Rationale Paper Carrie Shannon English Content Manager, FuelEducation Spring 2015 Introduction

I began my career in education in 2000 in the traditional way, by teaching English in a

brick and mortar school. In the spring of 2008, I had the opportunity to help write my district’s

first online English course, which gave me my first taste of online education. After moving to a

different state and finding a severe lack of available brick and mortar teaching jobs, I applied for

and accepted a job teaching English online in 2009.

I originally decided to apply for the Masters of Educational Technology program at Boise

State University because I thought that I would learn valuable skills and tools that I could use to

improve my online teaching, and I began the program in the Spring of 2011. Only a few months

later, I left the teaching side of online education when I accepted a leadership position within my

division of the company. While this occasionally made it a bit more difficult for me to complete

some of my course projects (as I no longer work directly with students or have a curriculum that

I teach), I found that I was easily able to apply what I was learning in class to what I was doing

with my job; in fact, my position actually allowed me to share my newfound knowledge with

dozens of online teachers.

What follows is a paper that provides a clear explanation of how the MET program at

Boise State University has helped me to meet the standards set forth by the Association for

Educational Communications and Technology in 2012. Each standard is broken down into

multiple indicators, and I provide examples and explanations of completed assignments and

projects that demonstrate my mastery of each indicator. I have chosen a variety of artifacts that

represent each course that I have taken during the program and that showcase what I have

learned and how I have grown as a professional educator.

AECT Standards with Rationale STANDARD ONE: CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

Candidates demonstrate the knowledge necessary to create, use, assess, and manage theoretical

and practical applications of educational technologies and processes.

Indicator One, Creating: Candidates demonstrate the ability to create instructional materials

and learning environments using a variety of systems approaches.

Throughout the MET program, I had the opportunity to create a number of instructional

materials. EdTech 502 (“The Internet for Educators”) taught the creation of websites using

HTML/XHTML/CSS code, and I was able to create and publish a variety of instructional

websites. One example is my Webquest, which would best be used with students in an online or

blended course. I used Dreamweaver to create each individual page within the lesson site, and I

also created the lesson, the assessments, and the evaluation rubric. In EdTech 521 (“Online

Teaching in the K­12 Environment”), I used the skills that I learned in EdTech 502 to create a

website for my Asynchronous Lesson Presentation. The goal of this project was to develop

grade­level and content­area appropriate learning activities that would engage learners while

using appropriate and effective multimedia design elements. This online lesson includes

multiple interactive elements, including a formative assessment, and it also incorporates

embedded videos used for an introduction, instruction, and examples. Both of these projects

required me to use a systems approach to choose and utilize appropriate tools, techniques, and

methods to design and develop these lessons in order to best facilitate learning (Luppicini, 2005).

Indicator Two, Using: Candidates demonstrate the ability to select and use technological

resources and processes to support student learning and to enhance their pedagogy.

While a number of course assignments and projects required me to select and use

technological resources and processes to support student learning and to enhance my pedagogy,

there are two artifacts that stand out. In EdTech 502, I created a Virtual Tour. I used

Dreamweaver to design, create, and publish a multi­page website that would allow students to

virtually tour the city of Seattle and some of its most well­known tourist destinations. The

website includes an embedded map, links to multiple informational websites (including a live

webcam that shows the current view from the top of the Space Needle), and a number of

embedded images and videos. Additionally, students are encouraged to explore the provided

links to find the answers to questions posted on my site in order to continue to pique their interest

and given them additional learning opportunities. In EdTech 531 (“Teaching and Learning in

Virtual Worlds”), I created and presented a lesson that takes place in Second Life, an online

virtual world. In this Virtual World Lesson, students were sent on a scavenger hunt in Second

Life in order to build background knowledge on Shakespeare prior to reading Romeo and Juliet.

Questions were provided, and then students were transported to a specific location within the

world and given time to find the answers. Then students were brought back to the class “home”

location, where the answers were discussed. This process was completed twice (using two

different sets of questions and two different locations).

In both of these cases, the specific technological resources and processes were utilized in

order to support student learning and to create an immersive learning environment. In both of

these activities, students were encouraged to explore the suggested spaces (websites and virtual

spaces within Second Life) to find certain information, yet they also had the freedom to pursue

additional information that they found to be interesting and that would extend their learning.

Indicator Three, Assessing/Evaluating: Candidates demonstrate the ability to assess and

evaluate the effective integration of appropriate technologies and instructional materials.

In EdTech 503 (“Instructional Design”), we learned that the process of Instructional

Design involves answering the questions of “where are we going,” “how will we get there,” and

“how will we know when we’ve arrived.” This includes analyzing the learning goals for the

instruction, developing the instructional strategy that will be used, and preparing an evaluation

that will allow learners to show what they learned as a result of the instruction (Smith & Ragan,

2004). I completed this entire process when developing the Final Instructional Design Project.

As a result of this project, I feel much more strongly about the need to evaluate the effectiveness

of chosen technologies and instructional strategies, and I stress this with the teachers with whom

I work.

Indicator Four, Managing: Candidates demonstrate the ability to effectively manage people,

processes, physical infrastructures, and financial resources to achieve predetermined goals.

In EdTech 505 (“Evaluation for Educational Technologists”), I wrote a Response to a

Request for Proposal. In this project, I explained how I would evaluate a training package; this

included an explanation of the evaluation method that I would use, the data collection

instruments I would use, my proposed task schedule, information about the personnel who would

be involved in the evaluation, and my required budget.

It is also important to note that the effective management of people involves using

effective motivational strategies. What can I do to motivate teachers to learn (and use)

something new? According to Keller (1987), the ARCS model of motivational design (which

includes the elements of Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction) can go a long way

to motivate learners. When completing my Instructional Design project for EdTech 503, one

piece of the project that I created was an ARCS Motivational Strategies Table. This table shows

strategies that can be used throughout the instructional process to spark and maintain student

motivation as they complete the learning activities.

Indicator Five, Ethics: Candidates demonstrate the contemporary professional ethics of the

field as defined and developed by the Association for Educational Communications and

Technology (AECT).

The AECT has created a Code of Professional Ethics which its members are encouraged

to follow in order to maintain a high level of professional conduct. This code includes actions

that show a commitment to the individual, a commitment to society, and a commitment to the

profession. In EdTech 502, I created a Plagiarism Scavenger Hunt; this is a web­based lesson for

students in which they learn what plagiarism is, why it’s a big deal, and how and when to cite

their sources in order to avoid plagiarizing. The activity shows an adherence to the eighth

principle in Section 3 of the Code of Ethics: the member “shall inform users of the stipulations

and interpretations of the copyright law and other laws affecting the profession and encourage

compliance” (AECT, 2007). In EdTech 521, I wrote about Current and Potential Policy Issues

Surrounding Online Learning. This paper discusses a number of ethical issues present in online

education and includes my reflections on them. It supports the idea promoted in the third

principle in Section 1 of the Code of Ethics: the member “shall guarantee to each individual the

opportunity to participate in any appropriate program” (AECT, 2007). Additionally, as this

paper did include a research element, I followed the tenth principle in Section 10 of the Code of

Ethics: the member “shall conduct research using professionally accepted guidelines and

procedures, especially as they apply to protecting participants from harm” (AECT, 2007).

STANDARD TWO ­ CONTENT PEDAGOGY

Candidates develop as reflective practitioners able to demonstrate effective implementation of

educational technologies and processes based on contemporary content and pedagogy.

Indicator One, Creating: Candidates apply content pedagogy to create appropriate applications

of processes and technologies to improve learning and performance outcomes.

EdTech 513 (“Multimedia”) provided me with the opportunity to choose various

applications and technologies in order to create lessons that would improve learning and

performance outcomes. One such lesson was the Worked Example Screencast. In this project, I

created a screencast that could be used with high school English students; this could be placed in

an online course or provided to students in a brick and mortar setting (or a flipped classroom

setting). I used PowerPoint to create a presentation on the topic of How to Organize Your

Writing, and then I created a screencast that allowed me to record the presentation. During the

presentation, I also used the PowerPoint tools to work through an example of the process that I

would want students to follow when organizing their writing. Another example of a project in

which I applied content pedagogy and appropriate applications of technology is the

Asynchronous Lesson Presentation submitted for EdTech 521. This website provides students

with an online lesson that incorporates a variety of teaching strategies, learner activities, a

formative assessment, learner feedback, and a summative assessment, as well as a Voki lesson

introduction, embedded videos, a Google form, and linked answer sheets and rubrics. All of

these elements improve learning and performance outcomes.

Indicator Two, Using: Candidates implement appropriate educational technologies and

processes based on appropriate content pedagogy.

In EdTech 513, I created a Digital Story using Windows Movie Maker. While the story

itself is not necessarily educational, I could use the video in a lesson with high school English

students to teach something like theme, dramatic irony, or even imagery. However, I feel that

this project would best be used an example of what the students themselves could create, which,

of course, would encourage them to use the technology on their own and to implement higher

order thinking skills. In EdTech 506 (“Graphic Design for Learning”), I created a web­based

Unit of Instruction centered on the novel, The Great Gatsby. The website itself was created

using Weebly, and throughout the unit, I implemented a variety of educational technologies

(such as embedded videos, images and visuals that I created using Fireworks while adhering to

principles of graphic design, embedded documents). Additionally, the website includes a

number of documents that I provided for any instructor that may want to use the unit, including

detailed lesson plans, an outline of the unit, and a justification paper, all of which explain the

pedagogical strategies I chose to use throughout the unit.

Indicator Three, 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.

For EdTech 505, I created a Final Evaluation Report. In this project, I used accepted

evaluation methods to carefully look at training documents that my team and I had created and

used with online teachers in my current position at work. The paper describes the process that I

followed while completing this evaluation, including the key participants, the procedures, and

the data sources, and it also provides the results of the assessment. Additionally, the report

includes a reflection on the training program and its effectiveness, as well as suggestions for

improvement moving forward. As a result of completing this evaluation report, I made some

changes in the training process at my job. Since the evaluation revealed that many teachers were

not implementing the suggested strategies in some courses, my team and I have made sure that

the information is made available in multiple ways, and I have also included information about

these strategies in Professional Development sessions this school year.

I also had an opportunity in EdTech 531 to write a reflection on a speech given by Dr.

Chris Haskell, entitled “Blowing Up the Grade Book.” Dr. Haskell has some very interesting

ideas about some major changes that he would like to see in schools, such as allowing students to

choose which units they’ll complete in which order, getting rid of due dates, and providing

multiple paths by which students can arrive at the end goal (Haskell, 2012). Following his ideas

would require a drastic change in instructional practice and would likely require a great use of

educational technologies. In the future, I hope to have an opportunity to implement these ideas

in an effort to improve student achievement.

Indicator Four, 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.

When teaching an online course, it is very important to ensure that students feel that they

are a part of a supportive learning community and in a flexible (and often diverse) learning

environment. In EdTech 521, I created a table that shows a sampling of Online Community

Building Strategies that one can implement while teaching in an asynchronous online course. In

this chart, one can see the rationale behind each of the suggested strategies, as well as the

purpose each strategy may serve (to give the student ownership, to generate knowledge, to show

individual identity, to provide social interaction, and to encourage participation). Using these

strategies will promote student engagement, and according to Conrad & Donaldson (2004),

“engaged learning stimulates learners to actively participate in the learning situation, and thus

gain the most knowledge from being a member of an online community” (p. 7). Additionally, in

EdTech 523 (“Advanced Online Teaching”), I created a Communication Plan that outlined

various tasks and strategies to be used by an online teacher in order to encourage a supportive

learning community. This document also demonstrates the use of appropriate content pedagogy,

with discussion forum strategies, critical thinking prompts, a discussion guide for students, a

forum assessment/rubric, suggestions for strategies to manage issues that may arise, and an

overall community building plan.

Indicator Five, Ethics: Candidates design and select media, technology, and processes that

emphasize the diversity of our society as a multicultural community.

In EdTech 501 (“Introduction to Educational Technology”), I reflected on the concepts of

Digital Divide and Digital Inequality. For the Digital Inequality Presentation, I created a

presentation (slides and a script) that could be given at a committee meeting held to determine

how special funding could be used to help eliminate Digital Inequality in the state of Washington

(in a hypothetical scenario). This project allowed me to carefully examine some of the

technology issues that are present in our diverse society, particularly for those in a lower

socioeconomic group or those for whom English is not the first language, and to suggest

potential solutions to help bridge the current gaps. Additionally, the Online Community

Building Strategies table created in EdTech 521 suggests processes that can be used by an online

teacher to encourage a supportive learning community. A number of these suggested strategies

(such as Student Introduction Forums, a General Questions Forum, and Student Created

Announcements and Banners) would help to emphasize and embrace the diversity of the students

within the course, as they allow for social interaction and for individuals to showcase their own

identities.

STANDARD THREE ­ LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

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

environments.

Indicator One, Creating: Candidates create instructional design products based on learning

principles and research­based best practices.

A number of the projects that I completed throughout the program required me to create

instructional design products based on learning principles and research­based best practices.

One example is the Webquest that I created in EdTech 502. This is a website that I created using

Dreamweaver, and it can be used to give high school English students the opportunity to explore

the literature, art, and music of the Harlem Renaissance. Students are asked to analyze a variety

of texts of their own choosing (with some specific criteria provided), summarize the information,

and then synthesize key ideas into a presentation to share with classmates. The webquest lesson

addresses multiple Common Core Standards for English Language Arts, and the final student

product would be assessed with the provided rubric.

In EdTech 513, I created a variety of instructional design products that were based on the

multimedia principles as explained by Clark & Mayer (2011). The Multimedia Instruction

Project was designed to adhere to the multimedia principle and the contiguity principle.

Additionally, the Worked Example Screencast was the culminating project in the course. In this

lesson, I provide instructional explanations of the worked steps, using relevant visuals. Those

visuals were explained with audio only, not with text, and the information was segmented into

chunks throughout the presentation.

Indicator Two, 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.

My Final Instructional Design Project for EdTech 503 allowed me to work through the

entire ADDIE instructional design process (Smith & Ragan, 2004). This included analysis of the

learning goals, design of the learning activities and assessments, development of these materials,

implementation, and evaluation. Though I am no longer able to use this project with my teachers

(as the program on which the lesson was centered no longer exists), completing this process

certainly taught me how to make sound decisions to create optimal conditions for learning.

Another example of an artifact that showcases my ability to make professionally sound decisions

in selecting appropriate processes and resources for learning is the Unit of Instruction that I

created for EdTech 506. This unit addressed multiple Common Core Standards for English

Language Arts, and it was designed to take advantage of several best practices of instruction,

such as activating prior knowledge, activities completed alone or with a partner/small group,

providing multiple opportunities for students to learn and to demonstrate what they have learned,

and the use of both formal and informal assessments which will provide students with valuable

feedback.

Indicator Three, Assessing/Evaluating: Candidates use multiple assessment strategies to collect

data for informing decisions to improve instructional practice, learner outcomes, and the learning

environment.

While completing the Final Instructional Design Project for EdTech 503, I used multiple

assessment strategies to collect data that informed the decisions that I made about the

instructional practice and learning environment I was creating. I completed a Needs Assessment

Survey to collect data about the technology needs of the teachers before I began creating the

instruction. After the unit was designed, I had a Subject Matter Expert review the materials, and

I also included plans for a one­to­one evaluation and a small group evaluation. My project

includes the results of those evaluations, as well as comments on the suggested changes.

The Final Evaluation Report that was completed for EdTech 505 examined six

documents that were part of the training program used by teachers in the English Department of

the online education company where I work. This paper discusses the evaluation method used,

the results of the evaluation, and suggestions for the improvement of the training program.

Indicator Four, Managing: Candidates establish mechanisms for maintaining the technology

infrastructure to improve learning and performance.

I completed two assignments in EdTech 501 that demonstrate my understanding of and

ability to maintain the technology infrastructure. In the Technology Use Plan, I created a

presentation in which I explain my goals for ensuring that teachers have and can use necessary

software and for creating a committee that will learn about and report on new technologies that

teachers would be able to use in their online classrooms. Additionally, the School Evaluation

Assignment gave me the opportunity to look carefully at the ways in which my company uses

technology for administration, curriculum, support, connectivity, and innovation.

Indicator Five, 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.

The Online Community Building Strategies table created for EdTech 521 is a good

example of a plan that will foster an ethical online learning environment which promotes safety,

best practices, and respect for copyright and Fair Use. Frankly, it can be difficult to build a sense

of community in an asynchronous, fully online course, yet it is very important for students to feel

that they are not alone in the online class. Additionally, they need to feel safe to post their ideas

and work for others to see, and this table will foster such an environment. Another artifact that

shows mastery of this indicator is the Plagiarism Scavenger Hunt that I created for EdTech 502.

This is a web­based lesson that can be used with students in either online or brick and mortar

schools. After completing the activity, students will have a better understanding of what

plagiarism is, what copyright laws are, why they are important, and how to avoid plagiarism by

accurately citing sources.

Indicator Six, Diversity of Learners: Candidates foster a learning community that empowers

learners with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, and abilities.

It is of vital importance that an online teacher fosters a safe learning community where

students with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, and abilities feel that they have some control

over their learning and where they feel empowered to share their ideas. The Communication

Plan that I created for EdTech 523 includes ideas and strategies to accomplish this. The plan

includes daily, weekly, and monthly tasks that a teacher should undertake in order to ensure that

all students will feel that they are a part of the online community. The plan also includes a

number of discussion forum strategies, information for students, a discussion rubric, and

suggestions for managing a variety of issues that may arise.

In EdTech 501, I wrote a blog post on Learning Analytics, which was one of the “Tech

Trends” identified in the 2011 Horizon Report. While this piece does not technically address the

idea of fostering a learning community, it does explain a vision for the future of education that

would certainly empower learners with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, and abilities. In

this blog post, I explain how learning analytics (when made available) has the potential to help

educators to identify where a student is having difficulty and where a student can excel. As

George Siemens (2010) points out, learning analytics gathers information to make predictions

that would allow an educator to adapt a course content and lessons, provide personalization, and

create interventions as necessary.

STANDARD FOUR ­ PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Candidates design, develop, implement, and evaluate technology­rich learning environments

within a supportive community of practice.

Indicator One, Collaborative Practice: Candidates collaborate with their peers and subject

matter experts to analyze learners, develop and design instruction, and evaluate its impact on

learners.

I regularly work with subject matter experts and other colleagues in my position at work,

and the Technology Use Plan that I put together in EdTech 501 was designed to be something

that I could use within my own department. It calls for me to collaborate with others in my

company (Senior Supervisors, others who hold the same position that I do, teachers, and

curriculum team members) to review technology use, identify areas for improvement, share

information with teachers, and review and evaluate processes regularly. In EdTech 523, I

worked asynchronously with a number of my classmates to create a Google site that houses a

collection of Virtual Icebreakers that are appropriate for use with students in grades K­12.

EdTech 531 was a unique course in the MET program, as the students and professor met each

week for live lessons within a variety of virtual worlds. After spending a couple classes in

Minecraft, completing the “Jamestown vs. Roanoke colonization” lesson, students were invited

to participate in a Voicethread discussion. We reflected on our experience as students in the

virtual world and how the lesson impacted our own learning, and we also discussed what we, as

teachers, could take away from the experience and use in our own instruction.

Indicator Two, Leadership: Candidates lead their peers in designing and implementing

technology­supported learning.

As English Content Manager for an online education company, a large part of my job is

creating and leading professional development and training sessions for the English teachers in

our department. Because of this, I chose a topic for my Final Instructional Design Project in

EdTech 503 that would allow me to support the teachers that I work with. As explained in Part

1c: Rationale, teachers are expected to provide students with additional resources to enrich the

curriculum and to provide assistance to students who may need some additional instruction;

however, many teachers struggle to create resources that incorporate Web 2.0 tools. With this in

mind, my ID Project was designed to teach these teachers how to use a specific web­based tool

to create videos for their students.

Indicator Three, Reflection on Practice: Candidates analyze and interpret data and artifacts and

reflect on the effectiveness of the design, development and implementation of

technology­supported instruction and learning to enhance their professional growth.

In EdTech 513, we learned about the multimedia principles, as explained by Clark and

Mayer (2011). In my Coherence Analysis blog post, I had the opportunity to demonstrate my

understanding of the coherence principle, but I also was able to reflect on the effectiveness of the

design and implementation of various technology­supported instruction and training that I have

been a part of (both as a creator/presenter and as a student). EdTech 506 gave me the

opportunity to use Fireworks to create a number of images and visuals that follow the graphic

design principles as explained by Linda Lohr (2008). One of these visuals was created for the

Selection Project, which needed to focus on the principle of selection and the concept of

figure­ground. After creating my visual, I reflected on my thinking while designing the image,

and I explained how the final product adhered to the selection principle (concentrated, concise,

and concrete). Additionally, my reflection includes ideas that I tried but rejected while creating

my visual, and I briefly explain how this image will be used within the context of my full unit of

instruction.

Indicator Four, Assessing/Evaluating: Candidates design and implement assessment and

evaluation plans that align with learning goals and instructional activities.

In EdTech 506, part of the Unit of Instruction project included an Outline that explained

the learning goals, the instructional activities, student and classroom information, materials used,

and assessment and evaluation information. As one can see from the Outline, the unit was

designed to address five Common Core Standards. Learning activities were designed and

implemented to address each of these standards, and each included assessment instrument was

tied back directly to one or more of the identified standards.

Indicator Five, Ethics: Candidates demonstrate ethical behavior within the applicable cultural

context during all aspects of their work and with respect for the diversity of learners in each

setting.

In EdTech 502, I created two different websites that show mastery of this indicator. The

Accessibility Hot Links Page shows the importance of considering people with disabilities when

designing and creating a web page. This site includes a link to the Section 508 Standards that,

when followed, ensure that a website and its included information can be accessed by people

with disabilities. Additionally, this site links to a number of helpful accessibility tools that one

can use when creating a website. Another webpage that I created is the Netiquette Page. This is

a page that can be used with students enrolled in an online class, and it provides rules and

guidelines for students to follow to ensure ethical and respectful behavior towards all learners.

STANDARD FIVE ­ RESEARCH

Candidates explore, evaluate, synthesize, and apply methods of inquiry to enhance learning and

improve performance.

Indicator One, Theoretical Foundations: Candidates demonstrate foundational knowledge of

the contribution of research to the past and current theory of educational communications and

technology.

Two artifacts that demonstrate mastery of this indicator are papers that were written in

EdTech 504 (“Theoretical Foundations of Educational Technology”). In the Learning Theories

Paper, I researched and wrote about Social Learning Theory. I explored its foundations (rooted

in Behaviorism) and early contributors (such as Robert Sears and Albert Bandura), and I

provided examples of the theory’s possible applications within a high school English classroom.

In the Final Synthesis Paper, I examined some ways in which learning theories (specifically,

Constructivism and Successful Intelligence Theory) and educational technology can be used to

improve learning in high school English classes. As I mention in this paper, when making

decisions about educational technology, teachers need to consider what they know about various

learning theories, corresponding instructional strategies, and the best processes and tools they

have available to assist in implementing these strategies.

Indicator Two, Method: Candidates apply research methodologies to solve problems and

enhance practice.

Part Two of the Final Instructional Design Project for EdTech 503 centered on applying

research methodologies to collect and analyze data that was then used to help make decisions

about the design and implementation of the learning activities. In this particular case, it was

important to learn more about the teachers for whom the lesson was being designed; the data

collected provided me with information about the teachers’ backgrounds, experience with

web­based tools, and reasons for not posting HTML­based resources in their classrooms. Once I

had that information, I was able to plan to address these potential issues within the context of the

instruction, and I was able to adjust some of the motivational strategies planned in the ARCS

table (found in Part Three of the Project).

Indicator Three, Assessing/Evaluating: Candidates apply formal inquiry strategies in assessing

and evaluating processes and resources for learning and performance.

The readings, lessons, and activities of EdTech 505 centered around this indicator, as we

learned how to critically evaluate educational materials, processes, and resources. The Final

Evaluation Report shows the entire evaluation process, from planning to designing data

collection instruments, to analyzing data, to providing a summary of results and suggestions for

improvement. In this particular case, I examined six training documents that were being used

with English teachers within my department at an online education company. As the Content

Manager, I needed to see if these documents and the training program were meeting their desired

goals: providing all teachers of a given course access to the same resources and information, and

ensuring that all students enrolled in a given course have access to the same resources and

helpful documents (thereby improving student achievement). Through the completion of the

evaluation process, I learned that the training program was meeting some of its goals, but not all

of them. As a result of these findings, changes were made to the training program the following

school year. Teachers receive some of the training documents in a different manner, and in

observations of the online courses, instructional coaches are looking specifically for the

resources that should be posted.

Indicator Four, Ethics: Candidates conduct research and practice using accepted professional

and institutional guidelines and procedures.

In EdTech 504, I completed an Annotated Bibliography, in which I conducted research

and gathered information about learning theories and how they are being used to improve

educational technology. This Bibliography includes summaries of eight different articles, and

each article is correctly cited using APA style. I ended up using a number of these articles when

researching for and writing my Final Synthesis Paper for EdTech 504, which is another artifact

that demonstrates this indicator. This research­based paper discusses the possibilities for

improving secondary English instruction through multiple learning theories (Constructivism and

Successful Intelligence Theory) and the use of educational technology. In this paper, I followed

all professional and institutional guidelines and procedures for conducting, analyzing, and using

research.

Conclusion

Completing the MET program at Boise State University has opened my eyes to the

possibilities provided by educational technology. It is a field that is quickly changing, and as I

have taken four years to complete the program, I can even see changes since I took my first class

in 2011. Some tools that were considered relatively cutting edge four years ago are already

outdated or have become obsolete; other tools that were only being dreamed of have become

reality. I am confident that my MET coursework has provided me with an excellent foundation

of knowledge and skills that I will be able to use throughout my career. For the time being, I am

excited to use this knowledge to bring about change and improvements to the online education

company with which I am currently employed, and in the future, I hope to be able to influence

major change in the educational structures, methods, and processes of what is considered to be

“traditional” education. While not all students will take advantage of online education, I do

believe that all students should have the advantages offered by a prudent, purposeful, and skillful

use of educational technology.

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