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Field Experiences in Instructional Technology

Caitlin Maynard completed field experiences as required by her Instructional Technology program at Kennesaw State University. This included structured experiences through coursework and unstructured experiences, totaling 140 hours. For her unstructured experience, she updated her school's website and social media accounts to prepare for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. Through her field experiences, she was able to apply what she learned in her courses to complete projects like leading a technology orientation for new teachers. The experiences improved her communication, technology, and coaching skills to better support students and teachers.

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34 views2 pages

Field Experiences in Instructional Technology

Caitlin Maynard completed field experiences as required by her Instructional Technology program at Kennesaw State University. This included structured experiences through coursework and unstructured experiences, totaling 140 hours. For her unstructured experience, she updated her school's website and social media accounts to prepare for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. Through her field experiences, she was able to apply what she learned in her courses to complete projects like leading a technology orientation for new teachers. The experiences improved her communication, technology, and coaching skills to better support students and teachers.

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Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
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Caitlin Maynard

ITEC 7500
Reflection – Standard 6.3

6.3 Field Experiences - engage in appropriate field experiences to synthesize and apply the
content and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions identified in these standards
______________________________________________________________________________

Field experiences are a requirement of the Instructional Technology program at Kennesaw


State University. A student should complete two field experiences, one structured through
coursework and one unstructured, for most of the ITEC courses. The unstructured field
experiences gave me an opportunity to decide what was needed at my school or how to help my
colleagues, gaining experience in coaching. The unstructured field experience I have included
for Element 6.3 is the work I put into our school’s website and social media accounts for the start
of the 2020-2021 school year.

The final element of Standard Six, Candidate Professional Growth and Development,
focuses on field experiences and the ability to synthesize and apply content and professional
knowledge, skills, and dispositions. As seen in the collection in my Weebly portfolio, I
completed six structured and six unstructured field experience assignments, totaling in 140 hours
of work. Throughout each experience, I was able to use what I had learned in my coursework to
create productive outcomes. Since the Spring semester of 2020 was interrupted due to COVID-
19, we were allowed to create an unstructured field experience as part of ITEC 7305 when we
were able. I chose to complete the assignment as we geared for the 2020-2021 school year and
whatever it may bring. During the month of July, my Principal and I stayed in contact to keep
the school website and social media accounts up to date. This process included updating the
faculty and student Google Calendars, creating graphics in Canva and posting to the various
sites, and learning the Campus Suite website platform. I also led a Technology Orientation for
our new hires, showing them our Digital Coach Dashboard and other helpful resources. At the
time, I did not realize all that a school’s Digital Coach was required to do. Therefore, I am
grateful that I had the prior knowledge, appropriate skill sets, and the correct mindset and
dispositions to complete the job, synthesizing and applying what I had learned in the ITEC
program, specifically in my training session. I was able to talk to our new hires about why we
use technology and ways to effectively use it in their lessons.

As mentioned before, I learned that there is much more to the Digital Coach position than
just helping a colleague share a document with their students. The field experiences allowed me
to work on my communication skills through one-on-one coaching and tutoring help and group
professional learning sessions, my ability to create concise and engaging websites, graphics, and
other digital content, and meet the needs of all students including those with limitations due to
disabilities, language barriers, and the digital divide. If I could have done anything differently
during the field experience process, I wish that I had shadowed or interned with my district’s
Instructional Technology Coordinator to see more of the big picture and how Instructional
Technology affects the district’s work as a whole.
I believe the “Back to School” preparations unstructured field experience, impacted school
improvement. Before the 2020-2021 school year officially started, there were already many
changes to the proposed calendar, thanks to COVID-19. One of our consistent school
improvement goals deals with family and student engagement and making a stronger connection
between the home and school. Since there were so many unknowns for the upcoming school
year, it was important that we established a clear line of communication for new information,
especially as things changed in such a short amount of time. Whenever anything changed, I had
to post it on the website and all of our social media accounts, ensuring we had reached all of our
stakeholders. This impact was immediately assessed through the feedback from students and
family members through comments, likes, and emails of appreciation and it is something that we
continued to receive praise for throughout the district.

Common questions

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Caitlin's field experiences allowed her to synthesize and apply her Instructional Technology program knowledge by engaging in structured and unstructured projects that required practical application of her skills and dispositions. She adapted to changing circumstances by updating the school website and managing social media communication, coached new hires on technology integration, and developed engaging digital content. These efforts reinforced her learning from the program by putting her training into real-world situations, enhancing her professional growth .

Adapting communication strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic was critical due to rapid changes and uncertainties. Caitlin's experience underscores the need for timely updates via digital platforms to ensure stakeholders were informed. The effectiveness of these strategies was measured through stakeholder feedback and engagement metrics like comments and emails. Lessons for future practices include maintaining open, responsive channels and using multiple platforms to cater to different audiences, ensuring resilience and adaptability in communication during emergencies .

Caitlin developed communication skills for both one-on-one coaching and group professional learning sessions, the ability to create engaging digital content such as websites and graphics, and the competency to meet diverse student needs, including those with disabilities and language barriers. These skills and dispositions are crucial for the role of a Digital Coach as they involve synthesizing and applying learned content into practical outcomes and supporting colleagues in effective technology use in lessons .

Caitlin reflected on the wish that she had shadowed or interned with her district’s Instructional Technology Coordinator to gain a broader perspective on how Instructional Technology affects the district's work as a whole. This reflection was based on her experience during the field experience process, indicating a desire to understand the bigger picture of district-wide instructional technology implementations beyond her immediate contributions .

Updating the school website and social media was crucial in maintaining transparency and open communication with the school community during uncertain times. Based on Caitlin's experience, these efforts fostered trust and ensured that students, families, and other stakeholders stayed informed and engaged. Positive feedback from the community, such as likes, comments, and appreciative emails, illustrated the importance of these timely updates in strengthening school-community relations .

Shadowing or interning with the district’s Instructional Technology Coordinator could have exposed Caitlin to a wider array of district-level strategic planning and the integration of technology across different schools. It would have provided insights into policy-making, resource allocation, and large-scale technology initiatives that are not apparent at the school level. This experience would have given her a comprehensive understanding of how individual efforts contribute to the district's broader educational goals and allowed her to see the impact of technology on educational outcomes more holistically .

Caitlin's experience highlights the role of technology in supporting students with diverse needs by demonstrating its capacity to overcome barriers such as disabilities, language differences, and the digital divide. Her work in updating digital content and supporting teaching staff illustrated how tech tools can be leveraged to create inclusive educational practices. By tailoring technology use to meet various student needs, Caitlin exemplified a strategic approach to digital education that is adaptable and inclusive .

The unstructured field experience contributed to school improvement by establishing clear lines of communication with stakeholders at a time of uncertainty due to COVID-19. Key components involved regular updates to the school website and social media accounts with new information, ensuring that all changes were communicated promptly. Feedback from students and family members, including comments, likes, and emails of appreciation, indicated the success of these efforts. This approach helped improve family and student engagement and strengthened the connection between home and school .

Caitlin's role in technology orientation involved educating new hires about the use of technology and how to incorporate it into their lessons effectively, showing that a Digital Coach's responsibilities extend beyond simple tech support. It involved articulating the rationale behind using technology in education, showcasing various tools such as the Digital Coach Dashboard, and providing resources to enhance teaching methods. This broad set of tasks highlighted the multifaceted nature of the Digital Coach role, emphasizing strategic integration of technology in educational settings .

Caitlin's field experience reveals that the Digital Coach role involves challenges such as synthesizing technical knowledge and educational strategies to support diverse learning needs and manage digital platforms. Compete

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