3.6 Selecting and Evaluating Digital Tools and Resources
Candidates collaborate with teachers and administrators to select and evaluate digital tools and resources for accuracy, suitability, and compatibility with the school technology infrastructure. (PSC 3.6/ISTE 3f)
Artifact:
Reflection:
For my artifact for standard 3.6, I chose to use the presentation that I created for the Evaluating Emerging Technologies project from ITEC 7445, Multimedia and Web Development. The project was an individual assignment, but I worked with several colleagues to choose the topic. I also worked to ensure that the topic of the project would be useful to our school.
For the Evaluating Emerging Technologies project, I worked with my principal and my technology colleagues to select an area of technology that I would investigate and choose a product within. To that end, our school was in the process of writing a grant proposal that would include some robotics products to use with our technology classes, so I decided to research robotics kits. I began the research at the 2014 International Society for Technology in Education Conference’s exposition floor. I visited all of the vendors who offered robotics kits for sale to experience them firsthand. When I returned from the conference, I conducted internet research and contacted some other technology teachers who had experience with them. I also researched the uses and prices of the various robotics kits.
When I chose a kit that seemed like it would be the best fit for my school, I completed additional research into the use and versatility of the Tetrix robotics kits that I chose. Upon compiling the research that I needed, I brainstormed the possible uses of the kits in our classes and began working to plan possible lessons using the kits. Using the information that I gained about the Tetrix kits, I prepared the presentation for the artifact in order for it to be presented to the grant committee in my county. Eventually, we were awarded the grant in question, and we ordered the Tetrix robotics kits from a pre-approved vendor. They have since been put into rotation in the technology classes in order to teach students about robotics.
One lesson that was reinforced for my by the creation of this artifact was that even when all of the research seems to have been completed, there is still more that can be learned. In this case in particular, while I researched the list price of the Tetrix kits, I failed to find out if my school qualified for a contract discount with our approved vendor. The discount provided a pleasant surprise in that we were able to afford additional kits. However, the discount also provided some inconvenience in the form of additional paperwork to amend the initial grant to fit the discounted price and the additional number of products.
The creation of this artifact had its impact mainly on the professional learning of myself and my technology colleague. We had to learn about the Tetrix robotics kits and their uses in class as well as the possible ways that they can be used to teach students. Through learning about the use of the robotics kits, we were able to affect the learning experience of our students by increasing their hands-on experience with robots. The impact of the creation of this artifact will be assessed based on the education experience of those students throughout this school year.
For my artifact for standard 3.6, I chose to use the presentation that I created for the Evaluating Emerging Technologies project from ITEC 7445, Multimedia and Web Development. The project was an individual assignment, but I worked with several colleagues to choose the topic. I also worked to ensure that the topic of the project would be useful to our school.
For the Evaluating Emerging Technologies project, I worked with my principal and my technology colleagues to select an area of technology that I would investigate and choose a product within. To that end, our school was in the process of writing a grant proposal that would include some robotics products to use with our technology classes, so I decided to research robotics kits. I began the research at the 2014 International Society for Technology in Education Conference’s exposition floor. I visited all of the vendors who offered robotics kits for sale to experience them firsthand. When I returned from the conference, I conducted internet research and contacted some other technology teachers who had experience with them. I also researched the uses and prices of the various robotics kits.
When I chose a kit that seemed like it would be the best fit for my school, I completed additional research into the use and versatility of the Tetrix robotics kits that I chose. Upon compiling the research that I needed, I brainstormed the possible uses of the kits in our classes and began working to plan possible lessons using the kits. Using the information that I gained about the Tetrix kits, I prepared the presentation for the artifact in order for it to be presented to the grant committee in my county. Eventually, we were awarded the grant in question, and we ordered the Tetrix robotics kits from a pre-approved vendor. They have since been put into rotation in the technology classes in order to teach students about robotics.
One lesson that was reinforced for my by the creation of this artifact was that even when all of the research seems to have been completed, there is still more that can be learned. In this case in particular, while I researched the list price of the Tetrix kits, I failed to find out if my school qualified for a contract discount with our approved vendor. The discount provided a pleasant surprise in that we were able to afford additional kits. However, the discount also provided some inconvenience in the form of additional paperwork to amend the initial grant to fit the discounted price and the additional number of products.
The creation of this artifact had its impact mainly on the professional learning of myself and my technology colleague. We had to learn about the Tetrix robotics kits and their uses in class as well as the possible ways that they can be used to teach students. Through learning about the use of the robotics kits, we were able to affect the learning experience of our students by increasing their hands-on experience with robots. The impact of the creation of this artifact will be assessed based on the education experience of those students throughout this school year.