EDLD+5362+Information+Systems

**Self Assessment**
EDLD 5362-Information Systems Management class allowed me to build on my leadership skills while exploring the classroom and business information system arena. The assignments that were required for this class were all effective in building my knowledge foundation.

During the first week, I was given the opportunity to interview an elementary teacher who had been teaching for a number of years. He shared his experiences with the technology advancements that he has seen change over the years as he is one of the “Digital Immigrants” that Marc Prensky (Prensky 2005) describes and also states, “If we want to move the useful adoption of technology forward, it is crucial for educators to learn to listen, to observe, to ask, and to try all the new methods their students have already figured out, and do so regularly” (Marc Prensky, p. 1).

Like any other challenging advancements over the centuries, the general public greets it with some hesitation and confusion. As the adult society moves cautiously into our technology age, questioning the very motives of the digital decision makers, the younger generation embraces its very existence in video games and other “fun” gadgets. As we realize the educational value of such “digital gadgets,” we will greet the new challenges, as the two schools of learning collide.

As with other teachers in the field of education, each has witnessed this phenomenon first hand, as he is on the front lines of this educational battle. Students step into the classroom pre-trained in the digital world as teachers struggle to provide lessons required for their appropriate age level. Developing adequate and enjoyable educational presentations for classrooms is in itself a challenge. Teachers are cognizant of the fading attention span of over-active eighth graders and always attempt to keep lessons entertaining, as well as educational.

**Learn as a Learner**
In learning this new information, I could see how valuable the tools of our modern-day are invaluable in the training of this new generation of digital learners. While there are many teachers that are still grasping the new technology, there are tools available to assist and guide them in developing those lesson plans that would be useful for their classrooms. With the availability of the internet, there is now new ways to learn and to educate all age groups, whether just beginning as a young K-12 student or a higher education.

The relationship between the old and new way of learning was extremely apparent in this assignment. While there is much to teach the teachers and staff about the appropriate uses of using the internet as a teaching tool, there is much to learn about how to integrate the internet educational information into meaningful lessons to use in the classroom setting.

As a learner, I found it was best to gather as much information and facts as I could, then analyze them to determine the best course of action. In using this interview as a way to gather information, I was able to gather opinions and concerns of an instructor, as well as gather information about the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD Student Information System (SIS). Learning about and viewing the system thru the eyes of an instructor, assisted me in understanding the battle of instructors to prepare appropriate lesson plans for certain age groups and the variety needed to be able to keep their attention.

**Lifelong Learner**
As the lifelong learner that I am, I can see and respect the efforts the instructors endure to bring the best of their teaching and learning skills to the classroom. I learned that the modern students are raised in an age of instant gratification and that teachers are constantly reflecting the appropriate ways to teach about cyber-citizenship, that it isn’t just the job of the “tech teachers.” It is each educator’s job to teach patience and persistence in finding the right answers and not just settle for those that are listed in the Google site. It is a consistent problem in deciphering what is factual and what isn’t, as Ebenezer and Lau (2003) states, “An increasing number of Web sites are added each day to the Internet, thus making it more difficult to find relevant information” (p. 3). Also supporting this concern is Carroll and Witherspoon (2002) as they state “Not all information on the internet is quality information, or appropriate for use with students” (p.33).

Regardless of what age level you are instructing, there is so much information and knowledge to be presented to enable your class of learners to grasp those concepts one hopes to pass on. With the challenges of the digital future, growing pains are sure to envelope the young and old alike, but the benefits are surely to our educational advantage.

**References:**
Carroll, J., & Witherspoon, T. (2002). //Linking Technology and Curriculum: Integrating the ISTE NETS Standards into Teaching and Learning, 2nd ed//. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Ebenezer, J., & Lau, E. (2003). //Science on the Internet: A Resource for K-12 Teachers, 2nd ed//. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Johnson, Carolyn (2003). //Using Internet Primary Sources to Teach Critical Thinking Skills in the Sciences//. Westport, CN: Libraries Unlimited, Inc.

(4) Prensky