Week 4: Human Performance Technology

I am a fairly new librarian at an older campus located in the middle of an older, low-income community.  I have inherited many interesting issues that I never really had to even think about in my "former life".  One of the major issues I am currently facing in my campus and community is a resistance to technology.  Teachers do not keep their websites updated.  Technology is not normally used in daily classroom instruction.  Teachers, parents and students do not use the internet for information. My district also has an online, real-time gradebook program in which parents can view their children's grades.  A very small group of parents actually use this program to stay informed about their children's grades.  Though there are so many uses for technology and ways that teachers can incorporate free technology into daily classwork, there is resistance to utilizing technology at my campus. At my campus, technology is not used to it's full potential.

There are a few non-traditional, non-instructional solutions to this resistance to technology.  Initial introductory training can be conducted in order to begin acclimating teachers to new applications and uses of technology.  Teachers can learn quick, easy ways to incorporate technology into daily instruction.  Simple instruction on how to create and update teacher websites may also be helpful.  Instructional videos can be used to show the community how to use varied internet applications.  One example of a brief, instructional video I made for my campus can be viewed at Using the SISD Library Website .  Incentive programs can increase interest in technology.  Classes with the highest amount of technology use or most visits to a course website may win various prizes.  Parents who sign up for the online gradebook program can be given a small school related prize (a school pen, bumper sticker, etc).  Teachers can mentor each other.  Technology savvy teachers can mentor those teachers that are less knowledgeable or comfortable with technology.  Websites can be viewed regularly in order to ensure that updates are made and teachers who update frequently can be rewarded.  

The definition of Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS) has gone through many changes.  Dictionary.com defines EPSS as "a system that provides task guidance and support to the user at the moment of need". 

Guidance and support can be found in many forms: tutorials, videos, trainings, etc.  Because technology is always evolving, EPSS must also be dynamic.  EPSS is vital to meeting the needs of the user as the needs arise. In the image below, one can see just one representation of the fluidity of EPSS and the many factors that can provide the guidance and support necessary. 

 If an EPSS were in place, teachers would not only get training on utilizing technology properly, they would also have guided practice and close monitoring to fill any knowledge gaps and build skills that are lacking.  In other words, a training would not be the only thing offered to aid teachers in building their knowledge base.  Support would continue even after the training so that teachers could become fluent in some technological uses (perhaps a few technologies would be required and monitored so as not to overwhelm the teachers). 

I have recently been able to provide technology trainings for parents at my campus.  The courses began with just a few parents; however, attendance has steadily grown and many parents are on a waiting list of the next set of courses to begin.  EPSS has been a part of these courses.  Parents are being trained, given homework and mentored through the many different technologies they are using.  These parents are learning skills that will greatly benefit them.  They are being walked through the process of learning technologies and given support and guidance during and after every class.

Some information would help me overcome the rejection of technology in my school community.  Teachers could be evaluated for knowledge and comfort level of technology.  Many adults do not know about free applications that can make life much easier.  Often teachers are insecure about their technology skills and that can deter use.  The ever changing nature of technology can be intimidating to teachers who do not have an abundance of time to learn new applications and keep up with any changes in technology.  It can be very difficult to stay updated on technology and new applications with little-to-no free time and very little training.

Discovering more information about the parents in our school community would also be vital.  My campus is located in an extremely low income area.  How many homes have a computer with internet access?  Do parents and students have access to computers and the internet outside of the campus walls?   It would also be wise to discover education levels of the parents in the community.  The majority of the parents in my school community are recent Spanish-speaking immigrants with less than a high school education.  Learning how much the parents know will help me create the appropriate courses to introduce and build a base of knowledge for the parents.  This information would be easy enough to collect through a simple survey or during a parent night.

I have not participated in too many informal learning experiences during my short time in my current position.  However, the most valuable time I spent in informal learning occurred while waiting for my new position.  Before I was hired in February, I began volunteering in the library at my former campus.  I was working on my LIS degree and wanted some real world knowledge of the library.  The campus librarian allowed me to shadow her, gave me real world, on-the-spot training in the daily workings of the library and gave me jobs to complete under supervision that built my knowledge of the library. This was not formal training.  I did not sit down and hear a lecture or take a course.  I was working side-by-side with my friend, helping her as she helped me.  It was rewarding and fun and truly prepared me for the job I would soon be offered. 

I do believe that this informal training experience I had with a librarian can be duplicated.  When my aide was hired, I walked her through the many skills needed to successfully run a library on a daily basis.  I have tried to conduct these small, informal trainings for all the important skills used in my library. 

My district has created a series of trainings for new librarians and library aides that also replicate these experiences.  Though I was never offered any of these trainings (I'm not really sure why), I have heard that they are valuable experiences.  My district has also created a series of online tutorials that are easily accessible and can quickly train a librarian or aide in any subject needed when the information is necessary.  I have used a few of these tutorials and found them to be very helpful in a short time.  Though I did find the tutorials beneficial, I do believe I learned more by working closely with the librarian at my former campus.  For me, working side-by-side with the librarian was more valuable than the tutorials.  I learned the information quickly and did not have to be retrained later.   I think this informal training I had with the librarian should be recreated for all new librarians entering the library for the first time.

Week 3: Evaluation Methods

1. Two more evaluation methods are the Goal-Free Evaluation Model and the Countenance Model.  The Goal-Free Evaluation Model was created by Michael Scriven.  This model investigates what a program is actually doing rather than what a program is intended to do.  In other words, intent is less important than the actual experience within the classroom.  The Countenance Model was created by Robert Stakes in 1967.  Though this model is older, it is still currently in use.  This evaluation model includes four separate components: checklists, peer evaluation, controlled comparisons, and standardized tests.  Though we may see fewer checklists now, there are still many campuses that require peer evaluations (in the form of walk-throughs or instructional rounds), and comparisons of lessons and scores.  Evaluators also take standardized test scores into account when evaluating teachers as well.

2.  There are so many ways to evaluate educators and educational programs.  Every evaluator is a little different from the rest.  Though there are many evaluation tools, I do think that a few more questions would be important to answer when evaluating educators.  One evaluation question that may prove valuable is how much growth has a student or group of students experienced in from year to year?  Evaluators could compare a child's scores from core curriculum by looking at baseline scores from the previous year to the current year.  By measuring student success, educators might have a clearer of student achievement.  Student motivation should also be taken into account during an evaluation.  Student motivation is a key component to successful learning.  One final component that would be valuable to evaluate would be to evaluate the students' real-world learning. In this era of NCLB, many teachers find themselves pushed to teach to the test in order to improve standardized test scores.  Local and state evaluators depend on test scores in order to measure the success of teachers and students.  In this standardized test dependent time, real-world learning seems to have taken a backseat to higher test scores.  Finding some way to measure and evaluate real-world, life-long learning that will be with students throughout their educational careers and beyond would be incredibly valuable information.

3. Situational Leadership combines leadership and management skills using three key principles:

• the amount of guidance and direction a leader gives
• the amount of socio-emotional support a leader provides
• the readiness level followers exhibit in performing a specific task, function, or objective.

If I were in a leadership position to create a series of professional development sessions on a strict budget, I would begin by budgeting the sessions.  With a strict budget that allows use of limited resources, it may also be prudent to find ways to supply professional development using in-house experts.  If there are employees on campus that are particularly good in one area, they can be used as an expert to provide the training.  Scarce resources may also force the planner to be more creative when planning.  A leader may try to join in with another campus's professional development session.  The cost of the session can be shared between campuses and a quality session may be scheduled for a substantially lower rate.

Asking teachers for their opinion on professional development topics will help teachers buy-in to the sessions. When a teacher is forced to go to a training they have no interest in, they will put their new information on a shelf somewhere and never use it.  However, teachers who are asked for their opinion and feel they were valued and heard will value the new information they acquire.  Maintaining a great attitude when dealing with all people involved will also help make everyone feel valued.  Hear everyone out (especially in this time when teachers feel underpaid and undervalued) so that everyone feels that they are important and essential in the process.  People will be open and willing to learn when they feel valued. 

Week 2: Theories and Models of Learning and Instruction

1. Our text defines epistemology as "the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of knowledge and understanding--their foundations, assumptions and validity" (54). It seems to encompass how we learn.   Instructional methods are the actions we take in order to help students learn which can be based on epistemology.  Epistemology shapes how teachers craft lessons and form the basis of how we attempt to teach students.  Theories, methods and models of learning are all the ways we teach.  They are the steps we take in order to convey information and aid the students in understanding.

2.  Contextualist epistemology is the idea that "whether one knows is somehow relative to context" (http://www.iep.utm.edu/contextu/).  In other words, acquiring knowledge is based on the context in which it is learned. This is the idea that students can more easily learn information when in context.  

Relativism is the belief that "reality is not directly knowable, and can only be inferred or assigned by convention of consensus" (55).  In other words, anyone can ascribe meaning to objects and there is no right or wrong meaning or theory.  Right and wrong are not written in stone to relativists.  In relativism, knowledge is constructed by the learner and truth is contextual  Positivism is the belief that "learning is mediated relationships among external stimuli, overt responses, and reinforcement principles".  In this way, learning is dependent upon the relationships between the stimuli involved in the learning process.  Positivists believe that knowledge exists independent of the learner and there is an absolute truth.  These two theories differ from contextualism.  Acquiring information through contextualist epistemology occurs in context.  In relativism and positivism, context is not essential. In positivism, context is a part of learning, but other stimuli is also important.  Responses to stimuli and the way it is reinforced is important in positivism.

Social constructivism is the process of constructing knowledge in groups.  Groups help each other construct knowledge.  Behaviorism was a process defined by B. F. Skinner in which learning can be understood based on the learner's behavior.  Learners can be observed in order to understand knowledge acquisition and what must be done in order to teach the child.  With Skinner's behaviorism, learning is not contingent upon a group.  It can be done outside of a group.

3.  Behaviorist problem solving includes not only observation and monitoring of the student as they attempt to solve a problem, it also includes feedback.  Feedback can be positive or negative in nature.  A child who has a correct answer to a problem will be rewarded by a teacher with a positive reaction, such as a smile from a teacher or a verbal positive reinforcement.  This is thought to encourage and promote continued attempts to correctly solve problems.  A negative reaction to an incorrect answer, such as verbal correction or  physical cues from a teacher than an answer was incorrect are thought to encourage a child to try again and to avoid incorrect answers. Feedback is key to the students ability to reach the correct answers. 

Constructivist problem solving encourages learners to construct their own knowledge. The learner solves the problem by constructing the meaning "from the inside out" (42).  In order to discover if the answer to the problem is correct, the learner must weigh their solution against the conclusions of their peers.

One major differences in the behaviorist and constructivist approaches to problem solving are the importance of feedback.  Behaviorists believe that feedback is important and should be given throughout the problem solving process until a correct answer is reached.  In behaviorism, students are motivated by external stimuli.  A teacher's smile or positive reinforcement can motivate a student.  Constructivists believe that students must construct and build their own knowledge.  Students must compare their solutions and understanding to the solutions of their peers.   Constructivism requires internal motivation from students.  The students' motivation is internal, based on the desire to complete the task and reach an answer.  The child is self motivated.

ETEC 561 Week 1

1. My definition of educational technology is really based in technology that can be use to help teachers be more effective and helps students learn.  I must confess I never really put much thought into my definition of educational technology until this week.  Now I think educational technology is more than that.  Any technological resource that is used in education or has an application in students' futures can be a part of educational technology.  I did find Chapter 1 very interesting.  The definition of educational technology has evolved as technology has evolved.  The earliest definitions were concerned with viewing technology.  As technology became more than silent movies and moving pictures, the definition also became more complex. 

2. There are six characteristics of instructional design.  They are as follows:

• Instructional design is learner centered.
• Instructional design is goal oriented.
• Instructional design focuses on meaningful performance.
• Instructional design assumes outcomes can be measured in a reliable and valid way.
• Instructional design is empirical, iterative, and self-correcting.
• Instructional design typically is a team effort.

I taught at a campus that was extremely interested in utilizing technology.  Teachers were expected to use technology in teaching and to offer students opportunities to learn new technologies frequently.  Innovation was expected.  I have created many lessons with my peers that relied heavily on technology.  Without knowing the six characteristics of instructional design, we were adhering to them and creating relevant technology lessons.  As a grade level team, the teachers I worked with were able to meet the instructional design demands and produce good lessons for kids.  

3.  Instructional media "has been defined as the physical means via which instruction is presented to learners" (18).  By this definition, teachers, chalkboards and textbooks are a part of instructional media.  I would consider teachers, chalkboards and textbooks part of instructional media; however, I do believe that the definition and understanding must evolve with the times.  Though teachers are still vital to education, there are better ways to teach than through the use of chalkboards and textbooks.  Even teachers can looks different.  A teacher isn't always standing in front of a classroom; sometimes they are in a different location running distance learning programs.  Though textbooks are sometimes a basis for a class, they are no longer necessary.  Many teachers opt to create their own lessons, using a text as a supplement instead of basing an entire class on the text.  Chalkboards have also evolved.  Most of today's students don't even know what a chalkboard is.  Students are used to Interactive Whiteboards now. 

I do not believe the purpose of instructional design is to incorporate technology into lessons and teaching.  However, I do understand that incorporating technology into teaching helps reach the goals of instructional design.  Technology makes lessons more relevant and students can learn real-world applications.