Competency 4: Think Critically and Reflectively
- Develops a personal vision of inclusive educational practice
- Describes the relationship between Educational Technology and the broader field of Education
- Critically evaluates theory and practice
Representative Artifacts:
Narrative:
Personal Vision of Inclusive Educational Practice
The two artifacts included in this post are indicative of my ability to think critically and reflectively for a number of reasons. The attached Final Paper document describes a specific pedagogy that I helped to develop beyond its original, rudimentary state. The Individual Paper above describes, in more depth, a specific aspect of that theory, and critically evaluates how that theory and research play into practical applications.
The Final Paper document describes an ideal that the organization for which I work has been striving to reach. It represents my own personal vision of an inclusive, creative, and supportive educational community. One of the hallmarks of this paper, and the vision therein, is that the instruction and interaction with learners are inclusive and supportive of learners of all abilities and interests. This paper is interesting because it focuses on a practical application, and the development and evolution of the educational theory and practice that support that application.
Describes Relationship between Education Technology and Field of Education
Both of the artifacts contained here are heavily dependent on the use of educational technology, and argue that embracing the changing landscape of educational technology can allow for more efficient and effective learning to take place. Both artifacts reference the power of online learning communities; supportive and timely feedback; and the ability of learners to interact with one another, as well as instructors and mentors. Educational technology allows for learners all over the world to benefit from the learning opportunities that they need–but it also can serve to enhance those opportunities, beyond what could even be accomplished in a face-to-face setting.
Critically Evaluates Theory and Practice
Finally, both of these artifacts also deal closely with the research and theory behind the practical applications. By synthesizing and evaluating a plethora of research articles and theories, I was able to define a number of best practices in these fields. Active learning, project based learning, and social learning are all on display in this paper, as well as more specific theories on providing timely feedback, and chunking instruction into easily digestible modules. It was important to look critically at the research presented, because at first glance, some of it may seem contradictory. By evaluating the articles closely, though, and comparing enough of them, the key differences and similarities could be explained, and the most applicable solutions could be chosen.
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