Module One

According to The Glossary of Education Reform, Teacher-Leadership is associated with educators who are looking to take action in leadership roles and professional responsibilities (2014).  This can also be associated in taking a leap in becoming the head of a council, a department chair, or moving into an administrative position.  Considering I have only been a part of my professional position for a school year and a half, I have not had many opportunities to 'leap' as I stated into a professional responsibility. I did just recently receive the position of head cheerleading coach; therefore, I would consider that a teacher-leadership role.  I am not only a teacher to some of my students, I am also a coach.
Another professional responsibility that I consider myself 'leaping' into was when I graduated with my Bachelor's Degree, I attended a National Teacher Professional Development Schools Conference in New Orleans, LA and a State Teacher Professional Development Schools Conference in Flatwoods, WV with my Liaison of Fairmont State University, my Coordinator of Mannington Middle School, an Elementary teacher, and a fellow graduate of Fairmont State University.   This not only gave me a great experience, but I observed many ways in which I can take action in becoming a better teacher-leader.
Within the math department of my school, Sherrard Middle School, we integrate a computer based program that goes hand in hand with our math curriculum - Carnegie Learning.  I have had to be a leader in this program to the students in showing them how to navigate the website and how to get their questions answered by using the site itself as opposed to be.  This to me is meaningful in the integration of technology because I am leading them in the direction of using technology for answers as opposed to a teacher.  I feel that the students learn in their own ways; therefore, this is helping them to become better researchers.

Chapter One

Characteristic #1 - Digital learners prefer to learn "just in time," but many educators prefer to teach "just in case"

I chose this because I strongly agree.  I would consider myself both a digital learner and an educator.  I have been taking Master's courses online (therefore, digitally) for my only two years of actually being a professional educator.  I will admit that I am a procrastinator when it comes to my class work.  I feel that I work better under the pressure of turning my assignments in "just in time."  I feel that this is not a bad thing, considering the amount of knowledge I have gained from my Master's courses.  However, when it comes to being an educator - I feel that there are many things that I need to teach my students "just in case" they do not know it.  I am a math teacher; therefore, there are many pre-requisites that need to be understood by the students for them to continue on.  I have noticed in my experience that many of the students I teach struggle with their multiplication facts.  Math would be a breeze if these students would remember them; therefore, I throw in multiplication facts in all I do for the "just in case" factor.

Characteristic #2 - Digital learners prefer instant gratification and immediate rewards, but many educators prefer deferred gratification and delayed rewards.

I chose this one because I am actually in disagreement with it.  I feel as a digital learner AND an educator that I enjoy instant gratification and immediate rewards.  In my classes, I know that the students are expecting grades as soon as possible.  They participate in an online program that I mentioned before.  I can see how they are doing and monitor them as they are progressing through the program.  Once they have progressed a certain amount - they can receive a piece of bubble gum or a 'front of the lunch line pass'.  To them - this is instantaneous.  As an educator, I enjoy immediate feedback.  This lets the students know where they are in the content and how they need to improve.  As a digital learner, I also enjoy immediate feedback for the same reasons.

Chapter Two

Guideline #1 - The principal must provide the appropriate development time and resources to support effective classroom implementation of technology.

I chose this guideline as one of the most important to me because time is something that we do not have enough of.  There are plenty of resources for principals and educators to get ahold of; however, the time to develop a lesson or a plan is not as abundant.  I co-teach with a sixth grade math teacher and he found a website called MobyMax.com that he really enjoys.  Majority of the students in our class are below sixth grade level.  This website not only focuses them in a self-paced manner, but it calculates the level in which the student is learning.  However, I have not had much experience with this resource due to the lack of time my co-teacher and I have together.  He had pretty much done all of the teaching from that website because I have yet to implement it on my own.
I also feel strong about this because it not only takes an educator time to weed through the usable resources, but it takes time to teach the students themselves.  I have to teach certain seventh grade math standards to my students; therefore, I find it hard to utilize technology within the classroom because some of the resources that would be great for these students takes so much time to  teach in itself.

Guideline #2 - The principal must ensure that families and the public are kept informed about the school's goals and progress relating to its use of technology as a learning resource.

I chose this because letting the families and the pubic in on the information and the decisions that are made in the schools is very important.  We have a school website that keeps families and the public up to date with what we are doing.  Also, we have sent home many online resources that families can use to help their students.  Some families do not have access to the internet; therefore, we have also informed the families of all public facilities that allows public access to internet.  There is actually a tutoring night two nights out of the week for students and parents if they choose so that they can utilize the internet at the facility if there is no internet connection in the home. The facility is very close to many of the families living below the poverty level.