REFLECTION ON LEARNING 1

Running head: REFLECTION ON LEARNING

Reflection on Learning: Application to Professional Practice Reflective Essay

Hanna Grimes
University of West Georgia
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Introduction

I am currently employed as a school library media specialist in Cobb County Georgia.

My essential duties include providing leadership for the media program and planning

collaboratively for the use of information resources and needs. I am also responsible for

administering and maintaining a center and program that foster a positive learning

environment while ensuring effective organization and accessibility of the center and its

resources. I select and order resources consistent with system policies and school curriculum

needs. I collaborate with teachers to integrate literature, resources and information literacy

skills into the curriculum. I develop and provide instructional opportunities with information

technologies for staff and students and provide information about copyright laws.

Additionally, I perform other various duties as assigned by the administrator.

In the future I would like to become a Technology Integration Specialists for a school. As

the research proves, I believe that in order for teachers to successfully integrate technology

into the curriculum, on-going professional development is required (Burns-Sardone, 2014).

Many teachers do not have the time or resources to go back to school to learn about this ever

changing field of technology. Professional learning communities within the school system

and individual schools should take on the job of keeping our educators current, equipped and

confident so that they may better educate our children. According to Reigeluth and Duffy,

this transformation cannot occur without the effective systematic application of instructional

technologies (2014, p. 4).

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Review of Learning

For this course, there were four main course objectives. These objectives led me to

identify and evaluate the use of emerging instructional technologies, investigate trends in the

field, examine and evaluate related problems, and discuss the impact of these new

technologies in the schools and among its stakeholders. Ive read many thought provoking

articles, research summaries, and a good portion of the book Disrupting class: How

disruptive innovation will change the way the world learns. After each reading we were

instructed to discuss our findings with our classmates and think about the implications these

theories and findings could possibly have within our current professions.

I particularly enjoyed reading the chapters in Christensens book. Reading and learning

about the process of diffusing innovation outside the scope of education but through the lens

of big business and industry really helped me to see and understand that motivating a person

to do something is an issue that extends far beyond the classroom walls. Every organization

faces this issue. Learning must be intrinsic. As educators, we must create intrinsic methods

for teaching (Christensen, 2011).

With this course being one of my first two courses in attempting to earn my Specialists

degree in Instructional Technology, I feel I did pretty well. Being a wife and a mother of two

toddlers, time management was a huge hurdle. It also took a while for me to get back into

reading research and technical writing and taking meaningful notes while reading. However,

all of my assignments have been completed and turned in as required.

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Implications

What I have learned in this course will influence my approach to my professional work.

Having read extensively about the importance of student-centric technology, from here on

out, any technology that I use in my media program and or recommend to teachers will be

student-centric. Technology is not just a tool for us to use as a tool, but as a way to make

learning more collaborative and authentic to the student. Additionally, before I present a

solution to any issue that arises, I plan to do my research to see how and if others have had

the same issue and investigate how they solved it. I had no idea so much research had been

done on BYOD. Knowing what I now know from reading the research, I think I am well

equipped to help write a plan to have it implemented at our school.

Conclusion

In conclusion, beginning the University of West Georgias Instructional Technology

program this summer is a huge opportunity for me. As I look over my outline of courses, I

am very confident that my skill set and knowledge base about educational technology will

increase exponentially which will lead to strengthening my library media program and

opening the door for me to obtain other technology positions in a school system. Keeping

current with the trends and understanding the culture and beliefs of this Net Generation

while understanding the importance of skillfully diffusing any innovation, will enable me to

help change the way the world learns.

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References
Burns-Sardone, N. (2014). Making the Case for BYOD Instruction in Teacher Education. Issues
In Informing Science & Information Technology, 11191-201.
Christensen, C. M., Horn, M. B., & Johnson, C. W. (2011). Disrupting class: How disruptive
innovation will change the way the world learns. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Cuban, L. (2001). Oversold and underused: Computers in the classroom. Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press.
Reiguluth, C & Duffy, F. (2013). Paradigm Change in Education. Educational
Technology, 61(5), 3-6.