were varied level of assessment necessary to keep students on task and to make sure their work reflected understanding of the concepts. In this project while the lesson was going students were to turn in a measurement log which would tell the locations the students were supposed to be measuring and have a sketch of the building and the calculations that were completed. By looking at these while the unit was progressing I would be able to see how students were doing with the calculations and give assistance to groups that were struggling with that component. The summative evaluation was conducted on the model to see if the measurements were accurate and the model was a good

representation of the school. If students made a good model of the school then I could be fairly certain that students had mastered the skills necessary to complete the project. 5.4 Long-Range Planning The majority of my assignments throughout my coursework at Boise State focused on the here and now. I went into the program to figure out ways of making my class more engaging and I feel like I came away with a lot of good ideas, and I have been having a blast implementing them. The only assignment where I did some forward thinking to effect the overall district was in the Technology Use Plan that I mentioned earlier in this paper. This plan was to increase proficiency on the Idaho state assessment by implementing research based teaching methods and integrating technology. With Idahos possible transition to one-to-one computer resources for all schools that portion of the plan should be much easier to meet. In the long run as fast as technology changes and things have progressed in the last two years this plan is still very valid and would still be effective with some minor tweaks to incorporate the changing to the Common Core State Standards and the Student Come First legislation. Conclusion When I started teaching five years ago I was a product of my mathematical upbringing. I stuck to the curriculum (which was scripted and I was grateful for it). I didnt do things unless the book or department told me to. I judged all success in total points. In the last three years I really see a change in my teaching and frankly Im excited about it. It started with me realizing that students dont learn the way we wished they do and that I needed to come up with other methods of assessing them. Then I joined the EDTECH program and I started to gain the tools and understand of things like lesson design, unit planning, and how to integrate the plethora of information out there to make my class engaging and relevant. In that last year I have hardly touched the book, I have implemented countless projects and activities, creating a blended learning class for 2013, piloting standards based grading, and thanks to

the grant I wrote while in the program I have gone close to completely paperless in my geometry class using my Ti-Nspire calculators. I love the growth I have seen and with the skills I have gained in this program I feel that I will be able to continue this growth and maintain it for the rest of my life.

References Doering, A.H. & Roblyer, M. D. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall. Earle, R. S., & Persichitte, K. A. (2005) (Eds.). Standards for the accreditation of school media specialist and educational technology specialist programs. (4th ed.). Bloomington, IN: Association for Educational Communications and Technology. Retrieved from http://aect.siteym.com/resource/resmgr/AECT_Documents/AECTstandardsREV2005.pdf

Gaible, E. & Burns, M. 2005. Using technology to train teachers: Appropriate uses of ICT for teacher professional development in developing countries. Washington, DC: infoDev / World Bank.

Herrington, J. and Oliver, R. (1995) Critical Characteristics of Situated Learning: Implications for the Instructional Design of Multimedia. in Pearce, J. Ellis A. (ed) ASCILITE95 Conference Proceedings (253-262). Melbourne: University of Melbourne

Lohr, L. (2008). Creating graphics for learning and performance: lessons in visual literacy (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall.