Course Reflection

EdTech 502
Jeanne Searfoorce
Every semester has different achievements and different challenges. This semester was no
different. This was my first summer session in the EdTech program. The semesters are
considerably shorter which trickles down to less available assignment completion time. In a
class where there is a vast amount of technical information, that reduced time coupled with
condensed learning and content absorption meant a steeper learning curve than anticipated. For
the first few weeks, the amount of time spent debugging my web pages consumed much more
time that I thought. In many cases, it became apparent that the Internet had advanced to a point
where my old school coding did not even come close to making the grade.
As a former web designer, it became apparent early in the course (the first web page assignment)
that many things have changed over the past seven years in DreamWeaver. When I began use
DreamWeaver, it was if I had never used the program at all. This was frustrating because I used
to use the program on a daily basis and I was relearning the program from the beginning. Also,
understanding the mechanics of the cascading style sheets was the toughest task of all. About
half way through the class and after spending a considerable amount of time reading the code
(which ironically, I still remembered), I figured out how everything linked together. While I am
still a novice, I am no longer fearful of CSS.
Finally, I have a new appreciation for modern web designers. In Module 9, we were able to use
CSS templates. I was astounded, impressed and in awe at the amount of backend code that made
these sites so simple and beautiful. I could not even begin to think about the time that was spent
creating the CSS to create such seamless pages and that these templates were available for free.
Creating the masterpieces is an art form that I appreciate more as I relearn this process from
scratch.
My opinion of web design in education has changed. I think that it is important for one who
wishes to teach online should comprehend and appreciate the time is takes for these tools to be
created and implemented. There are different intricacies regarding website creation. Using a
blog like Wordpress or Weebly allows one to customize a website. While you are creating a
website, the hard coding has been completed by another individual. Learning to use a tool like
DreamWeaver is an education all in itself. In several weeks, one can learn the ins and outs of a
blogging website. It can take someone years to learn DreamWeaver.
I think that when one is learns design principle fundamentals, they can utilize tools like
Wordpress or Weebly with a better understanding. With online education, understanding design
principles can help educators develop better lessons, more fluid content and seek better resources
for their students.
As an elementary school teacher, I am always looking for ways to present my information to a
younger audience while keeping my resources available to older students. In the inner city
district where I teach, there was a push to start a web design class in the high school across the

street from my school. One of my best friends was supposed to teach the class. The class never
got off of the ground.
In many cases, many of the students in the high school have limited interest in school and a class
like DreamWeaver would overwhelm them. Part of the ideas behind the creation of this class
was to create a more exciting curriculum. After the intensity of this class, I think their approach
should be revisited and their audience reevaluated. After taking this class, I think that they should
teach a web customization class using a blog site such as Wordpress or Weebly.
After revisiting the projects, I will surely use the web quest and virtual field trips. However, I
will change the content and scope of both of these projects as my oldest students are eight and
nine years old. I also believe that I will guide the students more closely when they embark on
these virtual adventures. Another consideration that I will examine is the classroom teachers
need for a web quest or virtual field trip.
Keeping this in mind, I will definitely work closely with the classroom teacher to design a
website that the students can explore in my classroom (the computer lab) as well as their main
classroom. It is important to note that if an educator wants to integrate technological skills, both
teachers should work together to ensure all of the content is included and that the students learn
the skills necessary to acquire the knowledge to be successful.
Netiquette Standard 1
When I created the Netiquette page, the content was geared toward elementary school age
students. This is one of the reasons I created the Busy Bees Hive Five to highlight things they
should not do online in the event they do not read the rest of the content. After evaluating various
websites regarding netiquette, the points I highlighted expressed the politeness one should use
online.
Concept Map Standard 4
By choosing our own topic for the Concept Map project, I was able to show how students can
design their own home using Web 2.0 technology from their own vision or an architectural plan
from the Internet. With the visuals included, the technology can give students the opportunity to
investigate a career or explore this in their spare time.
Working with CSS Templates Standard 3
Candidates establish mechanisms (p. 190) for maintaining the technology infrastructure (p. 234)
to improve learning and performance. (p. 238)
When I was given the chance to choose a CSS template, it clearly maintains the technology
infrastructure as expressed in Standard 3. By using this template, I was able to learn more about
coding CSS, HTML and how to incorporate my own images.