Individual Reflection: Post Observation

The post observation took place in the morning before classes began. I met Ms. Hanible in her classroom where we sat directly across from each other in student desks. In retrospect, sitting side by side would have made for a more collegial feel. I wanted to create an atmosphere of collaboration. I also wanted Ms. Hanible to feel relaxed and comfortable enough to have a dialogue about the observation. I felt the best way to do that was to open the conversation with the positive comments her students made about her teaching. I believed opening the post observation with positive feedback and injecting laughter right at the beginning helped to relax Ms. Hanible’s body posture and allowed her to be more receptive. Additionally, I wanted her to see the impact of her teaching on learning outcomes. I maintained appropriate eye contact throughout the observation smiling and nodding my head in agreement and using phrases such “Okay” and “Right.” After reviewing the videotape, I realized that I use “umm” far too often as filler before moving on to the next question or topic. I kept my voice tone light and easy going, injecting laughter, when appropriate. 

During the preconference, Ms. Hanible indicated that her instructional transitions were problematic. She wanted me to observe how she moved from one activity to another and asked if I could provide strategies to help her better meet the learning needs of her students. Smith (1985) noted that the key to successful transitions was for teachers to use a variety of structured approaches. Additionally, the use of effective transitions in the classroom helps teachers minimize disruptions, maximize instructional time, and maintain optimal learning conditions (Arlin, 1979; Cangelosi, 2000; Sainato, 1990; Smith, Polloway, Patton, & Dowdy, 2001; Vartuli & Phelps, 1980). I recommended four strategies for Ms. Hanible to put into place with her classes. 

The first strategy I suggested was based on establishing routines and procedures. For example, class began at 9:30 a.m., however, due to late buses, Ms. Hanible did not start the lesson until 9:45 a.m. This was a daily occurrence. During this 15-minute time span, students were sitting in their seats with nothing to do. A few of the students picked up a textbook before sitting in their seats. Additionally, a student, absent the day before, requested materials needed to complete a missed homework assignment. I recommended that Ms. Hanible establish routines and procedures to streamline her morning activities. I suggested that she record the homework on an erasable monthly calendar and place any needed worksheets in a bin. Students could go to the homework calendar and record the information in their agenda book and retrieve any necessary handouts. This would allow students to take ownership of their learning and behave more independently while she focused on daily administrative duties. I also recommended that she create an extra credit assignment that students could complete independently at the computers during the 15-minute time span. This would allow them to focus on enrichment activities to deepen their understanding of world cultures while also giving them an opportunity to improve their grades.

As I watched Ms. Hanible move through her lessons, I was often unsure of when one activity ended and another began. Arlin (1979) notes that transitions are times where teachers direct students to end one activity and to begin another. As a result, the second strategy I suggested was for Ms. Hanible to use the foreign language department’s established lesson plan format. Utilizing this format would allow Ms. Hanible to take advantage of the clear beginnings and endings of one task or activity. Additionally, transition times where imbedded into the lesson planner, which she could adjust accordingly. I shared with her that the more structured lesson plan might also address the disorganization issues she mentioned during the preconference.

A third strategy I recommended would help Ms. Hanible guide her students through transitions successfully. I suggested that she model the student transition expectations. As with teaching students any new skill or behavior, teachers need to model the appropriate way for students to make a transition between activities (Olson & Platt, 2000; Rosenkoetter & Fowler, 1986; Smith et al., 2001) and then have students practice it (Olson & Platt, 2000; Reis, 1988; Smith et al., 2001), giving them feedback as they do so. I shared a five-step process for guiding students through the transition process: 1. provide a rationale; 2. explain the expected behavior; 3. model the expected behavior; 4. practice the expected behavior; and 5. monitor and provide feedback.

My final strategy for Ms. Hanible was to provide positive incentives to encourage students to execute transitions successfully. Since all of her students were assigned to her school due to behavior problems, I felt that gathering student input for rewards and consequences would help to motivate students. Kaser (2007) notes that for students with learning or behavior problems, these measures help support appropriate classroom behaviors by setting clear expectations, limiting opportunities for disruptive behaviors, and limiting the sources of frustration that can sometimes lead to inappropriate or unacceptable behavior.

Based on Jung’s four styles of teaching as mentioned in Pajak, Chapter Three, I believe Ms. Hanible’s teaching style is caring. This is evidenced by student feedback along with my observation of her class. Jung states that caring teachers have a sensing/feeling preference. During the pre-observation, Ms. Hanible shared her feelings and concerns about whether all of her students really were able to capture the material learned by the end of the class period. I could tell that this bothered her, but she wasn’t able to articulate a better strategy for reaching all of her students. Pajak (2003) points out that caring teachers are bothered by lack of harmony and balance. Ms. Hanible expressed frustration with her disorganization and its impact on her effectiveness as a teacher. As a result, when I provided feedback I made sure my tone was informative, friendly, and cordial. The suggestions I provided would not only target her issues with transitions, but also address her disorganization.

Ms. Hanible was asked to reflect on her teaching practices during the observation and to share evidence of times that she felt she met success. I wanted to understand her perceptions of how successful she was with the transitions during her lesson. She stated that she felt the lesson was moderately successful. “A few students were confused as to where we were or what page we were on. They were just not with it. Judging from the next day’s assessment, some of the students captured the information, but it was a mixed bag. I never feel like all of them get it by the end of a class period.” She was then asked if she had a chance to teach the lesson again to the same group of students, what would she do differently in terms of transitions. Ms. Hanible stated, “This doesn’t happen often, but not very many students showed up that day. We got through the lesson a lot faster than I had intended. I thought I would do the PowerPoint a lot longer. I ended up having 20 minutes left in class. I need to prepare for those times when I have just a few kids or a full class.” The normal class is 15 students, but only 8 students were in class.

Ms. Hanible functioned at a moderate developmental level and was able to articulate her weak areas, such as transitions and disorganization. I felt that she was open and honest about addressing the needs of her students and genuinely wanted suggestions for improving the teaching and learning. I chose to use a collaborative, encouraging behavior approach throughout the conference because it allowed me to hear Ms. Hanible’s perceptions of the observation while also letting me share my own ideas on how to make improvements. Glickman, Gordon, Ross-Gordon (2010) state that the result is a frank exchange of ideas where both participants know that they will have to agree on any course of action. Glickman, Gordon, Ross-Gordon (2010) further state that the supervisor should begin by encouraging the teacher to offer her own thoughts about the problem and suggestions for action. I was able to do this by using Charlotte Danielson’s Post Observation Conference Agenda and Meeting Notes to gather teacher feedback on the success of the lesson and suggested strategies for improvement. Overall, I felt that the use of a more collaborative behavior approach during the post observation helped to empower the teacher and placed us both on an equal plane forging a partnership towards improving the teaching and learning in her classroom.

Professional Development Models & Strategies Related to Student Work & Voices

So, for the last 2 weeks I have spent time completing formative evaluations and walkthroughs. This week we will discuss and share in class ideas, strategies, suggestions to those we've observed. Based on one of my observations, I am to suggest or recommend professional development opportunities that the teacher should engage in to benefit student learning? I need to think about whether the teacher needs one-to-one support or will the teacher improve by collaborating with others? Below I have listed 7 professional development opportunities that can benefit teachers:

• Listening to Student Voices
• Critical Friends
• Lesson Study
• LASW (Looking at Student Work)
• Classroom Visits
• Coaching & Mentoring
• Book Study

Individual Reflection: Room Arrangements

Art Classroom

I visited four classrooms inside of the 9^th grade annex building of a large high school in my district. I began the tour by visiting an art teacher’s classroom, a cheerful, inviting space. The sun filled room had a large window that filled the entire back half of the class. The view of the school’s courtyard made for an intriguing viewpoint for completing sketches. Vibrant green plants sat atop the shelves along the windowsills at the far end of the room. Below the plants were small bins filled with art materials and supplies. More colorful supplies filled small plastic baskets against the far wall. Four tall bookcases filled with art books, magazines, colorful plastic bins, and student artwork lined the opposite end of the window wall. The vertical alignment of the bookshelves allowed light to be filtered through the room keeping sunlight from overpowering the space. Both a demonstration table and a clean up station occupied the middle of the room. The students sat on stools at art tables arranged in small groupings near the chalkboard located on the wall directly opposite the windows. The teacher’s desk, a large rectangular shaped art table aligned the wall closest to the entryway. This gave her a clear line of sight of the students, demonstration table, chalkboard, and art supplies. Clustering the art tables closest to the chalkboard allowed the teacher to focus instruction and minimize distracting eyes, something I would imagine would be quite challenging in the space. Art materials were easily accessible to all students and neatly arranged to ensure quick and easy clean up.  The tables were clustered in a manner that made it easy for students and teacher to move around the space. The current room arrangement allowed the teacher to conduct a lesson that required the students to work in groups. The clustered tables and large aisles could certainly accommodate a student with special needs. Additionally, a smaller desk next to the teacher’s would easily meet the needs of students who were more easily distracted by other students or students who enjoyed helping the teacher. Technology use was centered on hardware that allowed the teacher to project images, presentations, and slideshows. A single desktop computer sat on the teacher’s desk, but was utilized by various students for independent work.

Math Classroom

The art teacher’s use of clustering or grouping students mirrored two other rooms I visited, a math and an English classroom. In both rooms students were involved in group work which necessitated the clustering of desks. The desks in the math class faced each other to help stimulate discussion. Both teachers stated that they rearranged the desks in rows when students were required to complete independent work or if direct instruction was needed. Additionally, the math teacher had a bank of computers aligning the outside walls of her classroom. In addition to the computers, she also had an LCD projector, SMARTboard, and a video visualizer. This technology-rich room was a direct result of this teacher participating in professional development workshops geared towards teachers desiring to integrate technology into their lessons. Though both teachers had large classes it was clear that maximizing access was important. The physical space in both rooms allowed students and teachers to move through aisles fairly easily. Materials were placed on small tables near the students’ desks. This helped to minimize traffic in the class. Both the math and English teacher, like the art teacher, arranged their desks in a location that allowed constant lines of sight to students. Additionally, both rooms had displays of student work on the bulletin board.

All three teachers are great models for their colleagues who desire to see how effective room arrangement affects instruction. As a supervisor it is critical to complete walk throughs of a building to gain a better understanding of how various room arrangements affect instruction. Observations could include "look fors" to help teacher and supervisor identify best strategies for effective room management. Additionally, appropriate professional development could be planned for teachers bases on these observations to enhance teaching and learning for all. 

Individual Reflection Log #4: Evolution of an Effective Leader

Michael Fullan’s (1998) article, Leadership for the 21^st Century: Breaking the Bonds of Dependency, was not only my first “ah-ha” moment in this course, but was also one of the most interesting. I think Fullan was best able to articulate and place a finger on far too many of the unproductive characteristics I witnessed in the leadership in my school district. The constant hopping to implement the newest innovation, the fear of nurturing leadership among the teaching staff, and the refusal to look inside the school for answers to school achievement deficits all appeared to be common features exhibited by administrators at both the school and district level. Fullan’s (1998) description of “overloaded” and “vulnerable” leaders shined a light on the common realities faced by school leaders in the aftermath of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). I watched my first principal devote far too many late night and early morning hours poring over documents on the latest school reform model, attempting to place a “one size fits all” model over a middle school that couldn’t make adequate yearly progress (AYP) and was slowly slipping into “School In Improvement” status. She was faced with district leaders camping out in her building, observing her every move to ensure she was implementing the program to the letter. However, I also witnessed attempts by her to break the bonds of dependency and attempt to implement some of her ideas or suggestions made by a select few. I do believe she realized, as Fullan (1998) points out, “that giving up the futile search for the silver bullet is the basic precondition for overcoming dependency.” However, she had a distrust and was uncomfortable with those who disagreed with her and as a result was unable to create an atmosphere where diverse thoughts could be nurtured and developed into positive ideas. As Dolan (1994) shares, “Within the discomfort of that presence the learning and healing could begin” (p. 60). However, the principal, was excellent in attending to the emotional and physical needs of not only herself, but also the staff. This key leadership quality has greatly influenced how I manage my own health and also contributes to the regular conversations I have with my colleagues regarding the importance of nurturing an environment that is supportive of positive, healthful interactions. Ultimately, Fullan’s (1998) comment that dependency is a function of insecurity reminds me that to be an effective leader I must strive to look within my school community for answers to help adapt reform models to the needs of my school. Additionally, I must remain confident enough to reach out for answers knowing that the “silver bullet” really doesn’t exist and that sustainability and continual review will move me closer to improving student success.

Peter Senge’s wholistic way of thinking or Eastern philosophic approach to leadership was the most challenging for me. Even though the ability to view oneself as part of something much greater is how I practice my life, I had difficulty transitioning that way of thinking to effective leadership qualities or using this method of thought to help lead a “learning organization.” As Senge (2007) points out, “discovering how to tap people’s commitment and capacity to learn” (p. 4) is easy when I talk about myself. I know what drives me to want to learn, “a constant pursuit to achieve a higher self.” However, nurturing that in others seems not only an insurmountable task for a leader to achieve, but I’m not sure if it’s even appropriate. It feels almost too personal. Senge (2007) states, “Learning organizations are possible because not only is it our nature to learn but we love to learn” (p. 4). This idea almost seems like the antithesis of what it means to be a veteran teacher. Comments such as “ It’s just the way things are, and have always been” go against the grain of constant renewal and learning. However, these teachers didn’t enter the profession with such a negative, blasé attitude towards students and education. These long standing beliefs or attitudes have been breeding for a long time. It is the culture of the school community. Senge (2007) points out that there is a much deeper movement toward learning organizations (p. 4). He shares a belief about work from Daniel Yankelovich (2007) who describes people as “moving away from simply viewing work as a means to an end and moving towards a more “sacred” view where people seek the more intrinsic benefits of work.” If successful American, European, and Asian companies have embraced this way of thought than why not school systems. The thought seems almost revolutionary, yet each of Senge’s (2007) five components can indeed help to bring about the reculturing and wholistic thinking needed to affect instruction and student achievement. As an effective leader getting teachers to understand “systems thinking” will open their eyes to the ripple effects that their attitudes, methods of instruction, and desire to inspire the best thinking in all of their students have a long standing impact on both the school and the community. The continual pursuit of “personal mastery” is not only a worthwhile pursuit, but as Dufour and Eaker (2008) point out, “creates an environment in which innovation and experimentation are viewed as ways of conducting day-to-day business.” The old “mental models” of standing and lecturing to students must give way to a more constructivist view where differentiated and “team learning” are enhanced by the use of technology and Web 2.0 tools. Finally, as an effective leader collaborating with teachers in building a shared vision will help to bring meaning to their work and nurture a learning environment focused on the highest achievement for all its students.

Individual Reflection Log #3: Culture and Change

The benefit of starting a new program is that the long-standing belief systems, traditions, norms and expectations are not in place. We each come into the program bringing in fresh ideas, excited at the possibility of being a part of something new, something grounded in research, something that will have a direct impact on instruction and ultimately improved student achievement. Now the tricky part is how do we ensure that the program stays on that path and not end up like so many other innovative ideas brought into the county, discarded promises that lost their moral purpose leading teachers backwards into outdated mental models of teaching and learning and students down the road of low academic achievement and unfulfilled expectations. 

I reviewed Deal and Peterson’s (1999) “Elements of a Positive School Culture” and identified three characteristics that I feel the school leaders and teachers have been developing since the inception of the program. The first element is “a positive belief and assumption about the potential of students and staff to learn and grow.” Our program, ACCESS Online, is geared towards at-risk 11^th and 12^th graders who are in need of credit recovery. These were students that were not successful in their traditional school setting and needed a different learning model to be successful. Our program leaders turned away very few applicants. They felt strongly that these students were more than capable of learning the material, and, if given the opportunity, each would succeed. Staff was also encouraged to improve their learning. Since recent budget cuts precluded the program coordinator from paying for outside professional development (PD) opportunities, she actively encouraged staff to pursue additional graduate studies agreeing to provide coverage for teachers needing to take off a day or two to complete necessary course work. Additionally, online PD opportunities were regularly shared with staff. 

The second element is “a strong professional community that uses knowledge, experience, and research to improve practice.” My school leaders and colleagues were highly receptive to the idea of aligning ACCESS Online with the ideals of a Professional Learning Community (PLC). Many already had experiences with a PLC and agreed that we should move in that direction. We have started the process of critically reviewing the end-of-year data and have also drafted a shared vision statement. It was indeed a collaborative process using feedback from school staff and parents. Over the next two weeks the school team will continue to explore Dufour and Eaker’s (2008) first characteristic of a PLC, “Shared Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals All Focused on Student Learning.” With a more clearly defined purpose and mission, we will target our focus on increasing the pass rate in algebra and geometry courses, increasing the course completion rate, and finally increasing the number of students eligible for graduation.

The third element is “a shared leadership that balances continuity and improvement.” This element relates to Dufour and Eaker’s (2008) fifth characteristic of a PLC, “A Commitment to Continuous Improvement.” As the school team collaboratively drafts the mission and goals, we will work with our online curriculum partner to ensure we are implementing diagnostic evaluations and developing a personalized learning plan for each student. Additionally, we will provide small group instruction through our online partner’s synchronous web conferencing tool. As we did last year, face-to-face teachers will hold weekly telephone conferences with online teachers to analyze the current strategies and determine what modifications, if any, need to be made. Our online partner will provide biweekly data to help up analyze the impact of the changes to determine their effectiveness on student achievement.

Marzano’s research on first order changes is reflective of the characteristics identified in the PLC and like the PLC, can be used to positively improve the school culture. Identifying “Monitoring/Evaluating” as the number one responsibility of an effective leader relates to Dufour and Eaker’s (2008) “A Commitment to Continuous Improvement.” As Marzano (2005) notes, “Managing a school involves establishing an effective monitoring system to provide feedback on the effectiveness of the school’s curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices and their effect on student achievement” (p.71). Additionally, Marzano identifies “Culture” as the second most important responsibility of an effective leader. Culture relates to the collaborative teaming that needs to occur to improve student achievement. It relates to Dufour and Eaker’s (2008) “A Collaborative Culture with a Focus on Learning.” As a collaborative team we each will be held accountable and responsible for achieving the shared goals that will be developed from the mission statement. Working as a team will help to ensure that each of us remains focused on our purpose and moving towards improving student achievement.

Individual Reflection Log #2: Balanced Leadership Profile

Overall, my results of the balanced leadership profile inventory were pretty consistent with my self-assessment. The results of the balanced leadership profile inventory showed that as the building principal, I viewed my improvement initiative, increasing the number of students who successfully complete an online course by 10%, as a first-order change.  The inventory went on to list the three responsibilities that would “prove vital” to the success of my initiative: monitor and evaluate, ideals and beliefs, and knowledge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment (CIA). The balanced leadership profile showed that of the three responsibilities, I scored highest on ideals and beliefs, 4.25, but needed to attend in the areas of monitor and evaluate, 3, and CIA, 3.33.

Interestingly enough, while reviewing the self-assessment, my ratings were pretty similar. I rated myself as a 3 in responsibilities of monitor and evaluate and CIA.  I rated myself slightly higher in the area of ideals and beliefs with a score of 5. Based on these three responsibilities, the balanced leadership profile suggested a series of actions that I should undertake to help move towards achieving my initiative. A list of some of the action items is as follows: 1. assess the impact of the initiative on student achievement, 2. collect data to evaluate effectiveness of the initiative, 3. investigate and share effective instructional and assessment practices, 4. regularly lead conversations about best practices with teachers on an individual basis and collectively, and 5. regularly engage the staff in discussions about the most current theories and practices.

As I rank my top 7 strengths from my self-assessment and compare them to the top 7 responsibilities needed for student achievement I am made painfully aware that I need to focus and improve in the areas of knowledge of CIA, monitor and evaluation, order and outreach. I believe my lack of experience in leadership positions is most telling in these areas. As a technology coordinator for many years I had been out of the loop when it came to focusing on curriculum and instruction and monitoring and evaluating. I had been tasked with providing the tools to allow teachers to focus on these responsibilities, but I have yet to develop a sound background knowledge in these areas. I believe I was at an advantage in establishing rules and procedures in a technology lab versus a normal classroom setting. Students desperately want to use technology. It is not difficult to get them to follow your rules because computer time is something that they desperately want. Instilling a sense of order outside of the lab is indeed challenging to teachers and puts me at a severe disadvantage because I haven’t had to deal with this issue. Outreach is an area that I am currently focusing on improving. Establishing a new online, hybrid program is one thing. However, ensuring that the surrounding community along with members within the school community not only know about the program, but also actively supports it is another issue entirely. Without the support of key stakeholders, this program, like so many others, will be eliminated. I am learning how to better market our program and place myself in positions where I must confidently speak about the work I do and why I feel that it’s beneficial to the students of Prince George’s County. It is clear that if I desire to be an effective school leader I must ensure that I not only increase my knowledge of what is being taught and how it’s being assessed, but also be able to quickly tell if the material is effective in meeting the goals of the school. I must articulate and put action behind my policies and procedures and be a willing champion for my school and its community.

Individual Reflection Log #1: Transformational Leadership

I believe transformational leadership is about the mutual exchange of ideas, opinions, and beliefs amongst school leaders, teachers, and parents in an intellectually stimulating environment. It is about increasing teachers’ and parents’ participation in the decision-making process. It is about the willingness of school administrators to share the role of leadership with their teachers. It is about the nurturing of future leaders within the school community. The administrator behaves more like a facilitator leading by using “power to” and not “power over” her school community. Transformational leadership is about confident school leaders actively pursuing a shared vision that promotes values and beliefs that are morally grounded. I experienced this style of leadership during my first few years as a middle school teacher at "DFMS". It was exciting and energizing to be in a place where everyone was focused on a single mission. As teachers, we truly believed that under this leader we could truly make a positive impact in our students' lives.

Transformational leadership can flourish in a learning environment through the use of a facilitative approach by its leadership team. Teachers are encouraged to find greater meaning in their work, to look for better ways to meet the needs of their students, to not be afraid to question existing models, and be willing to make improvements when necessary. This process makes teachers feel as if they have a voice in how the school should move towards school improvement. This also allows them to have a greater commitment and take responsibility for what occurs with the students, parents, and the community-at-large. I had the opportunity at "DFMS" to participate in leadership building workshops and school improvement teams. I was encouraged to share my ideas and felt that what I had to say mattered to the team. I felt invested in the school program and willingly spent extra hours after school to ensure that my lessons were organized and well thought out. The work was hard, but I felt proud of the small accomplishments I was able to make.

Transformational leadership influences administrators to work in partnership with teachers and parents in developing a shared vision for their building. By actively pursuing this vision or mission, school leaders help to re-energize the staff and bring about a renewed sense of urgency in meeting the diverse needs of the students. In addition, administrators must actively work towards nurturing a collaborative decision making climate by demonstrating for teachers how to resolve problems and come up with solutions. School leaders also help to ensure teachers are exposed to high-quality professional development. By modeling a strong moral belief system, administrators influence teachers to look inward for motivation and drive. Transformational leadership demands that a leader move with a confidence and presence that brings about a sense of trust amongst teachers, parents, and students. Finally, transformational leadership forces administrators to improve communication with all stakeholders with the understanding that all voices are vital to the achievement of its student body. Our administrator, Mrs. "K"  led with honesty and integrity. She truly embodied the concept of “power to” by empowering staff to take on leadership roles, supplying staff with necessary resources, and keeping an open door policy to allow us to not only vent frustrations, but also come up with solutions to correct problems.

The transformational leader will help to integrate technology with instruction by providing teachers with the necessary coaching, mentoring, and appropriate, high-quality, professional development opportunities needed for success. The leader will encourage teachers to look inward for motivation, rewards, and satisfaction for a job well done in learning new technologies. The leader will remember to treat each teacher as an individual with unique needs and be willing to put into place the necessary resources to ensure success. Finally, the school leader will remember to promote a sense of unity by relating all professional development to the achievement of the school vision or mission. Integration of technology was done thoughtfully and carefully within my building through the use of teaming. Teachers felt supported during the learning process knowing that a colleague was nearby if help was needed. As a result, more were willing to infuse their existing lessons with technology.

Experiences During the Online Learning Orientation

    •    What are your expectations for this program? What do you hope to accomplish?

I hope to come away from this program with a better understanding of the decision making process from an administrator’s point of view. Leaders cannot afford to take a myopic view. They are not only responsible for their building and all the occupants inside, but also must answer to their supervisors and the community at large. I want to better understand how to establish a vision and get others to not only buy into the vision, but also pick up the reigns and see it through. I want to be able to establish policies and master the task of delegating responsibilities. I also expect to continue to improve my writing skills because I do not believe you can be an effective administrator/supervisor without strong writing skills.

    •    Now that you have a good sense of the types of online activities and the rhythms of an active participant, what steps will you take to be successful in this program?

Some great advice was given during the synchronous chat session regarding ideas for being successful in this program. I will definitely take Ryan’s suggestion of logging in once a day, even if it is just for 10 minutes to review comments made in the discussion area or to see if the instructor uploaded any new postings. Additionally I will set aside 2 to 3 days out of the week to devote to the completion of readings and activities.

I will also use Evernote to help me remain organized using tools like the self-created checklists. This program is synced with my iPhone, which allows me to have my information handy at all times.

Using the RSS feeds is another great tool that I am utilizing to stay on top of newly added material from the ELC. I have the feeds going into my iGoogle Homepage so now I have up to the minute information from classmates/teammates and instructor.

Lastly, I will use Delicious. I used this tool extensively throughout my master's program and definitely plan on using it for this  program as well. I will tag recommended links to resources suggested by my instructor and classmates.


    •    Where do you still need additional support to be successful?

Using APA format has always been a challenge for me. I plan on reviewing the Purdue Owl website and participating in some of the APA workshops listed on the site. I am also interested in some of the writing resources available on the Owl website and would like to spend some time on these sites as well.