Everlasting Learner

Viviana Fernandez
EDUC 526 Capstone Experience in Digital Teaching and Learning
Professor: Dr. Gilbreath
Azusa Pacific Main Campus
LiveBinder
July 8, 2014













SECTION ONE:
Introduction
I have always been an enthusiast of technology. Every aspect of how technology
has changed the world has only enhanced my everyday life and education experience.
During student teaching I found myself having to create a unit on the book Island of the
Blue Dolphins. My master teacher gave me the freedom to do what I wanted with this. I
began to research and did not find much on this topic that caught my attention as being
worthy of an introduction to the book. The only thing I found was a brief history of the
book and biography of the author. Instead of just reading this to my students I decided to
make a prezi presentation to introduce the author and then the history of the woman he
writes about in his book. In the end I had created a great visual of the books background.
I included images; video and even audio of the woman the main character in the book
was based on. My mentor Dr. Jeffery Lee, who is an expert in technology integration and
is a respected educator/researcher, supported and fostered my growth in continuing to
integrate technology in my lessons. He suggested I master the art of technology
integration by continuing to further my education earn my masters in Digital Teaching
and Learning.

I received much praise from all the veteran teachers for my integration of
technology as well as from my students wanting to see more prezi presentations. For this
reason I decided go and continue to receive my Masters in Digital Teaching and
Learning. As I began my courses I did not know anyone. Everyone in my cohort had
already begun their masters in another emphasis. I was new to this group of people and
not too excited about it. A few projects later I began the friendships that I know will last a
lifetime. We are all enthusiasts of technology and its power in the classroom. We were
all very familiar with technology and essentially were hoping to learn more about how to
integrate these skills into our lessons and curriculum in general. I was more concerned
with learning how to effectively use technology teach and not to babysit.



Personal Growth
Through out this wonderful program I have learned many invaluable skills from
amazing professionals. Aside from the content I expected to learn I gained other skills.
These skills are among the best skills any professional can have. I learned how to work
under pressure and deadlines. I was already working full time and trying to go to school
was something that really overwhelmed me. At first I was not sure how I was going to get
through it but as I went on my professors really modeled how to break down big projects,
assignments and responsibilities. I worked through some of what I considered to be huge
projects while working full time and I put in my best effort. Along with the confidence
levels of taking on work I would have never thought I could handle it was a wonderful
experience getting to now amazing Christian professionals who work hard to be the best
inside and out. I have a passion for being an individual that can change others just by
being an example of a good-hearted, Christian professional who devotes their life to be a
service for children. My experience here has showed me that the idea of the person I want
to become is indeed possible and there are others who are living proof of this. Everyone I
have met here holds a special place in my heart, I have learned much about teaching and
innovation but learned much more from the relationships I have made. The Hidden
Curriculum sure does exist in graduate school as well.

Professional Growth
Upon completing my Multiple Subject credential and Master in Digital Teaching
and learning I have grown a great deal as an educator. Beginning with learning about
classroom management, procedures as well as the latest and most effective techniques to
teach. Through out student teaching I got first hand experience on what its like to have
my first classroom as well as participate in collaboration meetings and school events. I
was very lucky to be mentored by a person who I respect highly. He pushed me a great
deal to refine my lesson writing, delivery as well as technology integration. As I
continued on to my Master of Arts in Digital Learning I realized there was much I had to
learn about technology. I love how my eyes were really opened up to see the difference
between images and video that are effective versus video and images that are poorly,
which in turn makes them inefficient. Just knowing the basics of photography and video
making/editing makes an impact on the products I produce. For that reason anything I
create or bring into my classroom will be that more effective. Also, learning about and
applying Gardners theory on Multiple Intelligences is a skill that will last a lifetime.
Once I learned Gardners Theory and began to look at people differently, see them
through their strongest intelligence and begin to really understand the basis of their
behavior. This is something one just cannot unlearn or not think about once learned. This
particular skill will make me the most purposeful and effective lesson creator.

Before starting the program on Digital teaching and learning I knew that
technology has changed our way of living in every sense of the word. It has opened up
the entire world and made it available to everyone and anyone. In the past the teacher was
the source of all knowledge. If a child learned something new it was because their teacher
had presented that new information and passed on their knowledge. Now children are
able to attain all sorts of information with just a click away. This has changed teaching
and learning in schools dramatically. Children are teaching themselves what they are
interested in learning and in a way they prefer to learn. They come into school and are
being taught something they might not be necessarily interested in and in a way that they
do not care to learn in. Knowing this made me feel incompetent. I was threatened by the
idea that I might not be able to reach this new generation of students. I was concerned
with not being able to use technology for learning purposes. All of these concerns are
gone now. I have not only learned enough to gain confidence in using and integrating
technology but in my ability to grow professionally by using all of the resources I have
and learned about. My view on education today still remains the same, what changed is
my view on my ability to match the evolving times.
I was an instructional aide for special education and am now working as a
substitute teacher for the same district. I feel a sense of pride in that I am moving up and
on in my professional career. As a substitute teacher I am being exposed to many more
learning opportunities that continue to help me grow as and educator and will help in
refining my delivery skills as well as classroom management. Any chance I get I make
sure to take out my iPad and try something new with my students. I love having some
extra time left over just to try out some new applications or websites I have come across.
These are the moments where I learn much more about my students. Sometimes I get to
see their intelligences shine right through which only feeds my yearning to have my own
classroom already. Being a substitute teacher has also helped me build my professional
network list though meeting new teacher and principals every day.
Technical Growth
Prior to starting the program I felt that I was tech savvy. I knew how to the
technology that I knew about. The program not only reinforced what I already knew but
opened up a whole new world of technology I did not even know existed. I also learned
how this technology fits in the classroom as well as integrated effectively. Knowing how
to use Google Docs, Spreadsheets, Google drive, prezi, Keynote, iMovie, Garageband,
etc. will give me a great jump start into becoming an innovative educator. I also learned
about some amazing apps that have changed the experience in the classroom like, Class
Dojo, Talking News, Songify, Animoto, Skitch, 8Mm, Common Core app, Chatterbox,
Remind 101, Action Movie, Animate, etc. I can go on for ever naming all of the great
apps I have learned about. I am also so glad I was pushed to learn the power of Twitter in
education.
Life long Learning Plan
I have reached a level of learning where I do feel that I have mastered somewhat
of technology in education although the reality is that this will be temporary. Technology
is evolving and changing daily. I know most of what I learned will soon be outdated and
more great stuff will continue to come out but with Twitter and becoming involved like I
am now it in, I feel that I will never be left behind in the world of outdated devices, apps
and programs. This program has given me more than just the current popular apps and
devices but has given me the resources to become a life long learner and the confidence
to put myself out there and network with other amazing educators through the use of
Podcasts, Twitter, and Blogging. On Twitter I can follow educators who are trying new
things and succeeding in innovating the classroom experience using technology.
These individuals are an inspiration to the new individuals coming into the field.
They are all-open to sharing their work and even hold mini chats or conferences on how
to implement their ideas. What more could a new educator ask for. Places to see what
professionals are doing daily in their classroom, whats working for them and whats not
working so well. A place where new teachers can communicate with each other for
support in their specific grade level as well as a place where all these individuals can
come together, professionals or not and just talk about their ideas and thoughts. Possibly
one of the best support systems to ever exist, how exhilarating is this! I give Azusa
Pacifics Digital Teaching and Learning Masters program and solid ten. I only hope to
become as great as the EduAwesome professionals I continue to encounter. In five years I
hope to be in a classroom of my own. I hope to have created my own application that is
effective as well as master my skills in educating this new generation of children.
Section Two:
Name:

Term:
VIviana Fernandez

Summer 2014
LiveBinder
URL:

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=12
50465
Course
Course Title &
Instructor Name
Term
Completed
Key Skills Acquired Comments/Suggestions
EDUC
511

Foundations in
Digital Teaching
and Learning

INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Gilbreath
Spring 1
Understanding of the new
generation of students.
Understanding of my own
technology skills.
Loved learning about live binder.
EDUC
512

Instructional
Applications
Productivity
Software

INSTRUCTOR:
Spring 1
Learned the essential
productivity software and
how to implement and use
in instruction.
I like the way the web quest was
nicely spread out through the course
of the class.
Hernandez
EDUC
514

Digital Video in
the Classroom

INSTRUCTOR:
Selak
Spring 2
Basics of video project
composition. Learned
how to create fully
effective video to teach.
Great class I wish it could be a two
part class. There is so much to learn
about this topic.
EDUC
515

Evolving
Educational
Technologies

INSTRUCTOR:
Selak
Summer
The evolution of
technology. Learned
about all current
technology to enhance
teaching. Ex: Google
Docs
Being forced to tweet, blog and share
on the community page was horrible
but such a great learning experience.
EDUC
522

Learning in the
21st Century

INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Courduff
Spring 2
Gained an understanding
on how different
individuals acquire and
process information.
Multiple Intelligences.
Professors ability to take a difficult
course and make it feel as if doable
was amazing. Great professor for
such a difficult course.
EDUC
526

Capstone
Experience/ Digital
Teaching and
Learning

INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Gilbreath
Summer
Learned more about
myself and research skills.
Action Research Project was a great
assignment. Everything I learned
from this experience can be
translated into my classroom.

Evaluation of the Impact of the Digital Teaching and Learning Program
One skill that I cannot unlearn is creating visually pleasing, effective, and
innovative videos. I cannot watch a video now with out picking it apart for its quality and
effectiveness. Knowing that flipped classrooms are not becoming a norm with in the
public classrooms, knowing that this strategy actually works I will be creating effective
video lessons. These videos will be powerful in the sense that they will show
competence, quality innovation. If my students will be learning from a computer screen I
want to give the same essence of being in the classroom with me. I feel that my digital
video course should have been a two-part course. There is so much to learn when it
comes to video and I believe more time should be spent teaching effective video making
because video is the future for spreading information.
Program Evaluation
Over all my Azusa Pacific was not what I expected it to be. I did not have the
experience I expected to have, I ended up having much more than I expected. I knew I
was applying for a well-respected school for its quality education and that is exactly what
I got. The experience of quality education from prodigious, compassionate professors and
wonderful classmate is incalculable.