Introduction

In 1989 I graduated from the University of Victoria with a B. Ed. In Secondary Music and Theater. For the next 18 years I enjoyed the rich rewards of teaching, and learning, with students in what one might call traditional Band, Jazz Band, and Theater classroom settings. During this time I did employ some elements of educational technology in my classes, especially as I began to infuse elements of media production in my performing arts classes and computer assisted music composition. When the rigors of performance oriented courses began to take their toll I made the choice to settle into a teaching job that was more commonly delivered between 8:30 and 4:00 without the extra rehearsals and performances. It was at this time that I began to explore, much more intently, the potential for tapping the vast resources of the Internet in courses such as Language Arts, Photography, and Media Arts. My main classroom is a Mac Lab and after repeatedly bringing down my Language Arts students to the lab to utilize the computers I asked myself Why dont we just stay here? Ever since that day I have rejuvenated my approach to teaching and am constantly in awe of how access to the multimedia world of the Internet breaks down the walls of the traditional classroom and allows student access to the accumulated knowledge of the world.

The knowledge and experience I have accumulated in the MET program at Boise State has helped me to focus and justify the approaches I take in integrating technology into my classroom through careful analysis of learning theory and strategies for effective delivery of technology based instruction. As a result, I have become a leader in my school district delivering many instructional workshops at the school and district level on technology integration. It is

professional goal to one day be a full time teacher of teachers at the post secondary level and my experiences at Boise State are sure to help me advance toward that goal.

The following rationale paper aligns artifacts created by me in MET classes with standards outlined by the Association of Educational Communications and Technology (AECT, 2000). The five standards deal with knowledge, skills, and attributes of a professional educational technologist and fall under the categories of Design, Development, Utilization, Management, and Evaluation.

Standard 1: Design
1.1 Instructional Systems Design
503 - Instructional Design Project - Learning Photoshop through the design of a magazine cover The process of designing systems for instruction requires a needs analysis and a careful deconstruction of the steps necessary for students to achieve the desired learning outcomes and for instructors to engage students while delivering the required instruction for completion. For my instructional design final project for Edtech 503 I chose to begin with an instructional strategy I have used in Photography classes in the past and create a detailed instructional design document outlining all steps from the needs analysis to the assessment. The intended audience for the unit is a Photography 11/12 class with students having a range of skills and experience from novice to advanced. After outlining the learning objectives, a detailed task analysis was made outlining all the steps necessary for mastery. By going through the process of deconstructing a unit of instruction in minute detail, I was able to understand how important it is to

consider learning styles, ability and experience in designing appropriate strategies for instruction for inclusion of all students. After the completion of this project I have used it in class with great success, engaging students in the content with a high rate of student mastery of the learning objectives of the unit. Further, subsequent to this assignment I have found myself using the knowledge and skill acquired in the design and deliver of many aspects of my teaching. Like most teachers, I do not have the time to go into the level of detail that was required for this assignment for all units of instruction, however, this process is always in the back of my mind when developing new material.

1.2 Message Design

513 - Worked Example - Screencast This worked example screencast was chosen to exemplify my work in relation to this standard because it represents the manipulation of visual content in designing the physical form of the instruction. I have taught poetry in high school to students who struggle with analysis and have developed strategies for students to overcome these difficulties in approaching a poem in a sequential manner. Through the use of Screencast I created an audio/visual resource for students that takes into account the Cognitive, Redundancy, Modality and Coherence Principle. All of the theories revolve around the limitations of cognitive input and deal with sight, sound, and our ability to synthesize a finite amount of information at any given time. The above principles all relate to the organization of learning materials in such a way as to avoid overloading cognitive channels and designing educational materials to manipulate and maximize sensory input for learning. In short, according to the coherence

principle, you should avoid adding any material that does not support the instructional goals.(Clark & Mayer, 2008) The theory is that unnecessary audio or visual material may overload cognitive channels and decrease comprehension by the learner. Through the development of this, and many other presentation based artifacts, I have learned to apply the theories in the development of audio/visual instructional material.

1.3 Instructional Strategies

502 - Imagination and Metaphor: A Webquest A Webquest by nature involves an online sequence of instructional steps that guide students through research, discovery, publishing, and presenting evidence of learning. The webquest I developed in Edtech 502 guides students through an instructional sequence of steps that leads to an understanding of the connection between the human imagination, metaphor and invention and is targeted at early secondary school level Language Arts students. Using this webquest students, with guidance and instruction from the teacher, using specified web based resources, follow specific steps in the pursuit of the answer to the central question: How does the human imagination and the use of metaphor shape the way we think, speak and live our lives? This educational strategy has proven to be engaging for students calling on them to conduct research, select, gather, and synthesize information from the web and from live experiments while striving for a solution to the central question. I selected this artifact because it satisfies the criteria for the standard in that the webquest concept is a unique and effective 21st century learning strategy that allows for differentiation in instruction and learning and because the layout and delivery of this particular unit is, in my opinion, engaging and effective. I have used a variation of this webquest unit in my

classes, choosing to guide students through the process more than outlined in the unit, and have found that the combination of video sources, websites, real life experiments and presentation of work gives students a strong foundation of the abstract concept of metaphor and imagination.

1.4 Learner Characteristics

504 - From Traditional Learning theory to Connectivism: Educational Renaissance When designing and delivering instructional materials for students, teachers must consider and apply what we know about the way people learn in order to maximize impact for all students. This artifact was chosen because it examines learning theories such as behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism and contends that the emerging learning theory of connectivisim is in many ways an evolution of those traditional basic theories given the technological advancements and connected nature of our modern society. Connectivism contends that learners are more apt to retain knowledge and develop skills if they are given the experience of manipulating the material in a realistic setting. Educational technology and access to Internet connected devices allows students to virtually explore environments and investigate the world, affording relevant experiences that lead to knowledge. In their article published by the American Educational Research Association, Luis Osin asserted fifteen years ago that, Our children need to know much more than before in order to remain useful in an age when the predictable and pedestrian are done by machines. (Osin, 1996,p.621). Students may not have physiologically changed since the evolution of the digital age, however society has. Through the examination of these learning theories in this paper and through out the course my teaching has taken

a more connectivist approach utilizing technology to give students access to learning outside the physical and time constraints of my classroom. I have adopted a Project Based Learning approach to many instructional units and strive to enhance meaning and impact through connectivist strategies.

Standard 2: Development
2.1 Print Technologies
506 - Hierarchy - Time Magazine Parody This artifact was chosen to represent mastery of the Print Technologies standard because it is a static image developed that acts as a visual introduction to an instructional unit. The image itself is a parody of the cover of a Time magazine, which has a connotation that reflects trust and importance while introducing some of the key concepts of a unit that explores the connection between understanding theme in literature and elements of humanity. In the development of this, and many other graphic images for learning in this course I learned to apply the ACE model and the PAT concept. The ACE model is an instructional design model for developing graphics for learning. When the designer is faced with the task of creating a graphic for learning one must analyze by identifying its instructional function, content classification, and consider the type of approach (artistic or heuristic) (Lohr, 2008) It is in the create phase that the designer generates ideas and works with in the PAT concept (Principles, Actions, and Tools). After completion the graphic is evaluated by assessing its effectiveness, efficiency and appeal. I have been able to incorporate many of these concepts as well as the concepts of CARP (contrast, alignment, repetition,

and proximity), whitespace, hierarchy, organization and selection in the design of graphic images for learning.

2.2 Audiovisual Technologies

501 - Tech Use Plan The technology integration plan developed in Edtech 501 is an excellent representation for the audio/visual standard. This artifact supports learning through the use of clean visuals, headings and text, presented in a polished professional manner inspiring confidence in the authority and knowledge of the presenter. The presentation created in Power Point and uploaded to Sliderocket for online presentation and viewing outlines the process of development and implementation of a technology integration plan. The intent of the presentation is to inform stakeholders in a school or school district of the intended process and justification for the adoption of a comprehensive tech plan. The presentation would be made at the beginning of the process, outlining all the steps from a needs assessment to evaluation and revision of the plan after implementation. As chair of our schools technology committee, I have used concepts and strategies found in this presentation in the development and implementation of our technology integration tech plan and have presented many of these ideas to an Associate Superintendent of our district with the intent of working to establish a district based technology and curriculum integration plan. 513 - Audio Blog This audio artifact was created for Edtech 513 and represents this standard as it is another example of a strategy that uses audio techniques to enhance learning.

Students listening to the instructions for creating special effects in film enlargements online may pause and playback instructions while viewing the supplies and materials necessary for completing the effect. This technique may enhance learning as it utilizes the visual and auditory channels for information input (Clark, Mayer, 2008). To create this artifact I recorded the audio in GarageBand, exported the track as an MP3 to iTunes and uploaded the file to a public Dropbox folder for distribution using the Dropbox URL. I have included this link on my Photography class website for students to refer to when beginning the process of special effects in print enlargements, allowing students to re-listen to the instructions before attempting each effect. 541 - Video Blog

This video blog entry was created in Edtech 541 and represents mastery of this standard because it represents my ability to utilize the power of video, computers and the Internet for instruction. The content of the blog outlines much of what I have discovered about using video based strategies in the classroom. Some of these strategies as outlined in the text Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching are to demonstrate procedures, development of student presentations, video lectures (the flipped classroom), student video portfolios, video simulations, documentation of school activities, visual literacy instructions, teaching video production and using video for real time communication and collaboration. Many instructional units I have developed include a video based element for instruction or as part of a student project such as the creation of student documentaries. Students producing video documentaries are forced to think about storytelling as well as research and interview techniques to teach their audience about their topic. As we all know

one of the best measurements of learning is whether or not you can teach it to someone else. When teachers use multimedia in the classroom it is clear that students are more engaged, however careful considerations must also be made not to over stimulate the learner. According to e-learning and the science of instruction by Clark and Meyer adding extraneous elements to multimedia learning material that do not support educational objectives can actually damage the learning process (Clark, Mayer, 2008). Graphics and sounds that are not related to the educational objectives of the presentation are nothing more than distracting. Spicing up a lesson by adding extraneous elements damages the process. Another psychological theory is that the human brain can only upload a finite amount of information at a time. Too much information can lead to cognitive overload. The brain processes information through visual and aural channels, therefore multimedia strategies that present information on the separate channels are found to be successful. However, studies have also shown that redundancy by using text and animations or narration and sound effects overloads the channels and impairs learning. Using multimedia technology to enhance learning is clearly becoming more and more a necessary part of education. It is one way of increasing engagement, deepening impact through increased relevance and also supporting the variety of ways that people learn.

2.3 Computer Based Technologies

541 - Jim Crow Society and "To Kill a Mockingbird" This Language Arts content unit from Edtech 541 is an excellent example of mastery of this standard in that it represents the production and delivery of materials using a computer and the Internet in a variety of ways. The unit acts as

an introduction to the society that acts as the backdrop to the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, which plays an integral part of the themes and character development explored in the story. The content is in many cases shocking and offensive, but necessary in order to understand the context of the novel. Students are asked to explore some predetermined links that contain text, and audio/visual examples of Jim Crow society in the south and are asked to compose a response, which they record onto Voicethread that addresses the sources, listen to the responses of others and provide replies. This unit uses the Internet to access primary sources, such as audio comments from people who lived through the oppression of Jim Crow society, a strategy which could not be accomplished without a guest speaker or the Internet. I have found that by utilizing the resources found on the Internet students are able to more accurately empathize with the plight of the characters in the story and appreciate the heroism of the central character, thereby gaining insight into the main themes of the novel. This approach allows students to understand that although the story is a work of fiction, it is also very real.

542 - Art as Inspiration - A Literary Investigation

Out of all the unit development and website work I have done over the past two years in the MET program at Boise State, this is the work I am most proud of. This unit is similar to a webquest, but I like to call it a literary investigation. I have been amazed by the online resource created by Google called Art Project: Powered by Google and have wanted to integrate this wonderful online resource into a cross curricular unit in Language Arts for some time. The website allows visitors to tour the halls of many of the greatest art galleries in the world and click on extremely high resolution images of art that allows the user to zoom in

so far to the image that one can see the cracks and the very texture of the work. The site provides background on the work as well as audio/visual resources. The concept of the unit is to follow given clues to specific galleries and locate predetermined works of art that students then use as the inspiration for a series of descriptive paragraphs. The unit includes examples of effective writing, embedded video by experts on descriptive writing and clues that allow the student to progress to the next step. Students will ultimately produce an investigative report that includes details about how they unraveled the clues that allowed them to discover the correct works of art, descriptive paragraphs based on those works and finally an audio podcast of their paragraphs embedded in a slide show presenting their work. I believe this unit is is engaging and informative utilizing problem solving skills, creative writing, observation and presentation development, designed in a format that is compelling and effective. One of the main things I like about this project is how it requires students to employ both problem solving and logic with creativity and abstract interpretation.

2.4 Integrated Technologies

National 21st Century Learning Video Contest: Western Canadian Winner

I have included this artifact in my portfolio, even though it was produced before I began the MET program, because it represents some of the ways in which I integrate technology into a Language Arts class on an everyday basis and it illustrates mastery of this standard in that it outlines some of the various

strategies I use to integrated a variety of technologies into lessons. The video illustrates my use of student e-portfolios, and blogs in class as well as project based strategies that include integration of other technologies such as online collaboration, and multimedia student production. My submission was selected as the Western Canadian winner of the Mindshare Learning National 21st Century Learning Video contest for 2010-1011. As a result, my school was awarded $15,000.00 in technology equipment and resources and I was able to attend the 2011 ISTE conference in Philadelphia, all expenses paid. I left this international conference inspired and in awe of the amazing potential for advancements in integrating technology into education and was able to make international connections in the world of education. I was also able to take knowledge gained at this conference back to my district and share some innovative ideas with members of my school district. 506 - Theme and Humanity The unit of instruction uses project based learning strategies targeted for a ninth grade Language Arts class, centralized around the following driving question: How does the study of literature help us to understand what it means to be human? The unit of instruction uses analysis of short stories, TED talk video resources, Google Documents for collaboration, the MyHero project and KIVA to find connections between the best and worst of humanity and the study of theme in literature, while developing paragraph and persuasive writing skills. The unit also incorporates such technologies as online rubrics for assessment, brainstorming applications and Google presentation for sharing some of their work. This unit was developed in Edtech 506 and uses graphics effectively throughout the project, however I believe it is the way that the unit integrates a variety of technologies to increase relevance and motivation for learning, that

make it especially effective. I have used a variation of this unit in my classes and continue to have students examine the connection between humanity and theme in literature. I have also begun a sustainable ongoing KIVA fund at my school that works to contribute microloans to people across the globe. Some of the theoretical knowledge learned in the creation of this unit has been discussed in relation to the 2.1 Print Technologies standard above.

Standard 3: Utilization
3.1 Media Utilization
541 - Technology in the Classroom I chose the content area assignments from Edtech 541 as representative of mastery of this standard because each of the units within the content areas represents a systematic use of technology based resources to deliver content and enhance learning. There are three content areas addressed in this artifact:

1. Language Arts This unit involves the use of an online comic creation application called Pixton. This application is a subscription based comic creator that allows teachers to create classrooms by inviting students via their email. Students are then notified when an assignment is created and are given a link directly to the assignment page on pixton.com. When students complete the assignment they simply click submit and a notification is sent to the teacher for evaluation. Pixton offers built in lessons submitted by other teachers and a rubric creation tool. Students and teachers may comment on each others work directly on the site. Comic creation is simple, but highly customizable. Students are instructed to choose a scene from Shakespeare's, A Mid Summer Night's Dream, and create a comic version

using their profile on Pixton.com. They may choose to alter the setting, but must maintain the same plot, character, and theme elements found in the scene. Their dialogue and narration should reflect the original, but may be modified to modern language. The unit outline includes a rubric directly within Pixton that outlines the criteria and levels of achievement assessment.

2. Social Studies One of the strengths of technology integration in content areas such as social studies is its ability to allow student access to primary sources for research and the development of knowledge and opinions based on first hand information. Primary sources such as original documents, photographs, audio interviews and other media can provide students with a unique perspective on history and our current society. Another benefit of technology integration in curriculum is its ability to connect content areas to increase relevance, allowing students to apply knowledge and skill across subjects and to the real world. Throughout this course I have primarily developed technology based resources that emphasize the Language Arts curriculum. For this project I have developed two units of instruction that combine social studies strategies to specific areas in Language Arts curriculum. The first unit utilizes a series of primary source web sites and media based sites to explore the concepts of Jim Crow society and laws that provide the social basis for the novel To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee. The second unit involves students using Google Maps to locate and explore the actual setting Agatha Christie used as the basis for her novel And Then There Where None. Both units combine the study of literature with elements of social history, hopefully increasing understanding and engagement of the material.

3. Fine Arts

The Fine Arts page contains a link to a Multimedia project for a senior level Photography class that combines the use of Aperture, GarageBand, and Final Cut Pro, as well as a multimedia poster (Glogster) that contains images and links to many online resources for Music, Art, and Physical Education.

I have utilized elements from all of the above content areas in my own teaching, but perhaps more importantly, I have been able to acquire a block of paid instruction time within my school to offer guidance and support for staff with the development and implementation of tech based strategies across all curricular areas. The creation of this artifact and many others within this course has enabled me to build a library of resources and ideas for the inclusion of technology in curriculum.

3.2 Diffusion of Innovations

501 - University High Tech Plan This artifact was created in Edtech 501 as a presentation of Goals and Objectives for the implementation of a technology plan for a fictitious high school. This artifact uses technology to deliver concepts with the intent of adoption by the school community. This artifact is effective because of its clean audio enhanced by visuals created using the online presentation software Prezi, which was then recorded using screen capture software and editing to add narration and music in a video editing application and finally uploaded to Youtube for distribution and presentation. This artifact represents a diffusion of innovation in the variety of strategies used to develop and present the information to a broad audience, with the purpose of gaining adoption of the proposed technology integration

plan. This presentation outlines the goals and objectives of the larger plan outlined in the larger project as illustrated in standard 2.2 Audiovisual Technologies.

3.3 Implementation and Institutionalization

505 - Gifted Program Evaluation This evaluation artifact looks closely at the level of success of the Mount Douglas Secondary Challenge Program in achieving three of its stated objectives. The program is a cornerstone of the school community and has operated successfully for over 24 years. This evaluation strives to assess specific levels of achievement in addressing the needs of gifted learners in an academic setting. The program works to provide enrichment within an environment in which gifted learners can feel safe to express and explore unique thoughts and areas of study. The process of studying evaluation within the context of educational technology has resulted in professional growth. Similar to the Ed Tech course on instructional design, this course in evaluation has refocused my professional direction with regards to creating, delivering, and assessing educational units, programs, and products. The instructional material and assignments have re-emphasized the importance of quality evaluation in the development of quality instruction. This evaluation was considered by the Challenge Program Coordinator, resulting in the implementation of some its core recommendations. 597 - Blogging in the Classroom The Edtech 597 blog set up using Wordpress represents mastery of this standard because of its real life application and implementation of this technology. In this course students developed a blog creating various types of blog entries based on the instructors guidelines, commented on other student blogs, and

responded to comments made by peers on our blog. The implication of this process for educators is the implementation of the blogging platform in the classroom to allow students to publish their work and share comments with each other in a global forum. This process heightens importance and allows for the development and creation of content in collaboration with others. I consistently use student blogs in my Language Arts classes in both private and public forums. I have seen first hand the benefits of utilizing this process for sharing ideas and resources. I have used a blogging platform for students to post rough drafts of writing for the feedback and critique of their peers before submitting final versions of their work. It is much more powerful for students to receive constructive feedback from both their peers and the instructor than from a single source.

3.4 Policies and Regulations

502 - Netiquette In Edtech 502 I developed a website outlining netiquette rules for high school students enrolled in digital based courses. The vast majority of course work is done online; therefore, a set of guidelines governing online behavior is necessary. The page offers a definition of Netiquette as well as a set of general guidelines. It also outlines online behavior guidelines in blogging, collaborating, and in the use of social media. This artifact is a clear example of mastery of this standard as it outlines a set of policies and regulations with regard to the use of technology and the Internet in schools and society. Through the creation of this artifact I was able to articulate in a neat, cohesive fashion some of the key concepts I had been addressing with my students in the past, but did not have a central resource for

student referral. This is a simple page that offers some very important advise for everyone when contributing to the online world. 541 - Internet Safety This artifact was created in Edtech 541 and acts as a more detailed set of guidelines and recommendations for online users. The pages contained within this site offer young people and adults with a list of risks and precautions they can take when connecting via social networks, through entertainment or gaming sites, downloading and file sharing and when using mobile devices. The site contains several pages developed by me, as well as external links and resources to aid students in gaining an understanding of some of the potential risks and precautions one can take. This artifact is another example of a project, which represents mastery of this standard, as it outlines policies and rules for effective online contribution. Through the development of this project I was able to gain valuable information on the protection of hardware and online identity, which I was able to share with my students.

Standard 4: Management
4.1 Project Management
503 - Instructional Design Project - Learning Photoshop through the design of a magazine cover I chose this artifact to represent this subset of this standard due to its close relationship to the description given for project management. Planning, monitoring, and controlling instructional design and development projects, is the essence of this artifact. The artifact, as described under standard 1.1 Instructional Systems Design breaks down a unit of instruction designed to teach

students some of the basic tools and techniques used in image manipulation using Photoshop through the process of research and design of a fictitious magazine cover. The artifact combines many project management elements ranging from a needs assessment which determines the preexisting level of competency for students with regards to some of the skills necessary to complete the project, to detailed step by step instructions for teachers and students, clear assessment strategies linked to learning outcomes and a process for evaluation and revision of the unit. After the completion of this artifact I have found myself more cognizant of the planning process for the delivery of learning strategies that take into account a range of abilities and to not make assumptions about the students level of ability or understanding before beginning instruction.

4.2 Resource Management

541 - Resources The Edtech 541 web resource page I created is a clear example of mastery of this artifact. This webpage is a comprehensive list of Web 2.0 tools designed to help teachers integrate technology into their curriculum. I chose to categorize the tools according to some of the various stages typically found in Project Based Learning. Research Brainstorming Collaboration Artifact Development Presentation/Demonstration of Learning Assessment

I began developing this resource before taking the course as I was asked to put together a presentation on Project Based Learning in my school district, but modified and added to the list once the course began. The vast majority of these tools are free, requiring a simple sign up and profile development. As I look back on the list of tools now and see all the new tools being released everyday I realize that this resource will always be in a state of flux, changing and adapting to the rapid evolution of technology. One valuable strategy I developed when putting together this list was to use social media as a resource. Using applications such as Diigo, Twitter, and even Facebook to have resources delivered to your door by education professionals is a great way to find out what is new and what works.

4.3 Delivery Management System

542 - PBL Unit Project Based Learning is an educational strategy that taps the learners desire to find meaning in content, to make connections to real life and their innate curiosity for experimenting, investigating and finding answers about how the world works. A PBL unit is a delivery management system that frames learning around a driving question that is explored, manipulated and presented by students, with the teacher as facilitator and manager of the process. The driving question must be broad enough to require in depth analysis and research and must also stand up to the measurement of prescribed learning outcomes for the curriculum. Learners examine the question and produce artifacts that represent learning which are often presented to panels of experts and community members. Much of the, planning, monitoring and controlling (of the) method by which distribution of instructional materials is organized(Boss, Krause, 2007), is

done by the teacher or group of teachers before the implementation of a unit. Planning requires a detailed analysis of the learning outcomes and the formulation of strategies that connects the learning with the real life application of acquired knowledge and skills. The concept behind this project is to kindle the potential hero in students by exploring the characteristics of true heroism. This project will use a fictional character as the springboard into the investigation of heroism; however, it is the discovery of real everyday heroes and their stories that will emphasize the possibility that we can all be heroes. The artifact itself uses a Google Sites PBL template and consist of several pages which outline the details of the process in a day by day timeline, instructions for teachers, elements of the learning products, assessment and resources. My unit is a good example of this standard also because of the unique medium integrated into the project. Its delivery is all within a self contained website and requires students to utilize many technology and Internet based resources for research, development and presentation. I have used variations of this unit in my Language Arts classes and have mixed and matched elements of this unit into other web based projects utilizing both the strategies and resources found within this artifact. I have found the development of video documentaries by students as artifacts representing learning to be an effective strategy that increases engagement and relevance for students. In essence, a well-crafted documentary on a subject proves mastery of the topic; the ability to teach some about something is a good measurement of understanding.

4.4 Information Management

542 - Social Networking Unit

My Social Networking Unit from Edtech 541 is an excellent example of mastery of this standard in that it uses varying strategies to control and deliver information to students, and by students, with the teacher and to each other. The project uses social media networking applications such as Flickr and Diigo to share products, information, ideas, and critical analysis in an online environment with the goal of improving student photographic technique, centered around design principles, through peer critique and analysis and through the accumulation of external photography resources. By using social media to disseminate and control information students are able to view their work on the same level as professionals and amateurs around the world. Through the process of collecting resources and critiquing work, students acquire better skills and techniques and are able to think and speak critically about their own work and the work of others. I always teach a unit on design principles in Photography classes and have used variations on this unit in my classes, however I have yet to apply the exact set of strategies found in this unit to my instruction. A similar project I have used in my class requires students to post slideshows of their best work on a Wordpress blog and critique and respond to the comments of their classmates, which is similar to the process outlined in this unit using Flickr.

Standard 5: Evaluation
5.1 Problem Analysis
505 - Evaluation Proposal Identifying and analyzing problems is clearly a key element of the job of an evaluator. It is imperative that the evaluator gathers as much information as possible regarding the problem and also that they possess an awareness for potential problems that may arise during the delivery of a program including the

evaluation. A good evaluator needs to be a part time psychologist or at least have the ability to understand the motives and actions of people. Through careful consideration of all potential problems, an evaluator can take a proactive approach to issues and address them in an evaluation with the ultimate intent of making recommendations for improvement. This artifact was created in Edtech 505 and is a mock proposal by a company to conduct an evaluation of a three part training program for school administrators and graduate students designed to train learners in setting goals, analyzing problems, and deriving objectives for the purposes of planning effective school programs. Through the development of this artifact I demonstrate mastery of this standard because it was necessary to identify and analyze the nature and parameters of the problem central to the evaluation through the proposed development of information gathering and analytical process in order to submit a proposal for evaluation to the fictitious company. Through the process of developing this artifact, I was able to propose appropriate techniques for gathering information with the ultimate goal of establishing the effectiveness of their program and making recommendations for improvements. This assignment also required a careful analysis of the proposal process for professional evaluations. Through this analysis I was able to gain an understanding of the process in the professional world and apply these strategies to my own work. Also, by looking at the proposal process it became clear what strategies and techniques were required in an actual evaluation.

5.2 Criterion-References Measurement

502 - Imagination and Metaphor: A Webquest As part of the evaluation process for my webquest developed in 502 I have included criterion referenced measurement strategies such as the application of

rubrics. Scoring rubrics are descriptive scoring schemes that are developed by teachers or other evaluators to guide the analysis of the products and/or processes of students efforts (Brookhart, 1999; Moskal, 2000). Some controversy surrounds the use of rubrics in the classroom, however the majority of educators seem to believe that they are a valuable tool for assessment, when designed correctly. Rubrics can be deemed successful when they are both valid and reliable. Validity is assessed by looking closely at content related evidence such as whether or not an assessment is accurately determining a students knowledge of a specific question, or does the question itself pose difficulties which would invalidate the degree to which it assess the students knowledge in that area. Construct related evidence gives an indication in assessment about the reasoning process of an individual when responding to evaluation. In order to be useful, a valid rubric must strive to identify the internal process a learner goes through when responding. When the purpose of an assessment is to evaluate reasoning, both the product (i.e., the answer) and the process (i.e., the explanation) should be requested and examined (Brookhart, 1999; Moskal, 2000). Criterion related evidence in rubrics works to assess learning in relation to external factors such as the application of knowledge in real-world settings. Like any well designed lesson, a rubric with a high validity level should start with clearly define objectives and each element of the assessment should work to define the level of learning within these objectives. Another criteria for a useful rubric is its reliability. The scoring of a learner should potentially be consistent when applied at any time or by any evaluator. One suggested strategy for increasing reliability is the use of anchor papers, which is a reference sheet for raters to use given a set of test responses prior to administering the assessment rubric. If discrepancies exist between responses and raters than the rubric should be revised. This process would be time consuming and perhaps impractical in a busy public school setting, but nonetheless, it would increase reliability. I have

used rubrics for assessment in many of the units developed during classes in the MET program and use them extensively in my own teaching to give students a clear picture of the criteria for mastery of each element of an assignment.

5.3 Formative and Summative Evaluation

542 - PBL Unit (Assessment Page) Part of the planning of any effective Project Based Learning unit is the integration of assessment for learning (formative) and assessment of learning (summative). Formative assessment allows teachers to check in with their students during the learning process and offer support for learning as needed while giving students the opportunity to assess their own progress on the learning continuum. The checklists and rubrics offered as strategies for formative assessment in this artifact allows the teacher to monitor progress and offer support and helps to keep students on track as they progress toward the summative assessment. By providing these sign posts for learning on the journey to the development of the project in the unit, students are able to scaffold knowledge and skills necessary for the creation of the final project. Many of the areas of assessment targeted during this unit are universal in the study of Language Arts and will assess skills and knowledge necessary as the student progresses through other areas of study in the course. The summative assessment in this unit is based on the development of the documentary, which demonstrates and summarizes the learning over the course of the unit.

503 Instructional Design Unit

Part 3b (The Objectives Matrix Table) on my Instructional Design Unit outlines the many formative and summative strategies used in the delivery and assessment of learning in the unit. This table delineates the learning objective while connecting to the Blooms Taxonomy Classification, the format of assessment and the description of test form. Part 6 of the document deals with the formative evaluation procedures for the unit. These procedures involve an expert evaluation of the unit as well as one-to one student evaluations and small group evaluations. These evaluations are determined by interview questions and survey results.

5.4 Long Range Planning

505 - Evaluation of Determining Instructional Purposes Similar to the artifact for standard 5.1 Problem Analysis this artifact is a proposal by a company to conduct an evaluation of a three part training program for school administrators and graduate students designed to train learners in setting goals, analyzing problems, and deriving objectives for the purposes of planning an effective school program. This artifact is a collaboration between myself and two other students in Edtech 505. The process of collaborating with peers on a final draft of the proposal was valuable as we took the best concepts of all three and found ways to merge them into one. We chose to set up a wiki to house all three proposals and to provide an online space for feedback and comments before drafting a final proposal on a new page on this wiki. As a group we considered our individual proposals and synthesized the best of each into one. Through this process I was able to learn from the ideas presented by my classmates, improving the overall content of the document. This artifact represents the long term planning element of this standard because in order to

truly assess the success or failures, strengths and weaknesses of a program one must collect data on the long-term impact or retention and application of learning for learners. Our document employs pre and post implementation analysis as well as long-term follow up and recommendations by the evaluators for improvement. 501- Tech Use Plan This artifact created in Edtech 501 displays long term planning for the implementation of a technology integration plan at a fictitious High School, modeled closely to my own school. This presentation outlines a 5 phase plan over a period of 7 months, which covers the organization of a planning team, needs assessment, and development, formalization, evaluation, revision and presentation of the plan to the learning community. I have used this portions of this planning presentation in the development of our school based planned at Mount Douglas Secondary in Victoria, BC. We have successfully developed a plan here at our school and are in the beginning stages of implementation.

Conclusion
Throughout my two years in the MET program at Boise State I have been challenged and often surprised by what I have learned. The above artifacts represent professional growth, not only theoretically, but practically as well. The course work and projects within have had a direct impact on my teaching and consequently on the progress of my students. I have used direct elements or theoretical knowledge gained from almost every artifact I have created in my classroom and have worked hard to disseminate some of that knowledge to my colleagues. I will continue to be a strong advocate for educational reform and the infusion of technology into curriculum in my school and district.

References
Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2008). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer. Boss S. & Krauss J. (2007) Reinventing Project Based Learning. International Society for Technology in Education. Dewey, J. (1913). Internet and effort in education. Cambridge, MA: Houghton Mifflin. Lohr, L. L. (2008). Creating graphics for learning and performance: Lessons in visual literacy. Prentice Hall Press Moskal, Barbara M. & Jon A. Leydens (2000). Scoring rubric development: validity and reliability. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 7(10). Retrieved November 1, 2011 from: http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=7&n=10 Osin, L. (1996). A Proposal for the Reengineering of the Educational System. Review of Educational Research (0034-6543), 66 (4), p. 621. Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. H. (2010). Integrating educational technology into teaching. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.