Spreading My Wings and Ready to Fly!
Upon my acceptance into the MAET program I had a singular goal of migrating out of the classroom and into a district office job that would vastly increase the number of students and teachers I could reach and help learn how technology can benefit them both in the classroom. As I am nearing the end of my program I must say that any current goals I have would align even more with that very first focus of mine. This program not only taught me the nuts and bolts about technology use in education, proper applications behind some of the most innovative websites and apps in use today and the role everyone plays in the process from the equipment being used to the students themselves but also what an important job this will be as I go forward in education for all stakeholders involved.
I believed in the power of technology to make student learning more engaging and rewarding for students, and to improve the process of teaching for teachers. What I didn't know was the reasoning behind using technology, the proper applications or even the framework that supported the use of technology. While enrolled in the Master of Arts in Educational Technology, I have had the opportunity to play around, learn, and develop a whole host of new skills centered around the purposes for using technology in education not just the how part.program at Michigan State this understanding has become cemented into who I am as a teacher and what I do every day in the classroom. At this point in my career I want to transition from the classroom into an Instructional Technology Director.
Since entering education my goals have largely focused on myself and improving own teaching, which included my technology use in the classroom to support my students. Upon entering the MAET program in 2016 this goal was broadened to include not only improving my own understanding and use of technology but transitioning into a role that involved sharing this knowledge with others so that all students could benefit from the use of technology in their classes not just the students that I had. My time spent in the MAET program has forced me to rethink what learning in the 21st century is and how it should look like with the addition of purposeful technology. My limited understanding of technology prior to this program was centered on what equipment I had access to of the brand of technology when it should and is now centered around how best to use technology to create a deeper learning than what we are using.
The most important thing I have learned from the MAET program which will benefit me in the future is to remain focused on growing as a transformation leader who can look at the mission of technology integration not just the implementation part. In order accomplish this, I have grown to truly believe that we should not introduce technology into the classroom because it is the latest and greatest but have a sound reason that supports the learning goals of the teachers and students that are already in place. By developing my understanding of the Technological Pedagogical And Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework I have been able to properly use technology that is the most effective and efficient to help meet the objectives in my content. TPACK isn't just about using the latest technology, but it is rather a framework where content-knowledge, technology knowledge, and pedagogical philosophy meet. It involves creative thinking, repurposing tools, and effective application in instruction. TPACK has shaped my current philosophy of teaching and learning and this is what I ultimately hope to bring to a school district as their Educational Technology Director.
I believed in the power of technology to make student learning more engaging and rewarding for students, and to improve the process of teaching for teachers. What I didn't know was the reasoning behind using technology, the proper applications or even the framework that supported the use of technology. While enrolled in the Master of Arts in Educational Technology, I have had the opportunity to play around, learn, and develop a whole host of new skills centered around the purposes for using technology in education not just the how part.program at Michigan State this understanding has become cemented into who I am as a teacher and what I do every day in the classroom. At this point in my career I want to transition from the classroom into an Instructional Technology Director.
Since entering education my goals have largely focused on myself and improving own teaching, which included my technology use in the classroom to support my students. Upon entering the MAET program in 2016 this goal was broadened to include not only improving my own understanding and use of technology but transitioning into a role that involved sharing this knowledge with others so that all students could benefit from the use of technology in their classes not just the students that I had. My time spent in the MAET program has forced me to rethink what learning in the 21st century is and how it should look like with the addition of purposeful technology. My limited understanding of technology prior to this program was centered on what equipment I had access to of the brand of technology when it should and is now centered around how best to use technology to create a deeper learning than what we are using.
The most important thing I have learned from the MAET program which will benefit me in the future is to remain focused on growing as a transformation leader who can look at the mission of technology integration not just the implementation part. In order accomplish this, I have grown to truly believe that we should not introduce technology into the classroom because it is the latest and greatest but have a sound reason that supports the learning goals of the teachers and students that are already in place. By developing my understanding of the Technological Pedagogical And Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework I have been able to properly use technology that is the most effective and efficient to help meet the objectives in my content. TPACK isn't just about using the latest technology, but it is rather a framework where content-knowledge, technology knowledge, and pedagogical philosophy meet. It involves creative thinking, repurposing tools, and effective application in instruction. TPACK has shaped my current philosophy of teaching and learning and this is what I ultimately hope to bring to a school district as their Educational Technology Director.