EDLD 5352 Instructional Leadership

COURSE REFLECTIONS

Before starting the week one assignment, I read the Course Description and Learning Outcomes
to get a feel for what I would be learning in EDLD 5352: Instructional Leadership. Now that I have
completed the course, I think the Course Description may need to be adjusted to better reflect
what is actually taught in the course. My initial idea was that this course would be an extension of
EDLD 5311: Fundamentals of Leadership. In actuality, this course showed the importance of
instructional leadership in terms of how technology can and should be used to maximize the
learning process and fully prepare students for the 21st century and the Principals role in making
sure this occurs.
Due to reading the Course Outcomes prior to beginning the course, I had envisioned many
outcomes that I hoped to learn. Because I am a 25 year veteran of education, I knew my
technology skills were severely lacking. The technology skills assessment exercise in week 1
only supported what I already knew. Learning to setup a blog, posting on the blog, creating and
posting a PowerPoint presentation, and simply improving in navigating the Brighten software
were skills that I previously had not mastered. I am much more knowledgeable about the
technology responsibilities of the administrators. The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology,
the STaR Chart, and the Technology Applications TEKS revealed valuable information as it
relates to the role of the Principal in integrating technology into instruction.

One of the most relevant outcomes of this course that will directly impact my job is the usefulness
of the PowerPoint presentations. As the district’s Athletic Director, I organize and provide a two
day professional development opportunity for our athletic staff. Incorporating the PowerPoint into
this professional development opportunity will make these two days more valuable and
meaningful. I have also started the process of evaluating and making positive changes to the
Athletic Department’s tab on the school district’s website. This course has helped me to
understand how technology can make the athletic portion of the website more meaningful and
accessible to community members and parents.

The only outcome of this course that I still have a concern about is the facilitating the design and
implementation of curricula and strategic plans that enhance teaching and learning. Because I
have not been teaching in the classroom in many years, I am unfamiliar with many of the new
teaching techniques and standards. This, in addition to the expansive growth in the use of
technology tools, has made me aware that I still have much to learn in this area. I do believe that
someone who is currently teaching in the classroom can relate more easily to the implementation
of curricula and strategic plans to enhance teaching and learning. As this masters program
continues, I plan to travel with the principal as he observes teachers so that I can see the things
that were taught in EDLD 5352 being performed in the classroom during instruction. I am a visual
learner and I think this will allow me to gain a greater understanding in this area.

I feel I was successful in carrying out the course assignments. Already I have put what I have
learned into use. As a member of the Superintendent’s Cabinet, we meet once a month with the
Superintendent. The Superintendent started a book study. There were four books to choose
from. Each cabinet member who chose the same book was grouped together. We were then
instructed to find a time to periodically meet as a group to discuss each chapter. I suggested that
our group develop a blog site and communicate on it by blogging rather than by meeting. This is
now our plan. I would have never thought of this had it not been for the article “Blog Revolution:
Expanding Classroom Horizons with Web Logs” by Will Richardson.
My only frustration with the course assignments had to do with the reading assignments and
corresponding discussion posts. I tried to comply with the coach’s request to have these done by
Thursday. Usually less than half of the group accomplished this by Thursday which made moving
on to the rest of the assignment difficult for me. Reading the discussion board was a big help for
me in successfully completing the weekly assignment because of the many different perspectives
that were given. I hope that the Lamar University professors would possibly examine instituting a
deadline for the initial readings and corresponding posts. Setting aside 15 minutes a day on
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to complete these readings/posts is an easy goal to
accomplish regardless of someone’s schedule.

I learned many things from this course. Probably the most important aspect of this course that I
learned was the undeniable learning opportunities that technology can provide. The importance
of teachers incorporating the use of technology in instruction to maximize learning and prepare
students for the 21st century is now recognized as a necessity rather than an option. Another
important aspect, concerning technology, was a problematic one. I learned that, while teachers
were using technology in their lessons, not enough students were actively involved in using the
hands on technology tools while learning.
When beginning this course, I was very uncomfortable with technology due to my lack of
knowledge and skills. While I am still a long way from being “tech savvy”, the fear of the unknown
has eased due to what I have learned through this class.
Lastly, I learned that it is important for the Campus Principal to have considerable technology
skills or understanding. If he/she does not possess these skills, the Principal needs to make sure
one of the assistant principals does have the needed technology skills and understanding in order
to meet the needs of the staff and students.

The educational value of blogs and blogging to the 21st century learner has the same importance
for students and educators. Blogs provide an opportunity for anyone to collaborate, build content,
and learn in groups. Blogs allow educators to share ideas and students to receive relevant
information from multiple sources. An example of this could be a class of students receiving
information from many people who are experts in a field of study by utilizing a blog.
Some concerns are also evident while blogging and using blogs. The safety issue concerning
children is a definite concern. Since I have had multiple middle school aged children, I have seen
the effects of cyber bullying and intimidation first hand. Educators, as well as parents, need to be
proactive in educating children on internet safety and cyber-ethics. Schools can assist in this
area by clearly educating students and parents on technology acceptable use policies.
Blogs can also help in disseminating information to stakeholders. Anytime major decisions need
to be made in the field of education, the input of all stakeholders needs to be utilized. Blogs and
blogging are an easy and efficient way to collaborate with stakeholders in order to make the best
possible decision and get buy-in from community members, students, and teachers.

In summary, this class has been very valuable to me by showing me the tools needed to make
professional growth in technology. The information that is provided by STaR Charts, the Texas
Long Range Plan for Technology, and the Technology Applications TEKS are valuable in
developing a technology plan for a district or campus. I am now much more appreciative of the
responsibility that principals have in modeling technology to staff and leading staff in the use of
technology to serve the needs of today’s students. I am also aware of the potential problems that
can arise when students use technology and the safeguards that can be used to avoid these
problems.