A Life Long Learner Hedder Gomez EDUC 526: Capstone Experience in Digital Teaching and Learning Professor: Matt

Hixson APU Murrieta Regional Center July 11, 2013

Hedder Gomez APU Murrieta

Action Research EDUC 526

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Section One
Introduction Fresh out of my Bachelors degree, which I received from Cal State University of Long Beach in Child and Family studies, I was very sure that I wanted to become a teacher more than anything. Once I went through the Multiple Subject credential through the Azusa program I believed that seeking higher education was something that I wanted to put my mind to. I knew automatically that I did not just want a basic Educational Masters, but I wanted something that challenged me but at the same time I enjoyed immensely, which just happened to be the Digital teaching and learning program. I was reconsidering going on another path before starting the Masters program and waiting until I got hired on as a full time teacher, but I knew that I did not want to go back to schooling if I took too long of a break. So I quickly dove into the Masters program and this summer I will have finished both my Bachelors and Masters in only four and a half years. I have truly enjoyed the challenges and insights that this program has provided for me especially because I do strive to become a life long learner. I made it one of my goals to complete this Digital teaching and learning Masters in order to become a teacher that is constantly keeping up with the rapid changing technology. This would make me the best teacher I could be, and that is my overall goal in my education. Personal Growth I have always enjoyed interacting with technology, but since I began the Graduate program at Azusa Pacific University I have become even more comfortable with different forms of technology such as computers, applications, tablets, and online domains. As a student I truly appreciate when education is a hands on learning experience. After this program I gained insight as to my multiple intelligences being kinesthetic, musical, and Hedder Gomez APU Murrieta Action Research EDUC 526 Page 2 Summer 2013

visual. As I begin my first year of teaching Kindergarten, I will use all of the information that I have learned and incorporate it into the classroom. I will add SmartBoard learning into my teaching, I will add iPad applications, parent communication through websites, which are all useful resources that I have learned in this program. Throughout my schooling I have always been a very organized student. I enjoy when professors provide a detailed description of assignments with due dates that are fixed. This helps me as a student work very well under pressure, which also motivates me to keep moving forward and work at my fullest potential on assignments. Because I was able to move quickly through my Bachelors program I am very used to taking a large course load, I took 2-3 classes in the Graduate program a quarter and was subbing at the same time as well. I made sure to keep up with my good time management throughout my graduate program by making a calendar of my own and checklists as well. Once I would complete an assignment I would quickly check off the assignment and make sure all requirements were met and move on to the next assignment. A lot of the courses throughout the program that helped me realize about myself as a student was that I did better when there were signature assignments that we were building up to. For example a lot of smaller assignments or projects seemed to be too overwhelming rather than classes that just offered 3 large projects or assignments. Some personal connections that I have made through my journey have been with my now great and close friend that I met in the program. We started the credential program together and are going through the Masters program together and actually got hired at the same elementary school together. She has been a wonderful support throughout the program and throughout all of the coursework. She is also very organized Hedder Gomez APU Murrieta Action Research EDUC 526 Page 3 Summer 2013

and has helped me become a very dedicated and confident person in the education world. In addition to supporting me through the program she has been a great factor to my spiritual growth. I am a very dedicated Lutheran and regularly attend church and bible studies but I was never comfortable about talking about prayer with anyone or even had a friend that was a believer as passionate as I that I could express with. Azusa has also helped me express myself in a professional manner how to be a representative of my Christian faith in an appropriate way. Completing my Masters this summer means not only so much to me but also to my family. I am the first in my family to complete my Bachelors and it is much more important now that I will be the first to graduate with a Masters. My parents have worked so hard for me to get this far. I am the first generation to be born in the United States and they knew they wanted to have their children have better opportunities than they were ever offered. Ever since I was little I knew that I wanted to make them proud and have them understand that it was worth fighting and working so hard to make a living in this country by leaving their families in Guatemala. I am so excited that I finally get to make them proud upon the completion of this program. Professional Growth Throughout my journey in this Technology program I have not only gained the knowledge on how to use a wide variety of resources but I have also grown confident to become a teacher that easily adapts and performs in order to meet the needs of all my students. I have learned that it is so important to become well informed of all types of learners and all types of resources that can cater to those students as well. Beyond this, I have also gained so much knowledge on how to incorporate technology into the Hedder Gomez APU Murrieta Action Research EDUC 526 Page 4 Summer 2013

classroom through many different ways. I have also become completely immersed and for turning the classroom into a Bring your own Device (BYOD) setting. As the generations of students are rapidly changing I believe we need to as well in order to continue being teachers that are sensitive to students needs. I am hoping as the new school year begins that I can incorporate all of the things I have learned in the program not only in my classroom but also with other Staff in the school community. Technology is now more important than ever and will continue to shape our world. My philosophy has not changed very much, I still believe that children come into the world like a sponge, taking in the world around them. Children are able to gain a better understanding of themselves and their work through sensory and hands-on play in a safe environment which not only includes physical manipulatives like bear counters but also tablets or computer systems. Through play, students are able to master skills, which reinforce a positive self-concept and personal esteem. By providing each child with meaningful, appropriate opportunities on a stable foundation of love and nurture, a desire for life-long learning will develop. I believe that it is also very important to differentiate instruction for the unique needs of each child, as I mentioned before; they can be encouraged to use special intelligence and achieve distinctive accomplishments. Students need to truly understand the value of learning, and I need to give each child the opportunity to reach their full potential. I will be able to incorporate all of my knowledge that I learned in EDUC 515 about creating Podcasts and Classroom Websites into my future Kindergarten classroom to cater to my teaching philosophy. In addition, I learned how to create a complete 3

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week unit plan that reached out to all type of learners and that incorporated all types of technologies that I learned about throughout the Digital teaching and learning program. In my Action Research Study I am evaluating the many challenges of being a graduate student under a lot of pressure and a heavy schedule. I will be able to also incorporate how to apply this to a first year teacher or a undergraduate student. Systematically planning a day in the life of a student, family member, and hard-working teacher with applications and check lists has helped me succeed as a Graduate student and I am hoping to also be able to make it applicable to just a first year of teacher. Technical Growth Coming into the program I was very comfortable with technology especially with working with PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, interacting on Social Networks, and downloading all types of software and programs. I wanted to enter the program because I felt comfortable with interacting with technology but knew at the same time that I would be introduced to many things that I was still not aware of or able to use. Prior to the program I was not able to create my own videos, which I learned to do in my EDUC 514 course with Pinnacle Studio on my iPad and iMovie as well. Another great and more prominent change that occurred during my time in the program was my switch between a PC to a Macbook Pro computer laptop making me a full Apple user with my iPad and iPhone. This was a big change for me but actually made my studies and journey through the program much easier. Being able to backup all of my information without lifting a finger through iCloud was so useful for all major projects that were developed for my courses. I also learned how to effectively manage my own website in my EDUC 515 course. On this website I was able to upload videos, lesson plans, surveys, quizzes, and Hedder Gomez APU Murrieta Action Research EDUC 526 Page 6 Summer 2013

Google documents. In addition, I broke out of my old habit of using PowerPoint and experimented with Slide Rocket, Prezi, and Animoto programs to create a more professional, enjoyable, and clean presentation. Life long Learning Plan Because my close future has been blessed with the opportunity to become a Kindergarten teacher I have been really focused on the goal of developing an environment that is welcoming and effective. Being in this program has prepared me with a lot of resources to take into my new classroom to help my students achieve their maximum potential of success in learning. Now that I have reached the end of my program I feel a bit lost because I have been studying and going to school for so long without stopping for a break. Although, my break is much needed, I have been contemplating returning some time in the future for a possible Doctorate degree. Of course while teaching and being a new teacher I am constantly going to be seeking professional development opportunities and keeping myself updated with information on education and technology. This is why my identity that I relate to is to strive to be a life long learner. This program has allowed me to challenge myself to be a better student and teacher. It had pushed me to work hard at what I love to do best in order to benefit my students learning. Helping me create lessons that are engaging and fun for my students has done this. In addition to seeking new educational advancements, I will create a website for my new classroom in order to keep my skills fresh and up to date. I am looking forward to my new career and hope for a better future in the educational system.

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I am looking forward to getting married this year and setting up my classroom with what I have envisioned for so long. In five years I see myself still being open to adjusting my teaching to all types of learners. I also see myself still striving to be the best teacher that I can be, which is a feeling that I have felt since I was eighteen years old working with toddlers/preschoolers. In ten years I hope to be the lead teacher at the kindergarten level, even though I would also be happy to be in either the first grade or third grade level. What is for sure is that I want to work as hard as I have worked all my life to get where I am today.

Section two
Evaluation of the impact of the Digital Teaching and Learning program Course Number EDUC 511 Course Name Instructor Term Completed

Essentials in Educational Doyle Spring I 2013 Technology and Learning Potter Key Learning: Adobe Connect, Live Binders, Wordle, PowerPoint Animation Commentary: This was the first course that I took in the program and it was all virtual. It was a very nice way to begin the program because it introduced all of the requirements in the future courses we would be taking. In order to communicate we connected through a threaded discussion on Adobe Connect. For projects we interact with Live Binders and uploaded all assignments onto the Binder we created. In addition we explored with all types of PowerPoint Animations and made a Wordle. I really enjoyed how this class was online an at our own pace. Not much interaction occurred with professor Potter, but when it did he was always very thorough and encouraging. Course Number EDUC 512 Course Name Instructional Applications of Productivity Software Instructor Jim Sullivan Term Completed Spring I 2013

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Key Learning: Word Processing, Canvas, Excel, Adobe Acrobat, WebQuest, Apple Air, Apple TV, hardware and software (Computers and iPad) Commentary: This was another introductory course introducing a new form of classroom management with Canvas online. I really enjoyed using the website for the course because it helped regulate discussions, submit assignments, kept an updated assignment calendar, and our grades were posted on there as well. Spreadsheets, making a WebQuest, and using Adobe Acrobat were also other things we interacted with in this course. The professor was very knowledgeable about hardware and was very enthusiastic about building and rebuilding his own systems. Course Number EDUC 514 Course Name Instructor Term Completed Spring I 2013

Digital Video in the Timothy Holder Classroom Key Learning: Pinnacle Studio, iMovie, YouTube, Rule of Thirds, Rules of Composition, Quicktime, Storyboarding, Lightening, Sound Effects, Slide Rocket, Drop Box Commentary: This was such an interesting course for me because it was all new information that I had never interacted with. This a course that introduced applications such as Pinnacle Movie Studio and iMovie to create videos of our own for our classrooms. I also learned how to take YouTube videos and insert them into videos of my own to create a good visual experience for my future classroom. Something that I will always take from this class was all the knowledge I gained about Dropbox. The professor was very patient, very knowledgeable, excited about the material, and supportive. Course Number EDUC 515 Course Name Instructor Term Completed

Evolving Educational Lance Spring II 2013 Technologies Martin Key Learning: Blogs, Audio PodCast, Flipped Classroom, Jing, Audacity, iMovie, Weebly, online surveys, online test forms Commentary: This class was such a blast because it was another class that I was introduced to so many new things to play around with. Making a PodCast in this classroom was a lot of fun while using skills we learned about sound effects in EDUC 514 was helpful as well. In addition, Professor Martin was so patient, kind, and knowledgeable about all the information presented in this course. It made this class a lot more easy to have a professor that was so approachable yet at the same time was organized and willing to push you to do your best on the assignments. Course Number EDUC 522 Course Name Learning in the 21st Century Instructor Jennifer Courduff Term Completed Spring II 2013

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Key Learning: Blooms Taxonomy, Multiple Intelligences, Lesson plans immersed with technology, Unit Plans Commentary: This has to be one of my favorite classes of the whole program. I felt as if it was a course to put all of the information that I learned throughout the program into a gigantic assignment. I also truly enjoyed how organized Proffessor Courduff was and detailed her projects were. This is a class that I truly enjoyed how there were only three major assignments to complete yet it was just two assignments leading up to the last final project. I gained so much knowledge about Multiple Intelligence learners and Blooms taxonomy that I believe it is part of why I got hired to become a kindergarten teacher last quarter. I am very thankful to Dr. Courduff for all of her hard work and enthusiasm in the classroom. Course Number EDUC 526 Course Name Instructor Term Completed

Capstone Matt Hixson Summer 2013 Experience in Educational Technology and Learning This course focuses on the experience throughout the Digital Teaching and Learning program. All skills and concepts that I have acquired will be shown through a weebly website that I have developed for the program. I will be working with research, websites, writing this growth assessment, creating videos, and analyzing my knowledge of technology. Evaluation of the impact of the Digital Teaching and Learning Program A new instructional strategy that I am hoping to implement in my new classroom is the Flipped Classroom. I learned the concept and strategy of the flipped classroom in my EDUC 515 classroom. The concept has to do with recording your lessons on video and having the students watch that lesson on your classroom website with their parents at home and do homework in class with groups and the teacher. This is only one of the strategies and technologies that I would like to incorporate into my classroom everyday. As mentioned I will have a classroom website, I will be working with Smart Boards, Powerpoints, Slide rocket, Animoto, Prezi, and creating Podcasts as well. I am looking forward to completing my degree so that I can prepare all of these ideas for my

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classroom. I am thankful that I feel so comfortable with technology enough to bring it into a Kindergarten classroom.

Program Evaluation I have learned so much in this program and truly am satisfied and happy that I chose this route for myself. There were so many assignments and projects that I thoroughly enjoyed and had fun bringing to life. There were challenges along the way and at times it seemed stressful, but I would be worried if I did not go through those feelings. I felt very comfortable with the sequence of the courses and advising that I received prior to the program as well. In this program there were a lot of professors that were very knowledgeable and approachable which I believe made the Masters program so strong. Most proffessors went above and beyond in the courses they were teaching on programs they introduced or in their lectures. In addition, I was very satisfied with the way each class build on a previous class. For example, in EDUC 514 you were taught to create videos of your own and then in the next module of classes EDUC 515 and 522 you were required to create a final signature assignment video. Weaknesses that were in the program were that I believe there should be more online courses provided. I believe that there should be a choice whether online or going into class is more helpful. Especially because the program is so accelerated, I believe it would be beneficial to some to have the option to take a course online. The Masters in Digital Teaching and Learning program at Azusa Pacific University was very satisfactory. The only recommendation would be to not allow any students to continue in the program unless they have been advised or counseled about the Hedder Gomez APU Murrieta Action Research EDUC 526 Page 11 Summer 2013

final capstone course. It seemed much easier when I realized to stick to one topic for my unit plan throughout the whole program. Other than that, I am very happy I chose this route for myself and very happy that I chose it in such a welcoming environment such as our Murrieta Regional center.

Hedder Gomez APU Murrieta

Action Research EDUC 526

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