6.

1 Candidates demonstrate continual growth in knowledge and skills of current and emerging
technologies and apply them to improve personal productivity and professional practice.

Description

The GaETC Conference Field Experience artifact completed during the ITEC 7410

Technology Leadership & Visions in Schools course was done to demonstrate my passion for

keeping up to date with emerging technologies in an effort to improve my personal productivity

and deepen my knowledge and skills within my professional practice. The GaETC Conference

is held annually in November for three days in Atlanta, GA. Throughout the conference

participants attend various sessions that help to introduce or further develop emerging

technologies and best practices within the classroom. With open discussions and hands on

experiences, participants can sample these opportunities themselves, which in turn allows for

them to report back to their designated schools to share their new found knowledge. In addition

to various sessions, the conference designates space for vendors to share their products, while

participants explore and are provided chances to win numerous items to share with their schools.

Finally, participants are encouraged to share their experiences through different media formats

(videos, pictures, etc.) as well as through different social media platforms.

Standard Mastery

The GaETC Conference Field Experience Log artifact demonstrates my mastery of the

standard through showing my desire for continued professional growth in an effort to learn about

current and emerging technologies to improve my personal productivity and professional

practice. Throughout this conferences I explored various digital tools that can be utilized within

the classroom in simple ways that promote deeper student learning. Finding new ways to engage

our students and connect them to authentic experiences is the goal of any effective Instructional
Technology leader. By attending this conference, I was able to deepen my knowledge, explore

new technologies, and gain more research-based teaching strategies to share with our faculty.

Learning Gained

Through attending the GaETC conference I was able to learn various new strategies to

incorporate with my students, but the one that stood out for me was the exploration of the

Bloxels technology. In exploring this new tool, I was able to experience teaching strategies that

allow for students to demonstrate their learning by experiencing game-based learning

opportunities. Sheninger (2014) states that “integration of Web-based resources, skills, and

technology allows students to use real-world tools to solve real-world problems,” (Sheninger,

2014, p.147). By using this game-based learning opportunity, our students will have an

engaging, authentic learning experience.

In reflecting on my experience attending the GaETC conference, in the future I would

like to present some of what I am currently doing with our emerging technologies. Making the

jump from participant to presenter can be intimidating, but I feel that I have the knowledge and

skills needed to become a presenter for a session that participants will want to attend. For the

upcoming 2018 GaETC Conference, I have submitted a proposal to present best practices with

creating WebQuests and how they can be effectively used in any classroom. Hopefully I will

have the chance to expand my knowledge and utilize my skills as a Instructional Technology

leader.

Impact on School Improvement, Faculty Development, or Student Learning

The knowledge and skills gained through the GaETC Conference Field Experience Log

artifact will have a great impact on student learning. Incorporating newly learned practices

allows for my students to grow academically, develop stronger critical thinking skills, and
experience more holistic learning. Continuing my professional growth allows for more of these

learning opportunities to occur which will continue to impact student learning.

References

Sheninger, E., & Zhao, Y. (2014). Digital leadership: Changing paradigms for changing times.
Corwin, a SAGE company.