Selecting and Evaluating Digital Tools & Resources
Candidates collaborate with teachers and administrators to select and evaluate digital tools and resources for accuracy, suitability, and compatibility with the school technology infrastructure. (PSC 3.6/ISTE 3f)
Artifact: Evaluating Emerging Technologies
Reflection
Standard 3:6 outlines the expectations for selecting and evaluating digital tools and resources for accuracy, suitability, and compatibility with the school technology infrastructure. The Evaluating Emerging Technologies Project created in ITEC 7445 is the selected artifact that shows evidence of meeting this standard. The Emerging Technology that I chose to evaluate was the tools associated with Virtual Reality; specifically wearable technology such as Google Cardboard used along with Google Expeditions. Social Studies and Science are classes that can really use wearable technology. Is it compatible at any school? This assignment helped me to evaluate the usefulness of wearable technology at Awtrey and by extension, the Cobb County School District.
In order to select an appropriate technology tool, I had to research what actually constituted an emerging technology. My approach to choosing this technology shows evidence of collaborating on selecting and evaluating digital tools and resources. I first approached the Director of Instructional Technology for the Cobb County School District, Cristin Kennedy, and shared my ideas. I also talked to the technology specialist at Awtrey Middle School and this was a way of gauging interest in the idea and checking as to whether it was even feasible. The next step in the approach was to conduct my own research into how virtual reality and wearable technology is useful in the classroom and how it can support district goals as well as ways to sustain it at the local school level.
While researching the emerging technology, I had to ensure that this equipment is suitable and compatible with the school’s technology infrastructure. One section of my artifact highlights the technical support that exists not only at Awtrey Middle School but at many of the schools throughout the district. This is important because this artifact was made with the idea of presenting the technology for consideration to the Cobb County School District Board Members. The technical support page states that the school has the benefit of the technology specialist but also the requirements needed for use in the school. To show further evidence of accuracy, suitability, and compatibility with the school’s technology infrastructure, I also included a limitations page. On this page, I did highlight that purchasing the preassembled kits would get around any network issues; however, I stated that the cost of these kits could be a limitation. As a result, schools might resort to using student devices and these devices might not always meet the required specifications. Equitable access can be compared to students not being able to pay the cost to go on a physical field trip. In this case, the issue of equitable access arises and not so much of whether the technology is compatible with the school’s technology infrastructure. However, these issues call for discussion when it comes to investing in emerging technology.
The Emerging Technologies Project taught me how to select and evaluate digital tools. I saw what technology leaders have to do when considering a digital tool for a school or school district. Technology leaders have a responsibility of researching whether a digital tool is suitable for use in the school and they have to make decisions based on that research. This assignment gave me practice in that process. If I had to change anything about this process, I would spend more time with district technology leaders discussing some of the most recent technologies that they have evaluated and really learned how they make decisions on whether to accept or reject a new digital tool or resource.
This artifact has not had a noticeable impact on faculty development or student learning yet. I did share the information from the emerging technology with my students and I did have one student that invested in their own personal wearable technology. I also spoke to several faculty members about the technology and they were interested in learning more about how to use it in their content area. Since there is not a definitive impact yet, it is hard to assess any impact. The upcoming school year will determine if it becomes more of a discussion around the school to include wearable technology in content areas such as Social Studies and Science.
Standard 3:6 outlines the expectations for selecting and evaluating digital tools and resources for accuracy, suitability, and compatibility with the school technology infrastructure. The Evaluating Emerging Technologies Project created in ITEC 7445 is the selected artifact that shows evidence of meeting this standard. The Emerging Technology that I chose to evaluate was the tools associated with Virtual Reality; specifically wearable technology such as Google Cardboard used along with Google Expeditions. Social Studies and Science are classes that can really use wearable technology. Is it compatible at any school? This assignment helped me to evaluate the usefulness of wearable technology at Awtrey and by extension, the Cobb County School District.
In order to select an appropriate technology tool, I had to research what actually constituted an emerging technology. My approach to choosing this technology shows evidence of collaborating on selecting and evaluating digital tools and resources. I first approached the Director of Instructional Technology for the Cobb County School District, Cristin Kennedy, and shared my ideas. I also talked to the technology specialist at Awtrey Middle School and this was a way of gauging interest in the idea and checking as to whether it was even feasible. The next step in the approach was to conduct my own research into how virtual reality and wearable technology is useful in the classroom and how it can support district goals as well as ways to sustain it at the local school level.
While researching the emerging technology, I had to ensure that this equipment is suitable and compatible with the school’s technology infrastructure. One section of my artifact highlights the technical support that exists not only at Awtrey Middle School but at many of the schools throughout the district. This is important because this artifact was made with the idea of presenting the technology for consideration to the Cobb County School District Board Members. The technical support page states that the school has the benefit of the technology specialist but also the requirements needed for use in the school. To show further evidence of accuracy, suitability, and compatibility with the school’s technology infrastructure, I also included a limitations page. On this page, I did highlight that purchasing the preassembled kits would get around any network issues; however, I stated that the cost of these kits could be a limitation. As a result, schools might resort to using student devices and these devices might not always meet the required specifications. Equitable access can be compared to students not being able to pay the cost to go on a physical field trip. In this case, the issue of equitable access arises and not so much of whether the technology is compatible with the school’s technology infrastructure. However, these issues call for discussion when it comes to investing in emerging technology.
The Emerging Technologies Project taught me how to select and evaluate digital tools. I saw what technology leaders have to do when considering a digital tool for a school or school district. Technology leaders have a responsibility of researching whether a digital tool is suitable for use in the school and they have to make decisions based on that research. This assignment gave me practice in that process. If I had to change anything about this process, I would spend more time with district technology leaders discussing some of the most recent technologies that they have evaluated and really learned how they make decisions on whether to accept or reject a new digital tool or resource.
This artifact has not had a noticeable impact on faculty development or student learning yet. I did share the information from the emerging technology with my students and I did have one student that invested in their own personal wearable technology. I also spoke to several faculty members about the technology and they were interested in learning more about how to use it in their content area. Since there is not a definitive impact yet, it is hard to assess any impact. The upcoming school year will determine if it becomes more of a discussion around the school to include wearable technology in content areas such as Social Studies and Science.