ISTE Standard #2
Connected Learner
Coaches model the ISTE Standards for Students and the ISTE Standards for Educators, and identify ways to improve their coaching practice.
ISTE Indicators for Standard 2 2a. Pursue professional learning that deepens expertise in the ISTE Standards in order to serve as a model for educators and leaders. 2b. Actively participate in professional learning networks to enhance coaching practice and keep current with emerging technology and innovations in pedagogy and the learning sciences. 2c. Establish shared goals with educators, reflect on successes and continually improve coaching and teaching practice.
Work Samples
Video Presentation: Experiencing a MOOC
ISTE Indicators Addressed: 2a & 2b
Artifact Description:
This presentation was made to encapsulate an informal adult learning experience known as a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) and share it with others. MOOCs are free, open to anyone, and range widely in topic. I specifically chose to take a course on computer science because it ties in with educational technology and has relevance with how teachers today are delivering instruction.
Implementation:
My goal with this MOOC initially was to deepen my expertise in the ISTE standards (2a) by becoming more familiar with how computers work in order to connect computer science concepts with educational technology. For example, I have introduced students to coding and encouraged other teachers at my previous school to do the same, but I myself did not have much experience with coding, so being able to experiment with HTML as part of the MOOC was enlightening. I was able to gain a basic understanding of pixels, as well, which the instructor tied into a lesson on bluescreen. That could be useful to understanding how Zoom backgrounds work, and especially now, teachers know that many students enjoy using backgrounds during online learning. I could serve as a model for educators and leaders (2a) by making sure that the Zoom backgrounds I use display correctly according to bluescreen/greenscreen principles. I could even share those principles if they are pertinent to the discussion or situation.
After participating in the MOOC, I shared this presentation with several educators in my professional learning network, including former administrators and colleagues, as well as peers and professors in my master’s program. This MOOC opened my eyes to alternative types of adult learning, since I audited the course instead of formally enrolling in it through Stanford University. Doing so enabled me to experience and share the pros and cons inherent to many MOOCS. On one hand, I did not have to pay anything up front and could proceed in a self-paced and self-directed manner, spending more or less time on certain topics as I desired. On the other hand, without paying, I was unable to access most of the practice activities and the assessments, nor could I interact with other participants. Sharing this with my professional learning network (2b) was important because it led to us participating in discussions on equity and access in learning, as well as weighing live instruction with a cohort versus entirely pre-recorded instruction explored independently. In other words, we talked about pedagogical innovations enabled by emerging technology via online learning management systems (2b). We also reflected on the variety of learning experiences that students had through distance education during the pandemic.
Impact:
Thus far, the impact of this presentation is limited due to the fact that I do not currently coach other educators in a formal capacity. All conversations have been informal though encouraging due to everyone recognizing the value of MOOCs. I could see myself connecting other educators with specific MOOCs in the future, based on their learning needs in relation to pedagogy and technology (2b). An example of this would be embedding a MOOC in a training module or course that I create after conducting a needs analysis. Alternatively, I could link to various MOOCs at the end of modules that I develop as a way of offering extension opportunities.
Mock Wiki Page: Cooperative Learning and the Use of Classroom Software
ISTE Indicators Addressed: 2b
Artifact Description:
This wiki page on cooperative learning was made primarily by myself and three other teachers; it was then added to by other members of our professional learning network. Specifically, my team and I authored the literature review and made the major design choices, such as layout, color palette, and typography. We also chose the banner image and three small supporting images. From there, our peers found and added videos and more graphics to support the content.
Select the image to view the full site.
Implementation:
My team and I functioned as one small professional learning network inside of a larger one (2b). The process of collaboration on the wiki page really made me relate to our topic and its contents because as we were working on it, I thought about our group dynamics as we used technology as a tool for our own learning. This continued when it was our turn to contribute to another group’s page because we communicated to ensure we weren’t redundant with what we added. We also acted as “accountability buddies.”
Impact:
Each of the pages on the wiki site has proven valuable to my professional learning network because the topics involve or center on emerging technology and pedagogy (2b). We have had rich discussions and broadened our understanding of each topic (cooperative learning and the use of classroom software; game-based learning; drill and practice; web-based learning; motivation) by not only writing literature reviews, but by using technology to publish them, add supporting media, and interact with each other throughout the entire process. One way that I might increase the impact of this wiki site is by utilizing/referring to it directly when assisting other educators with technology integration. Specifically, if I work with professors at a college or university in the near future as an eLearning developer, instructional designer, or technology integration specialist, I would like to walk them through this site and see if they would be interested in having their students create wiki pages on their course content.
Reflection
As a whole, I am progressing well on Standard 2 "Connected Learner." I have informally implemented both indicators 2a and 2b, while I have not had a chance yet to implement (or see the impact of) indicator 2c while serving in a leadership or coaching role. I began to pursue professional learning while still in a credential program back in 2016-2017, with much of the discussions even then involving technology in conjunction with instruction. Fast forward to 2021, much of the professional learning opportunities I have had recently have centered on the use of technology in education. My participation in a MOOC that broadly surveyed computer science directly relates to that. Furthermore, the wiki site project demonstrates my active participation in a professional learning network whose aim is to enhance coaching practices of all members (2b). I embraced innovations in pedagogy and learning sciences by leading my team in the completion of our wiki page, the topic of which is “Cooperative Learning and the Use of Classroom Software.” As for indicator 2c, I have established shared goals with other educators, reflected on successes, and continually improved teaching practices, but those goals did not focus on technology integration, nor did I serve as a coach. Moving forward, I would like to gain full competence with all of the indicators but particularly 2c by working closely with professors in higher education and/or by training other educators while working for an educational technology company.