Creating an Institutional Technology Plan

One of the most challenging assignments that I've ever had to complete was the culminating project for this course. We were tasked with creating a technology plan for our district that included strategies for several topics, including Software and Information Maintenance & Security, Network Infrastructure Element, Professional Development, Tech Support Plan, Hardware Maintenance, Technology Procurement, Technology Disposal, Budgeting and Auditing, and a Communication Plan. This assignment really pushed me out of my comfort zone because I'd never had to think about technology from this lens before. The plan was very comprehensive so thankfully we were given the opportunity to work in groups. Our group met in person a few times to complete some of the sections together, but we soon realized that trying to find common times among 5 different schedules was no easy task. So we decided to break up the sections of the plan to "divide and conquer." We were able to successfully complete our technology plan because of technology! We used Google Docs, Google Slides, and emails to communicate with each other about our work. We were able to provide feedback to the work our group members created and make revisions as needed. It was a really great experience to see how valuable technology is for collaborating successfully.

Designing a 21st-Century Learning Space Incorporating Technology

For this course we had the opportunity to design our dream 21st-Century learning space that incorporated technology, without having to worry about cost or other logistics. A dream come true! I loved imagining what my perfect classroom would look like, taking into consideration what I needed to include to foster collaboration and student engagement among other important factors. What I realized after completing this assignment is that I do have some of these elements in my current classroom, which makes me appreciate the district that I work in. I have flexible seating, access to iPads for most of my students, a document camera, and plenty of spaces for students to use to collaborate. We also have access to a wonderful WeCreate Lab/Maker's Space and a very passionate and knowledgeable director who runs the lab and is always available to help teachers utilize the available resources. Although in a perfect world my classroom would look exactly like the one that I designed, I'm thankful for what I do have and glad that our student have access to these materials that will help them be successful 21st-Century learners.