Fabio Cominotti
July 13, 2017
EDTECH 592
Artifact Rationale Statements

STANDARD 1 – CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

Candidates demonstrate the knowledge necessary to create, use, assess, and manage theoretical and practical applications of educational technologies and processes.

1.1 Creating: Candidates demonstrate the ability to create instructional materials and learning environments using a variety of systems approaches.

EDTECH 522: Screen Writing – Module Two, The Scene 

In EDTECH 522, I created a module to a screen writing course that details the scene.  This module uses a workshop approach in an online classroom.  The focus of a workshop course is creating something – in this case writing a scene from a screen play – and then getting together and discussing what was done well and what areas could be improved upon from a standpoint of craft.

This type of course can be very beneficial and usually develops a strong sense of community and collaboration.  The challenge with an online variant is that the natural community struggles to form and asynchronous discussions sometimes lose the impact that a synchronous one has.

To compensate for this, I used a couple different systems approaches using different software and electronic resources.  I provided resources using online videos and documents.  I also created a Facebook group for the workshop sessions to take place in.  The Facebook group helps to overcome the asynchronous discussion pitfall as it allows for synchronous, instantaneous discussion that models a face to face session.  I also used a new technology called Plotagon that creates computer graphic scenes based upon screen plays scenes written by the students.  Plotagon generates videos that the students share.  The approach of sharing a creation after discussing and workshopping further creates the sense of community.

These differing systems approaches using conventional online instructional methods and new methods for facilitating discussions and sharing demonstrate my ability to create instructional materials and environments with a variety of approaches because various tools were used to create a strong learning environment as well as unique materials to help students learn.

1.2 Using: Candidates demonstrate the ability to select and use technological resources and processes to support student learning and to enhance their pedagogy.

EDTECH 502: Writing About Nature mQuest

EDTECH 502: MLA Jigsaw Activity

Amongst the various activities that I created in EDTECH 502, the Writing about Nature mQuest and MLA Jigsaw Activity best demonstrated the criteria for indicator 1.2.

The mQuest sends students on a hike in nature to find and identify various elements of nature including animals, plants, and geological formations.  They are required to carry a mobile device to record notes (a printout is available as well), take photos, and use to research what they find.  They use web resources, including Google search, to identify and a learn and then use a Facebook private group to upload photos, descriptions, and reflections about their hike.  The use of technology on this type of assignment allows for students to engage with their environment in much more immediate environment and compose writing on the spot which is the real purpose of the activity.  It supports their learning as they have their mobile device to assist them.  It also fosters collaboration and community as they interact with each other’s work via the Facebook group.

The MLA Jigsaw Activity puts students into groups and provides them with websites and other resources online to research MLA style.  They work in a group, research, and then create some instruction to relate to the other groups what they learned.  Each group has different areas of MLA to research.  The technology resources in this lesson provide students with interactive examples of what they are learning about and allows them to strengthen their sense of community through collaboration.

These two activities demonstrate my competency to select and use technological resources to support learning by providing resources and deliberate processes for students to use, learn, and build community.

1.3 Assessing/Evaluating: Candidates demonstrate the ability to assess and evaluate the effective integration of appropriate technologies and instructional materials.

EDTECH 501: Technology Use Plan

As educators, we must be aware of what we use in our classrooms and schools.  Technology is an important part of the modern classroom and has powerful potential benefits to learning and student achievement.  It also has some possibilities for detriment.  Because of this, we must plan carefully and evaluate the use of technology in our schools.  EDTECH 501 afforded me the opportunity to create and propose a Technology Use Plan for my then current school district about a structured, planned implementation of potentially beneficial technology districtwide.  It was not a specific plan for specific technology, but rather a process for which we could identify, discover, and evaluate new technologies to integrate and fill instructional needs within our district.  The steps in my proposal demonstrate an understanding of the need to plan and evaluate the use and implementation of technology.  It also demonstrates the iterative process.  It includes pros use, assessing staff comfort and proficiency levels, evaluating its effectiveness, and processes for making changes if and as needed.  It also demonstrates the continuing evaluation process on regular basis.

1.4 Managing: Candidates demonstrate the ability to effectively manage people, processes, physical infrastructures, and financial resources to achieve predetermined goals.   

EDTECH 505: Evaluation Report – The Phase II Project

In EDTECH 505, I designed and supervised The Phase II Project for a customer service call center where I trained new and existing employees.  The project involved creating new instruction to supplement new agents as they spent their first five weeks taking calls outside of the training environment.

On this project, I was the lead on a small team of five other people consisting of three trainers, one team leader, and one quality assurance representative.  I had to manage time and people as we created the curriculum and processes as we rolled out the program to three groups of new hire agents that had just completed classroom and on-the-job training.  We had a budget that could not be exceeded.  It was a challenge in the end since most of the budget was used on curriculum development.

Finally, I supervised the data collection, analysis, and evaluation of this project to determine is if met the objectives.  Ultimately the program was successful, but was modified as it was incorporated into the test facilities and other call centers within the company.

The Phase II Project and Evaluation Report demonstrate my ability to manage a team, make sure the correct procedures are followed within the parameters of the company and to manage a budget.

1.5 Ethics: Candidates demonstrate the contemporary professional ethics of the field as defined and developed by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

EDTECH 502: Copyright and Fair Use Scavenger Hunt

EDTECH 502: Color Blindness Accessibility Links Page

Ethics are important in any field.  In education, the use of copyrighted materials and the fair use of them are an issue that comes up frequently.  Accessibility has long been an area of concern for face to face facilities and it’s becoming a big issue in the online world as well as the areas that need to be accessible are different than in a face to face world.

EDTECH 502 gave me the opportunity to create two projects that demonstrated my understanding of contemporary ethics.  The Copyright and Fair Use Scavenger Hunt is an activity for teachers and students alike that teaches about copyright and what is considered fair use.  The Color Blindness Accessibility Links Page is a curated list of resources for designing media, instruction, and other material for people suffering from color blindness.  It also has some tools that can aid in design.  Color blindness is a big issue that affects all aspects of online courses and teaching.  If it’s not considered, many students would not be able to take full advantage of content.

Both projects demonstrate my adherence to established ethical procedures and practices within the field of educational technology by showing my understanding of two key areas of ethical behavior.

STANDARD 2 – CONTENT PEDAGOGY

Candidates develop as reflective practitioners able to demonstrate effective implementation of educational technologies and processes based on contemporary content and pedagogy.

2.1 Creating: Candidates apply content pedagogy to create appropriate applications of processes and technologies to improve learning and performance outcomes.  

EDTECH 521: The Interior Landscape – Asynchronous Lesson 

In EDTECH 521, I created a module of a course designed to teach students about interiority called, The lesson, Interior Monologue. Interiority is a concept in writing that deals with how a writer expresses the interior thoughts of characters when writing and makes the reader feel as if he is in the character’s mind. The lesson uses an LMS to organize the content and makes use of various resources from online videos to online documents revolved around writing and character depiction through internal thought and action (especially how the thought and action interact).  It demonstrates my ability to apply pedagogy to create appropriate applications of process and technologies because it applies technology like the introductory video and other learning resources to create instruction.  It also requires students to research on their own via the internet and encourages them to use video, online presentations, and other tools to reflect and create their own interpretation of what they have learned.  All of these aspects show content pedagogy driving creation of resources and activities in various technologies.

2.2 Using: Candidates implement appropriate educational technologies and processes based on appropriate content pedagogy.

EDTECH 503: Citing Sources Correctly Using APA Style – ID Project

In EDTECH 503, I designed a module about citing sources in APA style that can be used in any course that incorporates APA style.  I felt that it was an important concept for students to learn and have since incorporated it into various courses.  It’s also something that is relevant and that I have and will continue to use in my online courses.  At the time, this was the most comprehensive planning that I had ever completed for a course.  I designed a needs assessment, created task analyses and flow charts, and learner materials.  I also created an instructor guide and task flowcharts.  I chose appropriate technologies for the tasks and objectives to best help students learn how to cite sources and why it is important.

The ID project demonstrates how I implemented appropriate technologies and processes like the needs assessment, task analysis, and evaluation plans to implement a learning module that is important not only in the language arts content area but in the sciences as well since it stresses ethical citation of outside work in synthesized student work.

2.3 Assessing/Evaluating: Candidates demonstrate an inquiry process that assesses the adequacy of learning and evaluates the instruction and implementation of educational technologies and processes grounded in reflective practice.  

EDTECH 503: Evaluation Plan and Report, ID Project

The Evaluation Report of the Phase II Project completed in EDTECH 505 involved determining needs, finding solutions to fill those needs, collecting data, planning for and implementing evaluation strategies, and creating assessment surveys and methods.  The whole project was a lot of work for me and my team.  We started with a needs assessment to see what area might best benefit from some additional training.  After determining the areas to target, we designed instruction targeted to areas that seemed the most in need and a plan to implement it.  Before implementation we devised plans for evaluation and date collection as well as refining our objectives and success criteria.

This report demonstrates my competency in using an inquiry process to assess the adequacy of learning, instructional materials, and instruction.  It also demonstrates my competency in evaluation the instruction and implementation.  During the project, the focus was to evaluate the effectiveness and adequacy of the learning created for The Phase II Project.  It was designed to be iterative so that the team and future team leads could reflect upon what needs to change and what is working as intended as well as a process to implement changes when needed.

2.4 Managing: Candidates manage appropriate technological processes and resources to provide supportive learning communities, create flexible and diverse learning environments, and develop and demonstrate appropriate content pedagogy.  

EDTECH 512: Memoire – Blending the Lines Between What Happened and Imagination

EDTECH 512 was all about designing an online course and as such was one of my favorite courses.  I designed a Memoire course entitled, Blending the Lines Between What Happened and Imagination.  In the course, various elements come together to create a unique experience.  Traditionally, this type of writing workshop course is generally successful.  It allows for diversity of thought, intense discussions about craft and a strong sense of community and collaboration amongst its participants.  In an online course, the challenge is to create that same cohesiveness and collaboration without the physical, face to face meeting.

The success of the workshop courses depends on the sense of comradery and community that develop during meetings and discussions of student work by the students in the course.  Creating this comradery and community in an online world needs to include appropriate technological processes and resources.  I used a Facebook group to simulate the synchronous discussion sessions that are the core of a workshop course.  This will help to develop a supporting learning community and bring the students together as they share their writing and experiences.

Through the use of planning processes including technology planning, evaluation of resources, learning goals and tasks, and learner characteristics, I created a strong course that makes use of technologies like Facebook groups, Slide Share Presentations, and online video, I created a learning environment that has the potential to achieve the same level of success as a traditional writing workshop.

2.5 Ethics: Candidates design and select media, technology, and processes that emphasize the diversity of our society as a multicultural community.   

EDTECH 543: Space, the MOOC

Space, the MOOC was a massively online open course that I designed and created in collaboration with a colleague from EDTECH 543.  This course was designed for any learner from any age group or background.  It’s open and available for anyone with an interest in the subject matter, Space and Astronomy. The course takes a variety of approaches to be inclusive and allow everyone to bring their strengths to the group.  With the use of blogging, Facebook, Twitter, Diigo and other social technologies, it allows for a worldwide meeting of like minds from a diverse selection of backgrounds, regions, and age ranges.

The structure of the course is group based employing elements from communities of practice (COP).  Typically, COPs involve professional organizations, but in this case it uses the common interest and common goals aspects of COPs.  The course allows participants to choose their course of study and material that they study based upon their interest.  They are then grouped based upon common interests and selections.  The groups then work together to learn and share what they have learned with each other.  By design, it will allow group members to meet, get to know each other, and collaborate with others from different backgrounds and regions.  The design, allowing these multi-cultural interactions, demonstrate indicator 2.5 and shows design including technology and processes that emphasize and incorporate different cultures.

STANDARD 3 – LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Candidates facilitate learning by creating, using, evaluating, and managing effective learning environments.

3.1 Creating: Candidates create instructional design products based on learning principles and research-based best practices.

EDTECH 513: Formatting Book Entries for an MLA Works Cited Page – Multimedia Instruction

EDTECH 513 provided many opportunities to create resources for lessons and lessons themselves.  One of the projects required the creation of instruction using multimedia.  I created a lesson called, Formatting Book Entries for an MLA Works Cited Page.  This lesson used a presentation housed in Google Slides and incorporated various forms of multimedia to create instruction to assist students in learning about creating works cited page entries for the MLA style.  I used a combination of textual, graphical, and auditory information to weave together the instruction.  Best practices in message design were used to make sure that each slide was optimal to impart the intended instructional message.  The lesson was designed to be used in multiple courses and I have used it with my students at Idaho Digital Learning on many occasions in my Language Arts and Speech courses.  This lesson demonstrates the creating indicator in standard 3 by implementing design best practices that were developed based upon the study of learning and learning principles because I utilized current theory and practices to minimize distraction on slides and balance the use of all three learning channels to maximize learning.

3.2 Using: Candidates make professionally sound decisions in selecting appropriate processes and resources to provide optimal conditions for learning based on principles, theories, and effective practices.  

EDTECH 523: Building Relationships on a Call – Synchronous Lesson

The lesson, Building Relationships on a Call was created as a synchronous lesson example for EDTECH 523.  As a trainer, I also used the lesson at the customer service call center where I was employed.  This was my first opportunity to create instruction for the call center and I employed elements within Adobe Connect to facilitate learning.  Adobe Connect has many features to make the instruction interactive like polling, web tours, and notes pods.  I incorporated these into the lesson as a means to draw the trainees in.

This lesson was designed to be delivered in a face to face classroom with a full set of computers with access to the internet and in a virtual work from home environment where agents and trainers were working from home offices across the United States and Canada.

The modules and lesson plan involved activities and information delivered in a way to maximize learning and minimize distraction.  It demonstrates my ability to make professionally sound decisions in selecting processes and resources in that the activity decisions and delivery methods were based upon research based practices that give learners different ways to interact with the curriculum and peers to maximize learning and attention.

3.3 Assessing/Evaluating: Candidates use multiple assessment strategies to collect data for informing decisions to improve instructional practice, learner outcomes, and the learning environment.    

EDTECH 505: Evaluation Report – The Phase II Project

EDTECH 501: Technology Use Plan – Bighorn County School District #4

The Technology Use Plan that I created for Bighorn County School District #4 during EDTECH 501 is a good demonstration of indicator 3.4.  In the plan, I designed a long term approach to technology planning.  I proposed the establishment of a process in which new technology could be planned for, implemented, and evaluated on an ongoing basis.  The plan was district wide and would encompass any major technological implementation.  Part of the plan was an evaluation cycle in which the focus was to evaluate if the technology was beneficial to learning and what steps might need to be taken to enhance its value.  The plan also included a model in which the plan itself was evaluated.  The proposed infrastructure was designed for use in any classroom and any school in the district.  Needs assessment instruments were built in and a procedure for planning and meeting of various committees was established.  At the time of my departure from the district, the plan was undergoing revision and evaluation as it should with any good process.

The methods, processes, and cycles provide a good demonstration of my abilities to manage mechanisms and maintain the technology procedure on an organizational basis.

3.5 Ethics: Candidates foster a learning environment in which ethics guide practice that promotes health, safety, best practice, and respect for copyright, Fair Use, and appropriate open access to resources.  

EDTECH 502: Credibility of Informational Texts WebQuest

EDTECH 502: Copyright and Fair Use Scavenger Hunt

Copyright and fair use are issues that every educator deals with almost daily.  It can be in the form of deciding what to use for lessons, suspected plagiarism in student work, or determining how best to incorporate credible research into your work.

The WebQuest exercise emphasizes how to determine what types of sources are credible and which are not.  It’s an important issue with the rise to prominence of Wikipedia and personal blogs.  The amount of information available to students is vast and grows every day. There are growing numbers of blogs and other websites that don’t undergo strict research or adherence to fact.  Many report on rumors and misinformation.  Not only do students need to know how to sift through this information to find credible sources for their projects, but they must be able to attribute it properly to the respective authors and creators.

The Copyright and Fair Use Scavenger Hunt guide students and educators on a path to learn more about copyright laws and procedures.  It also guides them to learn about fair use and how to use information in their own projects without violating copyrights.

The Webquest and the Copyright and Fair Use Scavenger Hunt are designed to provide that information to students in a positive manner and give them practice in determining best practices to information searching and use in their own work.  They demonstrate the ethics indicator in standard 3 because the promote a learning environment of ethics and respect when it comes to research and use of outside research in student projects.

3.6 Diversity of Learners: Candidates foster a learning community that empowers learners with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, and abilities. 

EDTECH 512: Memoire – Blending the Lines Between What Happened and Imagination

The Memoire Course demonstrates my ability to foster a learning community that empowers learners with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, and abilities in many ways.  It encourages and requires participation in synchronous discussions of peer writing in a constructive and respectful environment that considers netiquette, differing cultures, and differing student backgrounds.  The very nature of memoire brings many different experiences together as students create writing based upon their own lives.  They then share their stories with each other.  In this type of course the students will bond and form a community that respects each other and learns about other cultures through reading each other’s personal narratives.  They will experience the memories and lives of their peers through each other’s writing and sharing.  They will also experience and interact with each other giving them the opportunity to experience other culture’s beliefs and values.  This type of course lends itself well to these goals and when conducted online, it will incorporate many different regions, cultures, and attitudes that may not be present in a traditional face to face classroom.

STANDARD 4 – PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Candidates design, develop, implement, and evaluate technology-rich learning environments within a supportive community of practice.

4.1 Collaborative Practice: Candidates collaborate with their peers and subject matter experts to analyze learners, develop and design instruction, and evaluate its impact on learners.