A Journey through My Time at Boise State University Paula LaRich EdTech 592 Introduction Without continual growth and

progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning. I was drawn to this quote because no one is ever done learning. You need to learn new information in order to better yourself and keep your mind growing. During my few years at Boise State University, my time and energy has molded me into the technology savvy person I am today. I am amazed by everything I have learned and accomplished in my short time here at Boise State. If I had to describe myself in one word, I would choose the word tenacious. I am very strong-willed and go after my goals full force. I am currently a middle school science teacher who tries to challenge her students every day. My goal is to one day teach only technology to students of all ages. The purpose of this rationale paper is to provide its readers with a clear case for how the EdTech program has helped me meet standards set by the Association of Educational Communication and Technology (AECT). This paper focuses on the AECT standards and various artifacts that I have completed during my time in the program. The artifacts that I have chosen include projects and reflections from the courses in the EdTech program and from instructional activities that I have developed for my students. It is important to point out that many of my completed artifacts were designed around 6th-8th grade math and science. The artifacts and the rationale will guide its readers to see how I applied learning theory to the design, structure, delivery, and evaluation of the created resources. Though many theories were presented throughout the EdTech program, learning activities based in constructivism theory seemed to predominate in my assignments, and it was a positive experience. Purpose The purpose of my Rationale Paper is to provide personal evidence that my completion of my Masters program at Boise State University is merited. Examples of my work along the way will be showcased and confirm that even though I am proud of the grades earned, I actually completed the work at a Mastery level. These examples provide examples of my ability to use various types of technology and Web 2.0 products to enhance learning in the classroom, teaching online and can also benefit organizations in the coming years.

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. (AECT, 2005) 1.1 Instructional Systems Design Instructional Systems Design (ISD) is an organized procedure that includes the steps of analyzing, designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating instruction. (AECT, 2005) 503: Instructional Design Project The goal of this project is stated, Fifth and sixth graders in an urban setting will be able to solve basic single digit multiplication problems after 6-half hour sessions. Every student should be able to learn and know their basic multiplication facts. Without this knowledge, it is believed that many will struggle throughout their math career. Knowing Math facts and knowing them mentally will help each child succeed. Designing this project provided me with the experience of working through this 1.1 Instructional Systems Design standard analyzing, designing, developing, implementing and evaluating instruction. I categorized these steps in my project as follows: Analyzing-Goal Development and Needs Assessment Designing-Instruction Objectives and Instructional Strategies Developing-Instructors Guide and Learner Content Implementing-Instructors Guide Evaluating-Evaluation Plan and Report

Knowing, using and understanding this standard as well as the experience is proved to be beneficial to all. I have developed many lesson plans for this unit and have gained the confidence to one day create my own curriculum for my course. 504: Learning Theories Paper I choose to write my paper on the Constructivist Learner. The Constructivist learner is something that is important to me because I believe I am a constructivist learner and now trying to be a Constructivist teacher. I have always wanted to run my classroom with the hands-on approach more than me lecturing and taking notes. I enjoy when I see my students light bulb go off after realizing they just learned something on their own. The Constructivist approach lets them learn this way. It was hard at first changing my classroom to this type of learning because I felt like I was losing some control. But, it is the best type of teaching for me in my Science class. I love seeing my students excited to be in school and in my classroom.

1.2 Message Design Message design involves planning for the manipulation of the physical form of the message. (AECT, 2005) 506: Fireworks Graphics: Sample Food Chain Sample Food Web Unit plan for Edtech 506 Throughout my Edtech 506 class, we had to produce many graphics using Adobe Fireworks. I did not think that this was a difficult as I believed it was going to be. I actually enjoyed this course very much. I created a lesson plan on Food Chains and Field books and created many different images that go into the lesson plan which are attached. I tried really hard to convey what I was thinking through the images, but sometimes failed to do so. Each assignment I worked through in the process of building this project taught me more about how to use graphics for teaching. They are eye-catching and entertaining to most students. I learned more about (CARP) which is the principles of contrast, alignment, repetition, and proximity. I have taken the skills that I learned and applied them to many webpages, blogs, and handouts for my students.

541: Video Integration Lesson Plan with Video Library On my website, you will see multiple videos geared towards 6th-8th grade Science students. Videos in the classroom can open up a discussion about the topic at hand or wrap up a lesson and pull all the information learned together. The clips I provided are short and to the point videos. I would normally use these videos to draw my students in and to introduce a topic. Also, some of the videos are good closer videos because it wraps a whole idea together. For example, there is a video on lab safety in the mix. I would introduce labs and play this video for the students to learn about the safety throughout labs instead of the boring lecture that I could give them. Many students need to see something to learn something. By using videos in your classroom, you are portraying the physical form of the message in a more interesting and enticing manner.

1.3 Instructional Strategies Instructional strategies are specifications for selecting and sequencing events and activities within a lesson. (AECT, 2005) 541: Integrating Technology into the Classroom The 2010 National Education Technology Plan Executive Summary calls for a revolutionary transformation and that no matter whether the subject is English, math, science, social studies, history, art or music, 21st-century competencies such as complex problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and multimedia communication should be woven throughout. I certainly saw this demonstrated as I designed multimedia projects for each content area. This was the first time I reflected on the relative advantage of a technology or designed a technology integration plan. In these activities I used instructional strategies to sequence, cluster, and group, arouse attention, establish real-world relevance, and increase motivation. I planned what technology tool to use and designed the content to match lesson objectives. The end result is a product I'm quite pleased with, and I have shared these resources with colleagues and on my website.

1.4 Learner Characteristics Learner characteristics are those facets of the learner's experiential background that impact the effectiveness of a learning process. (AECT, 2005) 541: Relative Advantage Chart I created this chart that directly meets Standard 1.4 by analyzing the needs and experiences of the learners and creating a learning plan for them that will be most effective. For this project, I selected the students who need extra help with science. I established: ten learning problems, technologies that could be used as resources in solving the problem, the relative advantage of using such technologies, and the expected learning outcomes. Through analyzing the characteristics of these students, I was able to design targeted activities and objectives to help meet their learning needs.

STANDARD 2: DEVELOPMENT Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to develop instructional materials and experiences using print, audiovisual, computer-based, and integrated technologies. (AECT, 2005) 2.1 Print Technologies Print technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials, such as books and static visual materials, primarily through mechanical or photographic printing processes. (AECT, 2005) 504: Annotated Bibliography An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited. This artifact was designed for the medium of print and meets Standard 2.1. It can easily be printed or bound as supplemental reference material. An annotated bibliography is a blend: part paper, part reference list, part taxonomy. In this case it includes 7-10 resources on a topic of interest relating to educational technology theory. Such topic should be (as our module instructs) broad enough to allow full exploration of the topic but narrow enough to be a thorough analysis. Not only did I find, read, summarize, and cite such resources from peer-reviewed sources, I wrote a short paragraph on each one. Each paragraph is much more than a summary or abstract of the article. It is a critical analysis of its purpose, a comparison to other works in the field, an explanation of how it fits into my taxonomy, and included my personal conclusions and observations. This annotated bibliography could also be used to show to a class as a compilation of research or as an example of how research can be organized.

2.2 Audiovisual Technologies Audiovisual technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials by using mechanical devices or electronic machines to present auditory and visual messages. (AECT, 2005) 541: Spreadsheets/Database Lesson Plan This project was one of my most enjoyable because it allowed me to take the rather boring tools of spreadsheets and databases and use them within an exciting project. Studies have shown that spreadsheets can be useful tools, and teachers who use them believe they help students better understand the concepts behind statistical data (Roblyer & Doering, 2012).

Using spreadsheets helps organize material in a way most people can easily read and understand. This creates the visual message that is trying to be portrayed to the audience in a different manner. 541: Course: 7th Grade Science with Technology: Creating Your Own Advertisement Again, I really enjoyed this project because it lets the students be very creative and show their creativity in many different ways. This allowed the students to come up with an advertisement for a never before product dealing with Science. The students had to research using iPads and computers on their idea and come up with a catchy slogan for their Ad. The students also had three major target audiences to focus on when they were creating their product: Busy moms, social boy, or energetic girls. After the student was completed with their product they then had to come up with a way to present the information in an exciting way to their fellow peers by creating a Glogster.

2.3 Computer-Based Technologies Computer-based technologies are ways to produce or deliver materials using microprocessor-based resources. (AECT, 2005) 502: Rocks in the Earths Interior Jigsaw The jigsaw activity is an activity that is completed in a group. This jigsaw focuses on the three different kinds of rock in the Earth's interior. The students are supposed to get into expert groups and learn about the three different types of rocks. After they use the Jigsaw to learn about their particular rock, they are supposed to meet back in their home group and teach each other about the type of rock they researched and became an expert on. The students have the option to deliver materials in a power point presentation or any other way they want to relay the information. I always use the jigsaw activity in my classroom because in science there is a lot of information that needs to be absorbed and then re-taught. This is a wonderful way to have the students involved and using their creativity side. Dreamweaver is a wonderful way to not only produce, but deliver fantastic work using microprocessor-based resources.

2.4 Integrated Technologies Integrated technologies are ways to produce and deliver materials which encompass several forms of media under the control of a computer. (AECT, 2005) 541: Video Blog Video blogs are a wonderful way to gather information and present it in an unusual way. Instead of the boring lecture, you can watch a video on what is being said. The video blog is created on the computer or smart phone and uploaded to YouTube, where any individual can publicly view the video. I really enjoy video blogs because they are easy to create and easy to understand. The video blog uses several forms of media which include smart phone, computer, editing software, and if you are showing it in class, a smart board.

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 policy-making. (AECT, 2005) 3.1 Media Utilization Media utilization is the systematic use of resources for learning. (AECT, 2005) 541: Technology Integrated Website For Edtech 541, I created a Technology Integration Website. On this website, you will see different ways in which technology can be more prevalent not only in the classroom setting, but a school setting. The relative advantage chart directly applies to me on a daily basis because I am always looking for a way to push my students to the next level in their studies of science. As children of digital age, I firmly believe that my students greatly benefit from using greater amounts of technology during instructional time to enhance their intellectual side. I have found that when I use websites like storyboard or use a smart board to help teach small group lesson, my students knowledge of the material greatly increases. In the past, I have used small group discussion with the smart board to target students who are falling behind or having difficulty with the science material. Being interactive on the smart board really helps the students grasp the concept better and lets the students be engaged and involved in the lessons.

3.2 Diffusion of Innovations Diffusion of innovations is the process of communicating through planned strategies for the purpose of gaining adoption. (AECT, 2005) 505: Evaluation of Determining Instructional Purposes This was, by far, one of the hardest assignments I tackled in my Masters program. Evaluation means so much more than the formative and summative assessments that I assumed. This proposal was an on-going semester long assignment that took me up to the due date to complete. There was much communication through my school and administration and myself throughout this process. The purpose of this proposal was that the school could gain the knowledge of either going forward with the program of using iPads in the schools or to see if the program was not working. The school wants to make the best possible decision that benefits all, the students, teachers and administration. There was so much information I gained from completing this proposal project. I learned how the system works when trying to initiate a new district wide plan for the students. There is much time, money and consideration that goes into one decision.

3.3 Implementation and Institutionalization Implementation is using instructional materials or strategies in real (not simulated) settings. Institutionalization is the continuing, routine use of the instructional innovation in the structure and culture of an organization. (AECT, 2005) 541: Instructional Software Presentation This lesson plan and presentation was created so that the students could physically perform the lesson at hand. The power point presentation starts off with the information that the students need to know and will be completing. The students will be completing a number of different practices. Drill and practice, tutorial, stimulation, instructional games, and problem solving. The power point then goes into what each category consists of and different options for the students to complete. At the end of the power point, it tells the students to use interactive websites such as study island, Bill Nye, PBS kids, and science kids. All of these websites are interactive and take care of all the practices mentioned above. The students use these in real life, not stimulated, situations.

3.4 Policies and Regulations Policies and regulations are the rules and actions of society (or its surrogates) that affect the diffusion and use of Instructional Technology. (AECT, 2005) 502: Netiquette Page This sub-standard addresses policies and regulations. Policies and regulations are the rules and actions of society that affect the diffusion and use of Instructional Technology. I created a website for Edtech 502 that address this standard. The first one I created was the Netiquette Page. The netiquette rules on the page were written for young learners between the ages of 12- 15 years old, but it could also be applied to high school students. The rules teach learners how they should and should not communicate with one another online. With so much online communication occurring with students in this age group, it is very important that they are aware of the dos and donts of effective online communication. They must also be aware that there are consequences if these rules are broken. This made me reflect on how I communicate with others online. The policies are in place to protect ourselves and others before we get into regrettable situations. The words that we type online are ever-lasting. It is very important to know Netiquette Rules before we address people online. 502: Plagiarism Scavenger Hunt This activity is designed to help individuals who are uncertain about copyright laws. Through this activity, the individual will learn the definition of copyright and the basic rules that apply with copyright. The scavenger hunt has a worksheet that accompanies the student through the plagiarism scavenger hunt. The first part of the scavenger hunt asks you multiple questions on what is copyright, what is fair copyright laws, and so on. After you research the copyright laws, you then go into preventing copyright. This is a fun activity for the students to complete instead of the same paper and pencil assignment.

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. (AECT, 2005) 4.1 Project Management Project management involves planning, monitoring, and controlling instructional design and development projects. (AECT, 2005) 542: PBL Project Timeline Throughout this course, I created a lesson plan on Middle School Science students focusing on investigating Ecosystems. The PBL timeline was created to keep students on task and for the students to know when specific items were due with no confusion. This is a type of project management that really works for middle school. The fact that you can check off items on a timeline is exciting to them. After creating the lesson and seeing how much detail the students needed to focus on, the timeline is a perfect fit. This will allow the students to develop the best ecosystem project that they are capable of accomplishing. This timeline gives you day by day, task by task detailed information of what I expect the students to be accomplishing each and every day.

4.2 Resource Management Resource management involves planning, monitoring, and controlling resource support systems and services. (AECT, 2005) 501: Technology Use Planning Overview This project required me to research about forming technology plans. The assignment proposes many different considerations when forming a technology plan, and I comment how I see this within my educational experience. The amount of reflection in this artifact shows that I have developed substantial understanding of various aspects of forming a technology plan. One example, a technology plan benefits stakeholders by trying to avoid wasteful spending when choosing to invest in technology. Another point that I discuss is how technology can often become the focus, but when forming a technology plan there should be more attention on how it will be applied. I admit that the task for forming a technology plan is not easy, but I conclude that it helps establish the resources that lead an institute toward a predetermined goal. Therefore, this artifact supports the evidence of my knowledge and skills in this sub-domain.

4.3 Delivery System Management Delivery system management involves planning, monitoring and controlling 'the method by which distribution of instructional materials is organized' . . . [It is] a combination of medium and method of usage that is employed to present instructional information to a learner. (AECT, 2005) 542: PBL Complete Project In EDTECH 542, I learned about Project-Based Learning (PBL). In this course, I created a project on Ecosystems and Man-Made Change. During this course, I really learned much about how the Project Based Learning really worked. I enjoyed learning about PBL because I feel that this could be the next step in lesson planning. The project provides them with a timeline and resources and researching ecosystems. I really liked how the students used a variety of tools including developing a presentation of their Ecosystem. This follows the standard of management precisely. The students need to have time management and the teachers need to make a timeline in order for the students to be successful in this.

4.4 Information Management Information management involves planning, monitoring, and controlling the storage, transfer, or processing of information in order to provide resources for learning. (AECT, 2005) 501: Zotero Library Assignment Zotero Bibliography Zotero is the only research tool that automatically senses content in your web browser, allowing you to add it to your personal library with a single click. Whether you're searching for a preprint, a journal article, a news story, or a book, Zotero has you covered with support for thousands of sites. This assignment was very enlightening! We had to research many different articles about the Effectiveness of Technology in the Classroom. I found out that much of the technology that we as teachers use in the classroom, are very successful! One of the articles that I was very interested in was called Clickers in the Classroom because I personally use clickers in my classroom. It is a very effective way of gauging my students progress. The clickers are a fun and exciting way for the students to stay involved and on task.

This helps information management immensely. Zotero gathers all the articles that you like and are reading and stores them in a nice file for you to go back and look at when needed. You can also share all your files with classmates, peers, or colleagues.

501: Learning Log If anything shows my growth throughout this program, or mastery of Standard 4.4, it is my learning log. Encouraged to set it up during the first weeks of my first course, I have spent a significant amount of time and effort to keep it going. It is a place where I post or embed assignments, reflect on what I have learned, and map each assignment to appropriate AECT standards. It is an extended version of an ePortfolio. It has required significant planning, monitoring, aggregating of resources, and time. It also involves technical skills to allow for storage, organization, and formatting resources. Perhaps most valuable, though incredibly time-consuming, are the reflections. These have allowed me to really focus on what I have learned and on greater issues than the assignment at hand. I have a solid academic following and feel pleased with the quality of work Ive been able to share. The learning log manages the class also. It allows the students to stay on task and to report back what they learn and achieve with each weeks assignment. The learning log is a great tool to gauge how a student is understanding certain topics by reading their reflections to see if they are fully understanding the assignments.

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. (AECT, 2005) 5.1 Problem Analysis Problem analysis involves determining the nature and parameters of the problem by using information-gathering and decision-making strategies. (AECT, 2005) 501: School Evaluation Summary For this assignment, I polished my project management and collaboration skills, information-gathering and decision-making strategies, and formative evaluation technique. This assignment is a perfect fit for this standard because it applies all of these skills to determine the adequacy of instruction at a school and offers recommendations.

The survey had us looking into technology use and integration in the following areas: Administration, curriculum, support, connectivity, and innovation. Inside each category we had to assess the type also: Behavioral or Resource/Infrastructure. We judged the categories rating them from Intelligent all the way down to emergent. I really enjoyed picking through my schools technology plan. My experience was not mind-boggling. I kind of figured that we would be strong in some areas, but not all. I was surprised by the lack of training my school offered about the new technology. Also, I was very surprised how low the Administrative section scored. The administration is supposed to be our leaders and the ones that we go to for help and encouragement. This section only scored Emergent to Islands, which in my eyes is low.

5.2 Criterion-Referenced Measurement Criterion-referenced measurement involves techniques for determining learner mastery of pre-specified content. (AECT, 2005) 503: Instructional Design Project This project really opened my eyes to the wonderful world of Instructional Design. This project had so many important portions to it. The process consists broadly of determining the current state and needs of the learner, defining the end goal of instruction, and creating some "intervention" to assist in the transition. My lesson was completed on Multiplication for middle school students. I feel that it is extremely important for all students to know their basic multiplication facts. You cannot achieve much if you do not know multiplication. My Instructional design project has many parts to it. I state a learning goal, I tell about the learners, and then I go into describing the lesson. I was really proud of my end product with this unit because it is something I will use in my classroom. I think that this project is in-depth and follows a plan to help the students learn about multiplication. Also, there are many assessments included in the project. This project is well rounded and can be used in almost every classroom dealing with math.

5.3 Formative and Summative Evaluation Formative evaluation involves gathering information on adequacy and using this information as a basis for further development. Summative evaluation involves gathering information on adequacy and using this information to make decisions about utilization. (AECT, 2005) 533: Final Interactive Quiz Assessment This was one of my favorite assignments. I really learned how to use YouTube and the editing software that comes with it. With this assignment, you had to create a summative assessment for your students to take at the end of the unit. My unit was on the solar system. I created about 7 different power point presentations and had to add my voice to each. Then I uploaded each video to YouTube and started the editing part of the project. Once I was completed with all of this, the students could visit the end of the unit quiz and take their summative assessment. This is a fun and creative way to give a quiz so that the students do not feel so much pressure about being assessed.

5.4 Long-Range Planning Long-range planning that focuses on the organization as a whole is strategic planning. Long-range is usually defined as a future period of about three to five years or longer. During strategic planning, managers are trying to decide in the present what must be done to ensure organizational success in the future. (AECT, 2005) 501: Technology Use Plan The idea of the Technology Use Plan is to have a plan that will run about five to ten years in the future by implementing technology into our schools, businesses, or organizations. These plans are used to create a proposal for integrating new technology. The technology use plan starts by creating a rationale for wanting to integrate a new technology and progresses to creating a planning team, planning process, vision statement, objectives, needs assessment, faulty/staff development, evaluation, and timeline. Having all these pieces can help an organization see what they want for their company/school/business and stay focused on their ultimate outcome: success in the future.

505: Evaluation Proposal Paper Again, this was one of the most challenging assignments I tackled here at Boise State. We had to basically throw out what we had in our minds of assessment and think outside the box. The long-range planning was hard for me to grasp because I never really had to think about this before. My evaluation proposal was on having iPads in the classrooms instead of the traditional paper and pencil. I did not know the process that goes into launching a new type of technology into the classrooms. The time, money, effort it takes for so many individuals is amazing! This plan was developed for the next five to ten years, until some other technology based product comes out that we can use in the classroom. The organization as a whole has to be very strong and willing to make changes or else your proposal plan will not succeed.

Conclusion: The past two years have been such an incredible journey for me. I have learned more than I ever imagined about technology in the classroom, theories, HTML, and much more. My proudest accomplishment is being able to HTML code to create instructional sites. Another proud moment was my Evaluation Proposal I created in EDTECH 505. When I go back and review all that I have completed throughout my Masters program, I am just amazed by it all. This program has given me a wonderful idea of what it takes to be a great instructional designer. I have created instructional sites, evaluations, presentations, and many reflections. I have gained so much in my skill set and confidence in my abilities. I feel incredibly lucky that I was able to learn and gain such knowledge. My greatest hope is that I can now apply what I have learned to my everyday teaching.

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Smith, P. L.,& Ragan, T.J. (2005). Instructional design (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Smith, R.M. (2008). Conquering the Content: A Step-by-Step Guide to Online Course Design. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2010). Teachers' use of educational technology in U.S. public schools: 2009 . NCES 2010-040.