6.3 Field Experiences
Candidates engage in appropriate field experiences to synthesize and apply the content and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions identified in these standards. (PSC 6.3)
ITEC 7410
Technology Grant Proposal
To fully realize the position of instructional technology leader, one has to decide why, how, when, what, and where technology may be integrated with education so as to promote a shared vision for the school and to serve the aims of ideal learning. The Technology Grant Proposal allowed me to explore the role of an instructional tech leader and to gain skills in proposing that funds be allocated for a digital tool that would allow us to promote the aims of our IB World School. Researching the digital tools that would promote our aims and then finding funds for it and justifying its cost is all part of the field experience that synthesizes the skills I have learned as an ITEC leader.
Even though I want to remain in the classroom rather than transition to administration as an ITEC leader, there may be a time where I will have to actually choose a digital platform to provide additional learning for our students and write a grant and propose funds be allocated for this purpose. In fact, this grant could very well be handed to the Foundation, a group or parents at our school who fund special projects like this one that teachers really don’t have itemized funds for. I used this technology grant to practice the skill of justifying my choice of digital tool using research and aligning the goals of the tool with the vision of our IB school. Thus, I was engaged in the actual field experience of recommending and writing a grant for a technology implementation. To do this proprerly, I had to synthesize the content, knowledge, and skills of my coursework.
For instance, I used the idea I’d learned about critical thinking in the TIMM, Engaged Learning document, and SAMR models to organize my thinking about how to justify the Flat Connections site. Since participating in the project involves so many of the characteristics of good learning with technology, I thought it was wise to use research I’d learned to speak to my audience who may, or may not, understand the reasons technology ought to be included in learning. Then, I was able to use my knowledge of internet safety and digital citizenship for students in the ISTE standards to address the ways the platform protects student safety, too. As a groups of parents, The Foundation is a special set of stakeholders, as they are concerned with their children’s overall online presence as well as they want the best tools they can find for their learning.
The grant proposal demonstrated to me that I didn’t know enough about how to secure funds. I learned that through this activity. Further, I discovered that a lot of other teachers didn’t know that funds were available through this Foundation. I wish I’d completed the Foundation grant proposal along with this one. Noting the contrasts between this assigned proposal and the one that is required through our school’s foundation would have been helpful in knowing what to include in the one that I will actually try to get money for.
In the grant I write about the way that the Flat Connections project serves the aims of IB, namely, connectivity and understanding world cultures other than our own. In recommending the tool to other teachers, I have discovered that other populations in our school are very interested in this kind of activity - not just our IB kids. In particular, the ELL population is very interested! I have been inspired to write about the Project on our teacher communication page and include a link in case teachers would like to join our subscription.
Technology Grant Proposal
To fully realize the position of instructional technology leader, one has to decide why, how, when, what, and where technology may be integrated with education so as to promote a shared vision for the school and to serve the aims of ideal learning. The Technology Grant Proposal allowed me to explore the role of an instructional tech leader and to gain skills in proposing that funds be allocated for a digital tool that would allow us to promote the aims of our IB World School. Researching the digital tools that would promote our aims and then finding funds for it and justifying its cost is all part of the field experience that synthesizes the skills I have learned as an ITEC leader.
Even though I want to remain in the classroom rather than transition to administration as an ITEC leader, there may be a time where I will have to actually choose a digital platform to provide additional learning for our students and write a grant and propose funds be allocated for this purpose. In fact, this grant could very well be handed to the Foundation, a group or parents at our school who fund special projects like this one that teachers really don’t have itemized funds for. I used this technology grant to practice the skill of justifying my choice of digital tool using research and aligning the goals of the tool with the vision of our IB school. Thus, I was engaged in the actual field experience of recommending and writing a grant for a technology implementation. To do this proprerly, I had to synthesize the content, knowledge, and skills of my coursework.
For instance, I used the idea I’d learned about critical thinking in the TIMM, Engaged Learning document, and SAMR models to organize my thinking about how to justify the Flat Connections site. Since participating in the project involves so many of the characteristics of good learning with technology, I thought it was wise to use research I’d learned to speak to my audience who may, or may not, understand the reasons technology ought to be included in learning. Then, I was able to use my knowledge of internet safety and digital citizenship for students in the ISTE standards to address the ways the platform protects student safety, too. As a groups of parents, The Foundation is a special set of stakeholders, as they are concerned with their children’s overall online presence as well as they want the best tools they can find for their learning.
The grant proposal demonstrated to me that I didn’t know enough about how to secure funds. I learned that through this activity. Further, I discovered that a lot of other teachers didn’t know that funds were available through this Foundation. I wish I’d completed the Foundation grant proposal along with this one. Noting the contrasts between this assigned proposal and the one that is required through our school’s foundation would have been helpful in knowing what to include in the one that I will actually try to get money for.
In the grant I write about the way that the Flat Connections project serves the aims of IB, namely, connectivity and understanding world cultures other than our own. In recommending the tool to other teachers, I have discovered that other populations in our school are very interested in this kind of activity - not just our IB kids. In particular, the ELL population is very interested! I have been inspired to write about the Project on our teacher communication page and include a link in case teachers would like to join our subscription.