3.6 Selecting and Evaluating Digital Tools and Resources
Candidates collaborate with teachers and administrators to select and evaluate digital tools and resources for accuracy, suitability, and compatibility with the school technology infrastructure. (PSC 3.6/ISTE 3f)
Artifact
My Evaluating Emerging Technologies artifact was created for a project that had students research and compare technologies that could be used to fill gaps that currently existed within their schools or districts. I chose to focus on learning management systems (LMS). This project was conducted before our system implemented their own LMS, Cobb Teaching and Learning System (CCSD, n.d.). My presentation focuses on Canvas, an LMS that I felt was the best fit of the ones that I researched. Canvas is used by many school districts nationwide. I conducted all the research and analysis for this project.
Standard 3.6, Selecting and Evaluating Digital Tools & Resources - collaborate with teachers and administrators to select and evaluate digital tools and resources for accuracy, suitability, and compatibility with the school technology infrastructure. This project shows that I have demonstrated mastery of selecting and evaluating digital tools and resources like an LMS. I have evidence showing that I have a variety of experiences evaluating, comparing, and selecting digital resources based on accuracy, suitability, and compatibility for a host of different scenarios and situations necessary for a digital leader. My recognition of the gap that existed and the fact that the district did indeed implement an LMS shortly after my creation of the artifact shows that I demonstrate the ability to evaluate learners and teachers needs and can select successful tools and resources needed in today’s ever-changing educational field. This project had us create a presentation to present to administrators and other stakeholders needed to move forward technology and successful collaborate with a variety of different players needed to be a successful and practical digital leader (Sheninger, 2019). This Evaluating Emerging Technologies and all my artifacts created in my coursework for my graduate degree are evidence that I am prepared to lead in my classroom and beyond.
I learned about a variety of digital tools and resources necessary for a digital leader to be aware of to effectively serve their students, schools, and/or district. Not only is it important to be aware of these tools, but a strong digital leader also must be able to analyze and assess which tools are a suitable fit for their individual needs. I wish I was aware of the district’s intent on implementing their own LMS, because if I had known this, I could have spent time working on this project for something else. This would have been a better use of my time, and my artifact could have been something that I could use in a technology committee. Still, I enjoyed working on the project and I think the presentation itself is visually strong.
The work that went into the creating of the Evaluating Emerging Technologies artifact serves to assist my personal classroom, my school, and my district. Learning management systems are here to stay. Not only do they augment teachers and learners, but the also help students develop 21st century skills, as well as allow them to have an authentic way to practice critical concepts like digital citizenship as they work on projects, interact with teachers and other students, as well as collaborate with each other. This artifact can be assessed in observations, and assessments that are conducted in the LMS itself. The data provided by an LMS can also help drive improvement in future assessments and help drive student mastery of content standards.
References
Blackboard vs. Canvas: Key Features and Services Comparison. (n.d.). BetterBuys. Retrieved from https://www.betterbuys.com/lms/blackboard-vs-canvas/
Canvas the Learning Management Platform | Instructure [Canvas the Learning Management Platform | Instructure]. (n.d.). Instructure | Canvas LMS. Retrieved from
https://www.instructure.com/canvas/
Canvas LMS. (2015, September 21). The Cool Things You Can Do With Canvas [Video]. YouTube.
https://youtu.be/TdDS6gVdI10
CCSD. (n.d.). CTLS. Cobb County School District. Retrieved from
https://www.cobbk12.org/page/47235/ctls
Fenton, W. (2017, October 15). Instructure Canvas LMS Review | PCMag. https://www.pcmag.com. Retrieved from https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/instructure-canvas-lms
Roblyer, M.D., & Hughes, J. E. (2019). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching: Transforming Learning Across Disciplines. Pearson. (Original work published 2010).
Sheninger, E. (2019). Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times: Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times (Second ed.). Corwin.
Welcome | Canvas LMS Community. (n.d.). Canvas LMS Community. Retrieved from
https://community.canvaslms.com
Standard 3.6, Selecting and Evaluating Digital Tools & Resources - collaborate with teachers and administrators to select and evaluate digital tools and resources for accuracy, suitability, and compatibility with the school technology infrastructure. This project shows that I have demonstrated mastery of selecting and evaluating digital tools and resources like an LMS. I have evidence showing that I have a variety of experiences evaluating, comparing, and selecting digital resources based on accuracy, suitability, and compatibility for a host of different scenarios and situations necessary for a digital leader. My recognition of the gap that existed and the fact that the district did indeed implement an LMS shortly after my creation of the artifact shows that I demonstrate the ability to evaluate learners and teachers needs and can select successful tools and resources needed in today’s ever-changing educational field. This project had us create a presentation to present to administrators and other stakeholders needed to move forward technology and successful collaborate with a variety of different players needed to be a successful and practical digital leader (Sheninger, 2019). This Evaluating Emerging Technologies and all my artifacts created in my coursework for my graduate degree are evidence that I am prepared to lead in my classroom and beyond.
I learned about a variety of digital tools and resources necessary for a digital leader to be aware of to effectively serve their students, schools, and/or district. Not only is it important to be aware of these tools, but a strong digital leader also must be able to analyze and assess which tools are a suitable fit for their individual needs. I wish I was aware of the district’s intent on implementing their own LMS, because if I had known this, I could have spent time working on this project for something else. This would have been a better use of my time, and my artifact could have been something that I could use in a technology committee. Still, I enjoyed working on the project and I think the presentation itself is visually strong.
The work that went into the creating of the Evaluating Emerging Technologies artifact serves to assist my personal classroom, my school, and my district. Learning management systems are here to stay. Not only do they augment teachers and learners, but the also help students develop 21st century skills, as well as allow them to have an authentic way to practice critical concepts like digital citizenship as they work on projects, interact with teachers and other students, as well as collaborate with each other. This artifact can be assessed in observations, and assessments that are conducted in the LMS itself. The data provided by an LMS can also help drive improvement in future assessments and help drive student mastery of content standards.
References
Blackboard vs. Canvas: Key Features and Services Comparison. (n.d.). BetterBuys. Retrieved from https://www.betterbuys.com/lms/blackboard-vs-canvas/
Canvas the Learning Management Platform | Instructure [Canvas the Learning Management Platform | Instructure]. (n.d.). Instructure | Canvas LMS. Retrieved from
https://www.instructure.com/canvas/
Canvas LMS. (2015, September 21). The Cool Things You Can Do With Canvas [Video]. YouTube.
https://youtu.be/TdDS6gVdI10
CCSD. (n.d.). CTLS. Cobb County School District. Retrieved from
https://www.cobbk12.org/page/47235/ctls
Fenton, W. (2017, October 15). Instructure Canvas LMS Review | PCMag. https://www.pcmag.com. Retrieved from https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/instructure-canvas-lms
Roblyer, M.D., & Hughes, J. E. (2019). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching: Transforming Learning Across Disciplines. Pearson. (Original work published 2010).
Sheninger, E. (2019). Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times: Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times (Second ed.). Corwin.
Welcome | Canvas LMS Community. (n.d.). Canvas LMS Community. Retrieved from
https://community.canvaslms.com
