Service Competencies
In addition to research and teaching, service activities play an essential role in becoming a competent
scholar. Not only is committing to service an opportunity to strengthen the professionalism of our discipline, but also to build relationships with colleagues. As developing scholar, I gain experience from more knowledgeable colleagues, but I also get to share my own experience with others. It is a fulfilling cycle of interactive participation and mutual assistance that recognizes our collective contributions to the IST field. My service priorities begins with the IST department, expands throughout the school of education, and extends further to the larger community of education practitioners.
To fulfill my service to the IST department, I have participated actively in the IST conference, beginning
in Spring 2014 and culminating in a third consecutive participation serving as chair for technology support. The activity has included working closely with other chairpersons to design and deliver a conference to support our colleagues as they develop their research discipline. One rewarding task has been training undergraduate volunteers enrolled in W200 to provide technology support during the conference. In addition, in Fall 2013, I served as W200 lab assistant, helping students with their application of technology to instructional projects and providing feedback on their essays. The experience provided a perspective from undergraduates taking a course that I would teach the following semester. Many of the students were first generation college students, which helped me to appreciate what they felt was important about their education and why. I also have had the pleasure to write recommendation letters for students who had applied for external funding and/or needed an acknowledgement for their professional portfolios.
My graduate assistantship in the Instructional Consulting (IC) Office began in Fall 2014 and continues
to expand ways to support staff, faculty, and AIs in the School of Education (SOE). The just-in-time character of IC allows me to troubleshoot a variety of issues related to technology integration, including helping faculty to bridge the gap between their current capabilities with technology and their desire to achieve an instructional goal. Often, they feel that their students tend to be savvier with technology, so my task is to increase their confidence using technology and help them engage in practice that continues to add to their present experience. In addition, I have conducted classroom presentations and organized workshops with other IC colleagues and have collaborated with members from Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL). The service experience has created and maintained healthy connections with our SOE community and surrounding IU communities.
In Los Angeles, I appreciated the value of volunteering in community projects, especially with regard
to support the schools where I had been employed. In Fall 2015, I had begun an internship in the district superintendent’s office at the Monroe County Community Schools Corporation. For example, my minor course of study will result in superintendent licensure and the internship is aligned with my research goals. In my intern capacity, I have participated in district-level and building level meetings, joined in a semester-long professional development program, and led an effort to analyze the district budget regarding the cost of maintaining a technology infrastructure. This experience has been valuable for two reasons. First, being around cabinet-level administrators has provided insights in the realities and tensions present in their leadership roles. These insights elicit questions about my research that might not be possible without the “boots-on-the-ground” experience. Second, it served as a point of connection between my past career experience, my current research agenda, and my research goals. Here also is where I began to understand a distinction that seems to exist between instruction and technology, which led to my research questions about instructional technology.
The service strategy as described above indicates a desire to make a consistent contribution to our field.
Sharing with other professionals and scholars not only augments our collective perspectives, but it strengthens our commitment to each other and to the broader community who are impacted (positively, I hope) by our efforts.
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Service for IST Department
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Service for the Academic Community
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Service for the Field of Education in General
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Service for the IST department
Completed: In Fall 2013, began service at IU working as co-lab manager in the Teach Tech Lab (TTL), creating job aids, assisting undergraduates with their course projects, and participating with other AIs, under Dr. Leftwich’s supervision, to update course content. This Spring 2016 will mark my third consecutive participation in the IST conference serving as technology support chair.
IST Chair, 2014 IST Conference, 2015 IST Conference, 2016 IST Conference
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Service for the Academic Community
Completed: Fall 2014 commenced a graduate assistantship in the Instructional Consulting Office. I have created a variety of jobs aids, consulted with staff, faculty and AIs on hardware and software technologies, developed and delivered workshops, provided technology assistance in classrooms and offices, coordinated training seminars with CITL and UITS, and edited the IC Office newsletter with ETS.
IC 2015 Log, Sample Newsletter, Sample Job Aid
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Service for the Field of Education in General
Completed: In Fall 2015, I began an internship in the district superintendent’s office for Monroe County Community Schools Corporation (MCCSC). Responsibilities include meeting regularly with the superintendent, attending Professional Learning Community meetings with building principals, completing analytical tasks with the eLearning director and the director of business operations, and attending the LEADS program, which highlights the practices and responsibilities of school leaders. This experience aligns well with my primary research focus, providing the necessary context from which to develop and conduct research in K-12 schools.
Internship Log, MCCSC Cost Analysis
