Educational Journey Author: Mark Gruntz EDUC 526 Capstone Experience in Educational Technology and Learning Professor: Matthew

Hixson Term: Spring II 2013 APU Campus: Murrieta Regional Center Date Submitted: June 11, 2013

Section 1
Introduction
Ever since I was in the sixth grade, I have always wanted to become a physical education teacher. After I earned my bachelors degree I knew it was time to get my teaching credential. After speaking with a counselor and learning that APU provides an interwoven program where you can get your teaching credential and complete a masters program in such a short amount of time, it was a no brainer to sign up for it. I chose to get my M.A. in Educational Teaching and Digital Learning because I recognize the classroom setting is moving towards becoming increasingly technologically based. I want to make sure that I am able to lead the way and be prepared for future teaching positions. I am in my first year of teaching and Ramona Elementary School where I am the schools physical education teacher. I have several different class periods a day where I teach grades K-5. It is my responsibility to create an engaging and safe learning environment for every student in my class. I teach the students different health techniques, social skills, physically active games and safety concerns that go along with those games, drug prevention, proper nutrition and more. My goals for pursuing my Masters degree is to better prepare myself for my chosen career path in teaching. Technology is being integrated into every classroom and it is my responsibility to be able to understand and implement the new technologies that are available. I have never been a very technology expert and I enrolled in this Masters degree to not only become familiar with the technologies that are available and beneficial to student learning, but to become an expert in applying to my classroom to obtain maximal student engaging and achievement.

Personal Growth
Through my different courses and experiences during this program, I have learned about several different learning styles and have become aware that my two top learning styles are visual and kinesthetic. If I am able to visually see what is required of me or how to perform a task, and am then given the opportunity to go out and do it myself, that information will be stored in my long-term memory. When it comes to my study habits, I learn that it is best for me to become intrapersonal than interpersonal when trying to study for an exam. I am able to learn and retain information much better in a private setting where I am alone than if I were to try and study with a group of classmates. I have also learned that I am very good about working under pressure and the expectations of assignment deadlines. I have had no problem with completing my work and turning it in by the required date to receive full credit. A very personal connection I have made while attending courses at APU is that the classroom shouldnt be focused on the students work, but rather on the student. In the courses here at APU I have found that every teacher has made himself or herself available to me for any reason. Whether it is academic advice, spiritual advice, or personal wisdom, the teachers have taken that extra step to let me know that they truly care about me as a person and not just about the schoolwork that I produce. When dealing with students that I teach, I take this example to heart and truly make an effort to let all of my students know that I am there for them if they need anything.

When it comes to my spiritual growth here at APU I have grown a great deal and have added new entries to my Spiritual Timeline. For example, there was a quick spiritual message that my professor at the time shared with the class in what he had heard earlier in the week. He told us that if we are missing that feeling on Sundays where we are hungry and just have a desire to worship God, we need to look at our diet throughout the week. He asked the question, Are we filling ourselves with unhealthy secular snacks that take away the hunger for Christ? It was a quick message but it really hit home with me. It is foolish to have the true desire to worship God if we are constantly allowing secular things to take over our thoughts, feelings, and time. We need to throughout the week, keep our focus on God. What the completion of this degree means to me on a personal level is that I now feel better equipped and more confident in my teaching abilities when it comes to implementing and using technology in the classroom. It helps me to personally feel more secure in my ability to obtain a teaching job in the future. This degree helps me to be set apart from other applicants without their Masters degree. Earning this degree helps me feel more secure about potential job opportunities in the future.

Professional Growth
I have grown as an educator through my studies as APU in several different ways. The main way I have grown as an educator is now knowing that there is not only 1 correct way to teach an idea or concept, but there are numerous different ways to effectively relate it to your students. I have also grown in the ways that I relate to and teach my students. I know this sounds weird, but just because they are students does not mean that they are people. I use to make deadlines for my students and if they didnt have it done, that was it. They were not allowed to turn in an assignment late. Interacting with my professors and seeing how they treated me and my other classmates, I came to the conclusion that as an educator I need to show more mercy and love with my students. They have things going on at home that I do not know about that are probably more important than their studies and I need to take that into account when I not only dealing with their assignment deadlines, but in every aspect of their education experience. My educational vision has evolved a great deal since when I started this Masters program at APU. I know longer just want to become an effective teacher that is able to engage and relate the material to my students, but I now want to do that and also teach my students how to learn new information on their own. I dont want to form students that are just able to pass my class, but I want to develop students who are able to understand and learn new information on their own so that their learning doesnt just stop after my class is over, but that their educational journey will never end. I am already seeing the benefits of this Masters program in my current professional life. For example, I have a member of the schools Website Design team where I help develop the official website for the school. Before this program, there is no way I would have the knowledge or confidence to become a member of this team. The plans for next year is for be to become the leader of the team and have all the responsibilities of the schools website fall on me. Thanks to this program, I am able to take on new technology challenges that allow be to become a more important member of my educational staff team.

There are so many different instructional strategies that I have incorporated into my own classroom because of my experiences in this Masters program. However what I now incorporate the most into my classroom is what I learned in EDUC 522 Learning in the 21st Century. In this class of the program, it teaches about the different multiple intelligences and the different learning styles. I was completely unaware of these when I first started the program. I now make sure that I incorporate different assignments and teaching strategies that incorporate and engage a wide variety of learning styles. For example, instead of just using visual props during a lesson, I now find ways to incorporate music for the musical learners, and allow opportunities for group settings where the groups need to create something that engages the kinesthetic and interpersonal learners. Because of learning about this, I now create unit plans that engage and incorporate all the different multiple intelligences and learning styles. I chose to do my Action Research Study on my ability to better memorize Biblical scripture. I first identified this problem while talking with one of my friends about the Bible and what it has to say about different topics of life. As our conversation progressed, I realized the only Bible verse I have truly memorized is John 3:16. After the conversation with my friend, I just felt completely embarrassed and ashamed, because most people who have never even attended one day at church knows this verse. For my Action Research Study I decided to find the best way for me to memorize Biblical passages that I can use as reminders to myself throughout the day on how God has instructed us on how to live our lives. I chose to do the research over a 21-day period and found that I was able to successfully obtain the results I desired.

Technical Growth
The technological growth that I have achieved over this Maters program is tremendous. At the beginning of this program, I was technically illiterate; I had never even held an I-pad let alone develop lesson plans on it. Thanks to the EDUC 511 class, not only did I become familiar with an I-pad, but after the class was over I felt comfortable and confident in my ability to use it in my classroom. I learned how to purchase and use different educational Apps and how to connect the screen on my I-pad wirelessly to the projector screen in my classroom. I have never made an instructional video before and thanks to EDUC 514 I have the knowledge of how to effectively engage my students through video with the new knowledge of different angle shots, lighting, special effects, and editing. Before this program I would have never dreamed of being able to create my own website but thanks to EDUC 515 I have the experience, understanding and knowledge of how to do so. I know how to implement video, audio, gifs, blogs, embedded links, and more to create user friendly and overall visually appeasing website. I know include the use of an I-pad in my classroom and several new Apps into my classroom because of this program. I teach a physical education class and everybody asks how are you able to incorporate technology into that specific field of study? Through this program, I am now asking myself how have I never incorporated technology into my classroom? I now create instructional videos I show to my students where they watch and are able to learn new games and strategies from. I incorporate music, slideshows, webquests and so much more into my classroom, and because of this my students are much more likely to be engaged and actively involved during instructional time.

Life Long Learning Plan

When it comes to my personal and professional preparedness I feel confident where I am right now. I feel that I am equipped to meet the professional goals for teaching in a classroom as well as handle those task at an effective personal level. Even though I feel confident in my abilities, I know there is a lot I can and will learn. I plan to continue my professional and personal development through observation and advice from master teachers, self-reflection and analysis of the work I am doing, and continually attending career development seminars. There is always a way to improve something in any aspect of life and I intend to do whatever it takes to continually increase in knowledge and understanding. There are several different personal and professional needs I have become conscious of during my studies in this program. The main personal need I have come to realize is that I need to grow and study fields that truly interest me. Even though I did a lot of classwork and homework assignments during this program, it did not feel like it. Everything I learned is something that I wanted to learn and gain a deeper understanding of, so when it came time to work on it, it did not feel like a chore. I can recall taking other classes unrelated to this program that were a lot easier, but just seemed to drag on and never end because I had no desire or interest in the subject material. With this program, the time flew by and the homework was in most cases, a lot of fun to complete. On a professional level, the main need I have become aware of is the need to work with and collaborate with others. As a professional educator, you should listen to the ideas and experiences of others and take and use those ideas in your class. Through others, I am able to learn what works and what doesnt work simply by listening to another person. Everybody is different, and because of that they are able to give unique ideas and thoughts about how to more effectively and efficiently implement a lesson plan. What I plan to do in order to staying on top of the developments in the field is to keep my eyes and ears open, and to never let my pride in my abilities rise up. I need to always remain humble not matter how effective or proficient I become at teaching, because that will keep me from learning new strategies and techniques. I need to keep my eyes and ears open in order to see the new technology that comes out and listen to others in the best way to implement that into my class. Technology is literally changing every day, if I become satisfied where I am just because I have earned my Masters degree in the field of technology I am doing my students a disservice. In order to continually strive to be the best educator I can, I need to be aware of the new technologies that come out and not be afraid to use them and implement them into my classroom. An area that I want to continue to develop that started in this program is the use of a class website. With students literally being able to access the Internet on their phones, staying in contact and keeping them up to date on the class assignments and homework through the use of a webpage is a great idea. I want to develop a class website where every lesson I teach is in a video format, so that students can easily go on the website and review the lesson plan or if they were absent on a particular day of class, they can watch the lesson plan they missed. Creating interactive educational games and putting them on the class website is something I would eventually like develop as time progresses as well. Having an official class website is great not only for the student, but for their parents as well. It is an easy way to discover what the students are learning about in their class and can assist the parents in making sure their student is staying on top of their studies.

Section 2
History of Coursework and Course Evaluation
Course Number EDUC 511 Course Name Instructor Term Completed Essentials in Joanne Gllbreath Fall I Educational 2012 Technology and learning Course Description: This course focuses on introducing and developing proficiency with the essential skills necessary for the Master of Arts in Educational Technology and Learning. Working in face-to-face, synchronous, and asynchronous environments, students utilize a variety of applications and skills necessary for competency in the program. Students explore philosophy of education foundations in order to articulate their own educational philosophy and vision statements. Key Learnings: The main thing I learned from this course is how to create a Wordle. I have never even heard of a Wordle before and this class introduced me to it. Worldes can be very helpful in making sure you are speaking about the ideas and subjects that really matter. Course Commentary, Strengths/Weaknesses: The strength of this course is that it makes sure that you have an outline of the courses you are going to take in order throughout the program. It is nice to be organized and know exactly where you are at in the program. The weakness of this class is that it made us use Livebinders, which was never used again with any of the other courses. I understand the idea of keeping your assignments organized, but that can easily be achieved by making folders on a desktop computer screen. Course Number EDUC 512 Course Name Instructor Term Completed Instruction James Sullivan Fall I Applications / 2012 Product Software Course Description: Students take the functional knowledge of productivity software and learn how to implement its use in instruction and projects including a final thematic project into their own classroom. The projects are designed to match the California State Content Standards and ISTE NETS standards of their own grade, and are appropriate for the technology environment in which the project will be implemented. Key Learnings: The main thing I learned in this course is how to use an I-pad on a personal level. This course covered how to personal the settings on an I-pad to make it more user friendly. Course Commentary, Strengths/Weaknesses: This strength of this course is that it covers the basics of the I-pad for the first time user. The weakness of the course is that it spends too much time on the basics of the I-pad. I feel like I wasted several different course meetings talking about the same thing over and over again. This course needs to

be outlined with clear expectations of what you should know when you leave the class, and if you already know how to accomplish those tasks; one should be able to test out of the class. Course Number EDUC 522 Course Name Learning in the 21st Century Instructor Jennifer Courduff Term Completed Fall II 2012

Course Description: Working with digital natives requires an understanding of how they acquire and process information. This course assists educators in bridging the gap between static curriculum and multi-model instruction. A key component of this course is designing unit plans that embed technology and differentiated instruction with a focus on multiple intelligences and learning styles to meet the needs of todays learners. Key Learnings: The main thing I learned in the course was how to reach and make sure to cover all the different multiple intelligences in the classroom. I learned how to recognize a students multiple intelligence and how to best engage all students throughout a unit. Course Commentary, Strengths/Weaknesses: I feel this was a very beneficial course. The strength of this course is that the main project that is required is something that can be transported strait into my capstone; the unit plan. I do not feel there were any weaknesses when talking about this course. Jennifer Courduff is very well organized and makes herself available at all times through many different contacts. The expectations of the course are clearly presented at the beginning of class, and everything we did in class can be transferred into classroom. Course Number EDUC 514 Course Name Digital Video in the Classroom Instructor Timothy Holder Term Completed Spring I 2013

Course Description: Students are exposed to basics in video project composition. Activities include learning how to build visually effective shots, how to use music to enhance the feel of the presentation, and how to create a movie project that is designed to keep a student's attention in the context of teaching standards-based material. Key Learnings: In this course, I learned how to successfully record and edit video footage to engage my students in the classroom. I learned many different techniques and tricks that enhance the learning experience for my students. Course Commentary, Strengths/Weaknesses: The strength of this course is that it was a lot of fun and something I definitely know I will be using in my teaching plans. The weakness of this course is that we were required to only use our I-pads for everything in the course. The reason given by the instructor is that students have been complaining that we are required to purchase an I-pad for this program and never really use them, so he is trying to incorporate the I-pad into the program. I feel we shouldnt only use the Ipads simply because we have them, but we should be able to use the best resources

available to us, such as our computers. Looking forward, to make movies for my classroom, I will never just use the I-pad to record, edit, and produce my final footage. I will mostly be using my personal camera and my computer to do most of the work. My computer has an easier program to use than the one required in class and is more time efficient as well. Course Number EDUC 515 Course Name Instructor Term Completed Evolving Lance Martin Spring II Educational 2013 Technology Course Description: This course looks at the evolution of educational technologies in their present and historical contexts. Students explore how and why some technologies endure while others do not. Attention is given to current technologies and how they can be successfully implemented into the classrooms in order to enhance both teaching and learning strategies. Key Learnings: The main thing I learned in this class is how to feel comfortable using the Weebly website. Knowing how to effectively use the Weebly website is a very helpful tool when completing the capstone project. Course Commentary, Strengths/Weaknesses: The strength of this class is the introduction to the many different tools of media, such as creating a blog, audio podcasts, video podcasts and more. The weakness of this class is it seemed to be very basic. This course needs to have the ability to test out of the class for those already knowing how to complete the required assignments on their own.

Evaluation of the impact of the Educational Digital Teaching and Learning Program
One example of a new instructional strategy I have implemented into my classroom as a result of what I have learned throughout the Educational Digital Teaching and Learning Program is the implementation of instructional videos into my lesson plans. For instance, since taking EDUC 514, I have created an instructional video that teaches the basics of shooting a basketball. This strategy has been a success in my class; my students love to watch video. The video presented to them keeps them engaged throughout the length of the entire film, and it also educates the students on how to properly shoot a basketball. There is entertaining music playing in the audio background that accompanied by appropriate texts that enrich the learning experience. The video gives an exact visual demonstration of what is required of the students, which is also very beneficial for my ELL students. Implementing instructional videos is a great new instructional strategy I have added to my lesson plans to create a better learning experience for my students. Even though I feel the implementation of my instructional videos have been a success, I know I am still learning and there are many different elements I can add to my videos to make them even better. For example, the next step I am planning to take while making an instructional video for my classroom is to use my

actual students while creating the video. I plan to do this to keep the engagement of my students that are viewing the video at a high level. Instead of students watching strangers how to correctly perform a task, they can watch their friends and peers do it. In order to do this, I will need to seek the help of students that are willing to come before or after school and take their time to help me create the video. I will also need to provide the proper legal parent-permission slips that permit students to be recorded and viewed by future students. Adding little details such as making the actors in my videos the friends and peers of those watching I believe will create an even better learning experience for my students.

Program Evaluation
The time I have spent in this program has left me very happy with my overall experience in the Digital Teaching and Learning program through APU. The strength of this program is making sure at the very beginning that each student has a course guideline to take each and every module. Before my first day of class, I knew exactly what classes I needed to take and when I was going to take them. It is very important to me that I know exactly what is required of me in a program. The weakness of the program is the requirement to purchase an I-pad. In EDUC 512 I used my I-pad a lot, but that was just to learn how to use it in what I thought was to prepare me for the rest of the program. I used the I-pad every time I was in class for EDUC 514 but that is because the professor made it a requirement because students were complaining that we were required to purchase and I-pad and never really used it throughout the program. I understand the need to have access to technology to complete all the required assignments, but I feel if a student owns a laptop they can bring to class that is able to complete all the assignments that are required to complete on an I-pad a student should be told there is no need to purchase an I-pad. Students should be given the option to either demonstrate the ability on their personal laptops or then be asked to purchase an I-pad. What I would recommend to improve the program is inform students at the beginning of the program what is required of him or her for their capstone project. In doing this, I feel students will be able to better plan and prepare for their final capstone project. When I asked about what exactly the capstone course was like an what was to be expected of me, all I was told at the beginning of the program is I need to think of a unit plan I want to teach and I should try to integrate that into every other course throughout the program. This information given to me did nothing but add confusion about what the final capstone project really is. If someone came in and told me what he requirements of the capstone were at the beginning of the program, I feel that I would not have been so anxious in trying to anticipate what was going to be expected of me in the capstone course. I am very happy with my experience in the Digital Teaching and Learning program at APU. The best thing about the entire program has been all of my professors. I feel all of my professors cared about me not only as a student, but also as a person and as a child of Christ. I always felt welcomed by all of my professors and felt I could approach them with any academic or personal problem. The instructors in this program are what make this program so great.