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Growth and Dispositions Assessment

Lauren Wallace Keaney


EDUC 526 Capstone Experience in Digital Teaching and Learning
Dr. Jennifer Courduff
Online Campus
E-Portfolio: http://laurenwallacedtl.weebly.com/
December 1, 2014

Section One
Introduction
I enrolled in the Digital Teaching and Learning Program on a whim, frankly. I had
started a new job in August of 2013 and anticipated pouring a lot of time and energy into
learning the ropes of a new position. My husband had begun a Masters in Education
program at UCLA in August as well, and we both entered the new school year geared up for
a demanding season of work and school. However, a month and a half into my new job, it
was clear that, while I had a lot to learn to master my new position, it would require very
little time outside of school hours. I had planned to pursue a masters in the 2014-2015
school year, to give myself time to get used to a new job and space out my and my
husband's graduate work. But, in mid-September, after recognizing that I did not need the
new-job adjustment period I had anticipated, and realizing that completing my Masters at
the same time as my husband would be ideal, I began to frantically look for Masters
programs that were still accepting applicants. APUs program fit the practical needs I had; I
could take classes online, start in the middle of November, and be done in less than a year
and a half.
I have been a high school Transitions Teacher for the entire time I have been in this
program. Before that, I taught SDC at a high school for five years. My job as a Transitions
Teacher is an ideal job in conjunction with this program. I teach 5-7 classes per week, and
the rest of my day is spent working one-on-one with students, managing a work experience
program, and attending IEPs for seniors who need extra guidance in preparing for
graduation. There is very little work outside the school day, which is a significant
difference from my previous job as a classroom teacher. The extra time this job affords me,
while still allowing me time in the classroom, allows me to complete coursework in a
meaningful way, without too much time-related stress.
My goals in getting a Masters were pretty straightforward. I was looking for a
program that gave me the degree I wanted (Special Education), within the last-minute time
frame I was working with. I wanted a program with coursework that was meaningful for
the work I do (which is why I selected DTL as my focus), would add to my resume, and
would allow me to take classes near my home or online.

Personal Growth
I have learned a lot about myself and my learning style through this program. As
convenient as the online format has been, I think my experience has been compromised by
doing it this way. I have learned that courses lack meaning for me when I do not have a
connection to the person teaching them. In many of my courses (mainly SPED courses
conducted solely through Sakai) it has been challenging to contact professors, receive work
back in a timely way, and obtain helpful feedback that I believe is critical for my own
growth. However, in the courses where contact with my professor was accessible, the
course was structured to be interactive, and feedback was personalized and meaningful
(EDUC 512, 514, 522, 526), I did not find that the online format impacted the benefits of the
course.
On a personal level, I will be proud and relieved to complete this degree. Obtaining
my Masters has certainly been a goal since I began teaching, and it will be wonderful to
have it behind me. I hoped to complete my Masters before starting to have children, and I
will be done with the program in January and my first child is due in March. Choosing this
particular program allowed me to accomplish my goal of getting a Masters before
embarking on parenthood, and that is invaluable.
Professional Growth
There are several ways that I have seen professional growth through my time in this
program. Because of the communication challenges inherent in an online program, I have
been pushed to learn to communicate more clearly and directly. It was difficult at first, to
communicate solely through email, and navigate miscommunications and professional
frustrations without the ability to speak face-to-face, but I believe that I learned
communication and self-advocacy skills through that process that will benefit me in the
future as a professional. The DTL portion of the program specifically, has contributed to
my growth as a professional, by teaching me and exposing me to a variety of different
technology tools that are making me a better teacher, a more efficient professional, and a
more desirable employee.
My Action Research Study is also helping me explore new ways to be effective in my
job and to identify student needs and methods of meeting those needs. I am investigating

strategies to help seniors with special needs gain an understanding of their realistic
options for life after high school, and write a checklist of steps to take in their last semester
of high school to help them reach their post-secondary goal.
Technical Growth
The area of greatest growth for me in this program has definitely been in the area of
technology. My best courses have been those in the DTL portion of my program. Before
beginning this program, I would have described myself as someone who was was
comfortable with technology but really only used it for very specific tasks. I had an iPhone,
which I used for calls, texts, email, and social networking. I had an iPad, which I used for
social networking, web browsing, and streaming music. I also had an older model
MacBook, which I used for photos, web browsing, and word processing. When I began this
program, I purchased a new MacBook, which was a very helpful jumpstart for all the new
tasks I would be learning. I have seen my familiarity with technology grow immensely
through this program, as well as my exposure to apps and programs that increase my
productivity and creativity. I now use Google Docs for all my work, which has been so
helpful, because I can access my work from any device, I dont have to worry about saving
or losing data, and I am able to share and edit documents with others.
I have grown extensively in my integration of technology into my work. In EDUC
515, I created a website that I have been using in my job (although I still need to work on
keeping it updated!). In EDUC 514, I learned so much about video editing, especially using
my iMovie on my iPad. In EDUC 522, I continued to practice my video editing skills, and
also focused on including technology in my instructional program in order to help students
with differing learning styles.
Lifelong Learning Plan
As I think back on how much I have learned (especially with regard to technology)
in just the last year, I realize that I will have to be very intentional about keeping up-to-date
on technological developments in the future. One thing that is clear to me is that
technology changes at a rapid rate and obsolete methods and tools can be next-to-useless.
In order to stay connected and relevant, I will need to stay a part of a community of
educators who are committed to using technology in meaningful ways. Participating in

CUE conferences and ISTE is a good way to maintain a current knowledge of tech tools for
education.
One goal I have for the time after I complete this program, is to update my
professional website, and implement a plan for keeping it updated. I think that, in my
position, because I dont see my students every day, it is even more important that I have
an online presence that students can access and use to get information and communicate
with me. In 5-10 years, I see myself continuing to work with students with special needs,
but possibly in an even more tech-centered context. I am beginning to look into job
opportunities in the home school sector, as an education specialist. In this capacity, a large
part of my work would be done remotely, troubleshooting instructional challenges,
supporting parents, and communicating with curriculum providers. I am so thankful for
the technological education and experience I have obtained in this program, because I think
it directly prepares me for what I hope will be my future career path, as well as boosts my
resume and makes my career goals much more realistic.

Section Two
History of Coursework and Course Evaluation
Lauren
Wallace

Fall 2, 2014

Live Binder:
http://www.
livebinders.c
om/play/pla
y?id=116807
1&backurl=/
shelf/my

COURSE

COURSE TITLE/
INSTRUCTOR

TERM
COMPLETED

KEY SKILLS
ACQUIRED

COMMENTS/
SUGGESTIONS

EDUC 511

Foundations in
Digital Teaching
and Learning

Fall 2, 2013

Use of Wordle,
LiveBinder, and
Prezi

This was a good


intro course. It was
not intensive, but it
oriented my mind
to the things we
would be thinking
about and learning
in the DTL program.

Fall 2, 2013

Better
understanding of
educational uses
for my iPad,
learned to use
Google Hangout
and the whole
suite of Google
applications,

Mark Rounds was a


great professor. He
was patient and
thoughtful in how
he structured the
course and helped
those of us who
were unfamiliar
with some of the
technology we were
using.

Spring 2,
2014

iMovie,
techniques for
photography and
video, YouTube
channel

Bill was a
wonderful
professor. He was
very passionate
about education
and about using
technology to
capture students
attention,
streamline our
teaching practice,

INSTRUCTOR:
Joanne Gilbreath

EDUC 512

Instructional
Applications
Productivity
Software
INSTRUCTOR:
Mark Rounds

EDUC 514

Digital Video in
the Classroom
INSTRUCTOR:
Bill Selak

and bring
instruction into the
21st century. It
was clear that he
cared a tremendous
amount about what
he was teaching
and used all the
tools and
techniques in his
own classroom.
EDUC 515

Evolving
Educational
Technologies

Spring 1,
2014

Built a website
using Weebly,
started to use
Twitter, Blogger

Building a website
was by far the most
useful part of this
course for me.
Jason cared a lot
that we learned
relevant
information in the
course and that we
were growing more
comfortable with
having an online
presence. This
course was very
lecture-heavy and
could benefit from
some of the flipped
classroom
techniques we
studied while in the
course.

Fall 1, 2014

Understanding
multiple
intelligences and
their implications
in the classroom,
embedding
technology into
lesson planning,
MANY apps,
iMovie, Adobe
Connect

Jennifer is an
excellent professor.
This course was
rigorous and
challenging, but
was structured in
such a way that we
were supported
through the process
of creating our final
projects. She had

INSTRUCTOR:
Jason Seliskar

EDUC 522

Learning in the
21st Century
INSTRUCTOR:
Jennifer Courduff

clearly put
extensive thought
and energy into
creating the course,
and it was practical,
coherent, useful,
and fascinating.
EDUC 526

Capstone
Experience/
Digital Teaching
and
Learning
INSTRUCTOR:
Jennifer Courduff

Fall 2, 2014

Action Research,
developing a techrich curricular
unit plan that
caters to multiple
intelligences

So far this course is


off to a great start
and is shaping up to
be a strong
culmination of all
the skills and
resources we have
gained throughout
the program

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