Looking Back While Moving Forward
As I near the completion of a Master’s degree in Educational Technology, I can’t help but reflect on the goals I held when I first applied to the program in the summer of 2011.
When I applied to Michigan State University's MAET (Master's in Educational Technology) program, I submitted a goals statement. I wrote about the limits I perceived in what I could achieve as a technology teacher based on my Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, workshops and seminars on educational technology, and a Graduate Certificate in Educational Technology.
The graduate certificate program, which consisted of the first three courses in the MAET program, opened my eyes to a world of possibilities. I began to see the potential of using technology in my educational setting to transform my curriculum. It also became clear to me that with the integration of powerful content, sound pedagogy, and thoughtful use of technology, I could help students develop skills and mindsets which would help them to become more successful and thoughtful students, adults, and members of our global society, while also extending and enriching their learning in the subject areas.
In my original goals statement, I expressed a desire to better understand and apply best practices in teaching with technology, and in using technology to support and enhance learning. I wanted to develop expertise in using technology as a tool for student collaboration, communication, and interaction with peers within the classroom, as well as with students, adults, and experts across geographical and time barriers. I was interested in becoming skilled at using technologies such as productivity tools, audio and video production, electronic portfolios, and web publishing to help students reach academic and social goals. I also wanted to gain more knowledge and experience in educational theory and how it affects teaching and learning with technology.
I hold many of these same goals today. For example, in my daily practice, I strive to use technology as a tool for helping students connect with and learn from each other, as well as across grade levels and geographical distance. This includes a variety of programs, applications, and web tools. I continue to seek opportunities to gain experience and skills in specific technologies, as the field is constantly growing and changing. I use educational theory to design learning activities, and in my daily interactions with students. I regularly examine my teaching to find better ways of integrating technology to extend and enrich student learning. While these goals are in large part the original goals I described, there is one major difference: they are not the abstract, distant goals that they were when I expressed them in 2011. As a result of high quality MAET courses and instructors, interaction with fellow educators, research, and exposure, I am now armed with concrete knowledge and expertise in each of these areas. This enables me to truly use technology as a tool for learning. However, there is no specific end to these goals. As I learn and grow, the bar is set higher, and my vision of what it means to achieve these goals evolves and changes.
I have also developed new goals along the way, such as to successfully collaborate with teachers to develop meaningful and relevant ways of incorporating technology into student learning experiences. This includes lessons that I deliver, as well as lessons teachers carry out in their own classrooms. As a result of my growing knowledge and experience in educational technology, I have also become a resource for teachers as they set out to integrate technology into their practice.
As I complete the MAET program, my formal schooling will end. However, setting goals and reflecting on them will not. I will continue to work toward the goals I have striven to achieve throughout the master’s program, in new ways. I will also set new goals for myself, and will continue to grow as a lifelong learner.