Introduction

Since beginning my coursework at Eastern Connecticut State University in pursuit of a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology, I have grown tremendously in: teacher leadership and I have increased my expertise in all aspects of implementing technological aspects into a public school setting. I am by no means an expert in any of the aforementioned categories, yet upon reflection for this discussion; I realize how much I have grown, and how far I can still go. The following paragraphs will outline both areas of growth and areas of weakness.

 Teacher Leadership/Applications of Technology to Inform Instruction

According to Danielson (2006) “every educator has encountered colleagues whom they would describe as leaders, individuals to whom they look for professional advice and guidance, and whose views matter to others in the school” (p. 1). In my five year tenure at Carmen Arace Middle School in Bloomfield , Connecticut ; I believe that I have evolved from being an overwhelmed first-year teacher to where I am today for many reasons.

First, the BEST portfolio process in year two helped me to see how my own teaching practice fared with regards to both reflective practice, and alignment with state standards. Since that time I have trained to become a BEST mentor and cooperating teacher. I have helped four teachers successfully complete BEST requirements, and have been a mentor for first year teachers who often need serious interventions and support. To date I have had three teacher candidates work with me for their student teaching experience; two of whom are now employed in Bloomfield . Because I had strong mentors, and because I realize the huge implications of, and amount of work involved in the BEST program, and the certification process, I feel obligated to assist beginning teachers to the best of my ability. One weakness that I have in this area has been particularly noticeable this year. I have two first-year mentees who are currently in crisis. Both have expressed a desire to quit. One recently sent me an email that she entitled “sinking.” She is overwhelmed, exhausted and confused. As her mentor I feel a sense of failure. We meet regularly to discuss issues such as classroom management etc. I have suggested strategies, and assisted her in receiving additional support from school psychologists, social workers, administration, and guidance counselors. Despite these interventions she is seriously considering quitting even as I write this reflection. The preceding is a worst-case scenario. However, I believe that the leadership skills that I learned in EDU 696, with Dr. Tannahill, have helped me to do my best to effectively address such issues.  

Next, as I developed my own professional growth plan (see Appendix A) I had an opportunity to share my plan with colleagues who needed a model. This is the first year in Bloomfield that all teachers must develop a professional growth plan. Many people felt overwhelmed. Through sharing mine I was able to provide guidance to those who were struggling with the process. Additionally, Bloomfield has adopted Ainsworth and Viegut’s (2006) model of utilizing common formative assessments to pinpoint areas of student academic need. I have been trained as a Data Team Leader and was able to share my own before assessment data with my colleagues (see Appendix B) to use as a model for their own student diagnostics. This kind of data analysis reflects what I learned in EDU 508 where the focus of my research proposal was Data-Driven Decision Making. It also reflects the productivity skills that I learned with Dr. Stoloff in EDU 577. As a result of my learning I was asked to provide a workshop for seventh and eighth grade language arts staff on the data-driven decision making process (see Appendix C). As I prepared the presentation I internalized the fact that data-driven decision making is something that effective teachers do day-to-day, and even minute-to-minute. Because the process now has a new name attached to it many teachers were reluctant to embrace the concept. I believe that my presentation did much to alleviate that reluctance and illustrating how the strategy can be effective in improving student learning.

Conclusion

The remaining narratives will discuss in further detail how much I have grown, professionally and personally, through incorporating what I learned in my course of studies in educational technology. Leadership skills remain at the forefront. Because of the information I was introduced to in my coursework I have been able to move forward as teacher leader in my building and in my district. I have always embraced technology as a highly effective tool in the educational process. Whether technology is used to assist students or colleagues does not matter. My coursework has refined my abilities to assist, using myriad strategies and methods, teachers and students toward embracing technology as a powerful tool in the learning process.