Building a house without a firm foundation is foolish. The same goes with making big educational decisions without first looking at research and data. Making a decision to move to a 1:1 program or build a brand new video production studio are great goals but if the decisions are not rooted in research, they might flop. When Prince of Peace chose to go 1:1 with the iPad as the primary device, there was a pilot program the year before. A few best-practices were determined and recommendations were given to teachers and parents. The pilot a host of discussions, and online web searches led the administration to make the final decision to continue to 1:1 initiative for grades six through twelve. In the end, I know that it was not an easy decision to make every 6-12th grade family buy each of their kids an iPad, but it was a necessary one for us to grow with the times.
Research has become and area of strength in my professional practice. I regularly read peer-reviewed articles, blogs, twitter feeds, and Edmodo posts for information regarding educational practice. I often use these technologies to gather data about stakeholders in the school. In doing so, I have come to realize that I am a very small part of a large school body. Every time I ask for feedback, something surprises me and it informs the decisions I make. Teachers and administrators who rely on their own knowledge and expertise too much can make uninformed decisions about technology-enhanced teaching and learning. Due to the expensive nature of many technology applications, these decisions can be very costly to a school. This highlights the importance of conducting research and making data-driven decisions.
Research has become and area of strength in my professional practice. I regularly read peer-reviewed articles, blogs, twitter feeds, and Edmodo posts for information regarding educational practice. I often use these technologies to gather data about stakeholders in the school. In doing so, I have come to realize that I am a very small part of a large school body. Every time I ask for feedback, something surprises me and it informs the decisions I make. Teachers and administrators who rely on their own knowledge and expertise too much can make uninformed decisions about technology-enhanced teaching and learning. Due to the expensive nature of many technology applications, these decisions can be very costly to a school. This highlights the importance of conducting research and making data-driven decisions.
Level 1 Artifacts - Give evidence of knowledge of current research
Level 2 Artifacts - Give evidence of application of this knowledge in one’s current or future vocation
Level 3 Artifacts - Gives evidence of research, innovation and or leadership in one’s organization and beyond in helping others apply this knowledge.