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A00164140
Ph.D. in Education
Educational Technology
Walden University
Introduction
obvious or not. Having worked at the community college and high school levels for 28
assistant school administrator, I have seen the need to improve learning among my
charges. The acquisition of knowledge requires transmission, and what best way to do so
Professional Goals
change in society. There are three main goals that will be emphasized throughout my
believe that this experience will pave the way to accomplishing my three goals in their
entirety.
Part 2:Description of Educational Background and Research Proficiency
Introduction
Milton Beresford Francis! Who is he? What are his credentials? What does he
In starting, I am a 28-year veteran high school teacher who was trained in the teaching of
mathematics and the natural sciences at the secondary school level. During those years I
and at times changing my career. After obtaining my teaching certificate that qualifies me
mathematics, thereby obtaining a Certificate in Education (Cert. Ed.). One year after
studies. This took me away from the classroom full time to work with the local Chamber
While I was employed in this position for four years, I did part time teaching of
due to migration to the United States of America (USA). While living and working
(teaching mathematics) in this country, I decided to make another change, and so I
Academic Coursework
Mgnt. Stud.) is a social science degree. Some of the courses done in that program of
studies include
Introduction to Management
Introduction to Sociology
Organizational Behavior
Principles of Marketing
International Marketing
Business Law
Industrial Relations
Organizational Development
In addition to the undergraduate social and behavioral sciences, the 36 credits that
Marketing Management
Like my undergraduate degree, the remaining courses were also of a numerical nature
(Finance, Statistics, Accounting, and Economics). In addition, there was the technology
The social and behavioral sciences done during the advanced certification in
• Educational Psychology
• Argument in Education
Other courses in this program were mathematics content and methods specifics,
Technology (MSIT), 33.3% of which was done online, also took the social and
• Multimedia Authoring
presentations took place when I worked outside of the classroom as a junior manager.
One of the role as the Executive Director of the Junior Achievement (JA) Program was to
travel around the country (my former homeland) and conduct seminars in towns and
villages about the JA Program. It was more of a marketing strategy to high school
principals, teachers, and students about the program, with a few of them coming on
board. I would say that I was near 100% successful, as most of the schools became a part
of the program. In addition to trying to captivate the education audience, I had to conduct
However, in recent times, my workshops have not been about business, but about the use
staged workshops on Professional Development (PD) days, and sometimes after school,
Volunteer Activities
trained as a high school teacher, I was a member of the college’s Key Club (an affiliate of
the Kiwanis Club International). I volunteered in service activities then, like attending to
the elderly by giving the men haircut, shaving their beards, giving manicures and
pedicures, among other things. While studying for my undergraduate degree, I again
became a member of the Key Club and participated in several off campus activities. I
volunteered at church by visiting the sick in hospital and encouraging them with cheerful
words.
Prior Experience Designing and Executing Research
college training years when I aspired to become a teacher. I had to prepare a Child
students as my main plan before implementing the study. There was no major research
My graduate studies saw me involved with a great deal of research work. The two
main ones are in the completed MSIT program and the incomplete MBA program. The
former was a research in mathematics (please see the Field Project in the link of the
MSIT portfolio in the next sub-heading ), and the latter was a research in educational
http://milton2multimedia1project.googlepages.com/uwimbaresearchpaper
Internet, like the link above and my MSIT portfolio at the link below, using the password
‘gradstudent’ http://www.taskstream.com/main/?/francis13/NYITMSITportfolio.html
Teaching Assignments
This is the same as mentioned in my Introduction above. Additionally, I was a
vice principal (assistant principal) of a high school in Jamaica before migrating to the
USA.
Professional Training
where I am expected to train mathematics teachers in the use of the graphing calculator.
Research and Development (R&D). I have good writing skills, but I am not strong with
a late developer. In my teachers’ college years, my GPA was low ( below 3.00 ).
However, it has increased gradually over the years, and I am happy to say that I am a
My Research skills in many areas are strong, especially in statistics and statistical
analysis. My interpretation skills are not bad, and I can evaluate and draw conclusions
for surveys. I can formulate questions for interviews, but I am not good at putting those
These resources are readily available to me and I, not only have access to them
but, know how to utilize their services. On the other hand, however, I do not have any
available library source (books, journals, etc.) nor do I have any reference. With respect
to Informational Technology ( I.T.), I have a few websites of my own, the main one is
http://technologistmiltonbfrancis.htmlplanet.com
Part 3: Plan of Study (The Curriculum Plan) and Program of Study (POS) Form
earmark social change, part of the motto of Walden University, as the cornerstone of my
The Walden doctorate will provide the gateway for this research coupled with scholarly
writing. The assignments of the Knowledge Area Modules (KAMs) will be one of the
ventures to accomplishing these ‘scholarly tasks’. I will be writing two of three core
KAMS, as I have received Transfer of Credit (TOC) for one KAM. I hope to complete
both KAMs in less than two years, simultaneously working on other coursework
disciplines. I have chosen to write the KAMs in the order outlined in my Program of
Study (POS). My first KAM topic will begin with Principles of Human Development.
My first KAM relates to the development of humans and the attitude displayed
towards change. Human effect on change is crucial to both people and societal
development. The two entities are reciprocated. This KAM seeks to provide a solution to
the change strategies which plague the human factor. There may not be an immediate
remedy to the problem, but the solution will take effect in a timely manner. My focus in
this KAM is on the effect that educational technology has on human development.
the educational technology challenges that face today’s work environments. The theories
motivation. These were founded by theorists Jean Piaget (the father of child psychology),
John Dewey (learning theory), Howard Gardner (multiple intelligence theory), Erik
In the depth section of this KAM, I am reviewing how educational technology affects the
human mind, thereby causing human development that has a positive impact on society.
In addition to the theorists mentioned in the breadth, the International Society for
(ITEA) will also play important roles in my research in this component. Integrating my
depth research into my instructional technology practice at the workplace, will provide
the means to couple theory and research and translate them into practice. Having done
this, I will be able to identify a problem or an issue that is relevant, with the hope of
based program and describe its impact on helping high school seniors transitioning from
school to college.
This, my second and final KAM, focuses on social systems and how they relate to
change, as well as how these systems can be analyzed and affect each other. Acquiring a
comprehensive knowledge of these systems is beneficial, as this will allow for the
understanding of the nature of the change to be effected. The social systems; which
involves the economic system, the legal system, the political system, and the cultural
system, among others; form social structures within a society. These structures, in turn,
form relationships with each other. My focus in this KAM is on the effect that
educational technology challenges that face today’s work environments. The theorists
that I choose to review includes Emile Durkheim (the breakdown of social norms and the
impersonality of social life), Max Weber (founder of the modern study of sociology), and
In the depth section of this KAM, I am reviewing how the educational technology system
impacts the social systems, thereby causing a positive effect. In addition to the theorists
mentioned in the breadth, the works of American historian of science Debora Hammond
(thinking about the complex systems) will also be reviewed in this component. Mixing
my depth research with my instructional technology practice at the worksite, will provide
the means to combine theory and research and translate them into practice. The
of the wider social systems by solving a problem or resolving an issue specifically geared
to the educational technology system, with a view of the mutual impact they have on
each other.
My Program of Study
allows me 9 months to complete each of my two KAMs, each of my three core research
courses will be done in one quarter, each of my advanced courses (Ed. Tech
specialization) will also be done in one quarter, and my advanced research course will be
done in one quarter also. I plan to complete my dissertation over a 12-month (4 quarters)
period. This time period also includes two 4-day and two 6-day residencies to achieve the
20 residency units required for the doctoral degree. My wish is to complete this degree in
a shorter time period, but I believe that this is a more realistic goal and my time will be