3.5 Basic Troubleshooting
Candidates troubleshoot basic software and hardware problems common in digital learning environments. (PSC 3.5/ISTE 3e)
Artifacts: May 2015 Trouble Shooting Email Screenshots
Reflection:
In this field experience, I have provided various troubleshooting for K-5 teachers in Lee County School System. As part of my position as an Instructional Technology Specialist, I often respond by email or in person to assist with issues teachers have with hardware or software in use in their classrooms. The screenshots above are examples of troubleshooting I provided in May 2015 and teacher names have been blocked out to preserve their privacy.
Standard 3.5, Basic Troubleshooting, asks that candidates be able to “troubleshoot basic software and hardware problems common in digital learning environments” (PSC 3.5/ISTE 3e). The examples provided and my experience as an Instructional Technology Specialist for the past year are evidence of my mastery of this standard. In the first scenario, I had just completed a training session on various Google apps, including Google Mail. This teacher requested troubleshooting assistance using spellcheck within Google Mail, as he had only just begun using it. In the second scenario, I had been assisting teacher with the implementation of using Google Forms for digital assessments and had provided onsite troubleshooting and I was checking in to see if what we had done was working for her. In addition, I provided assistance in printing the assessment results. In the third scenario, I had completed a training on using iMovie and this teacher needed assistance with downloading the movie to her computer, as her computer was not recognizing her device when it was attached. I went to her classroom to troubleshoot and tried a variety of different strategies to get the computer to recognize the iPad, and finally restarting the computer worked. In the final scenario, I called a teacher to troubleshoot problems playing a movie and walked her through the steps over the phone. Most recently, I was troubleshooting with an administrator who was having difficulty using Google Forms for a faculty survey when the form wasn’t showing up in the recipients’ emails. Rather than sending the survey using the “Send” option, I taught her how to embed the form in a website so it could be accessed that way.
All of these learning experiences, along with other opportunities to troubleshoot, have built upon one another to increase my knowledge and skills. Each one is different but I always learn more which allows me to help someone else more effectively. It also helps me build relationships with the teachers with whom I work. If I were to go back and change any of these experiences, I might guide teachers to help websites for certain types of issues once I’m done with the issue that I fix on-site. It’s often difficult to guide them through what I’m doing when I troubleshoot because if it is an issue I’m not as familiar with, then I often try several things to see what will work. While I do always try to explain what I’ve done once I’ve fixed the issue, but it would help to have it in writing in case it happens again.
The impact on student learning can be assessed pretty immediately as once the issue is fixed, the learning experience can resume. The impact on faculty development and school improvement can be assessed by examining how often teachers are troubleshooting their own issues. An increased confidence in handling their own issues is indicative of a positive impact on faculty development.
In this field experience, I have provided various troubleshooting for K-5 teachers in Lee County School System. As part of my position as an Instructional Technology Specialist, I often respond by email or in person to assist with issues teachers have with hardware or software in use in their classrooms. The screenshots above are examples of troubleshooting I provided in May 2015 and teacher names have been blocked out to preserve their privacy.
Standard 3.5, Basic Troubleshooting, asks that candidates be able to “troubleshoot basic software and hardware problems common in digital learning environments” (PSC 3.5/ISTE 3e). The examples provided and my experience as an Instructional Technology Specialist for the past year are evidence of my mastery of this standard. In the first scenario, I had just completed a training session on various Google apps, including Google Mail. This teacher requested troubleshooting assistance using spellcheck within Google Mail, as he had only just begun using it. In the second scenario, I had been assisting teacher with the implementation of using Google Forms for digital assessments and had provided onsite troubleshooting and I was checking in to see if what we had done was working for her. In addition, I provided assistance in printing the assessment results. In the third scenario, I had completed a training on using iMovie and this teacher needed assistance with downloading the movie to her computer, as her computer was not recognizing her device when it was attached. I went to her classroom to troubleshoot and tried a variety of different strategies to get the computer to recognize the iPad, and finally restarting the computer worked. In the final scenario, I called a teacher to troubleshoot problems playing a movie and walked her through the steps over the phone. Most recently, I was troubleshooting with an administrator who was having difficulty using Google Forms for a faculty survey when the form wasn’t showing up in the recipients’ emails. Rather than sending the survey using the “Send” option, I taught her how to embed the form in a website so it could be accessed that way.
All of these learning experiences, along with other opportunities to troubleshoot, have built upon one another to increase my knowledge and skills. Each one is different but I always learn more which allows me to help someone else more effectively. It also helps me build relationships with the teachers with whom I work. If I were to go back and change any of these experiences, I might guide teachers to help websites for certain types of issues once I’m done with the issue that I fix on-site. It’s often difficult to guide them through what I’m doing when I troubleshoot because if it is an issue I’m not as familiar with, then I often try several things to see what will work. While I do always try to explain what I’ve done once I’ve fixed the issue, but it would help to have it in writing in case it happens again.
The impact on student learning can be assessed pretty immediately as once the issue is fixed, the learning experience can resume. The impact on faculty development and school improvement can be assessed by examining how often teachers are troubleshooting their own issues. An increased confidence in handling their own issues is indicative of a positive impact on faculty development.