A YEAR OF ACHIEVEMENT
When I began the Master of Arts in Educational Technology in the spring of 2017, I had personal and professional goals. I had only been teaching for two years at this point and I was told I could complete my degree in one year. I believe intrinsic motivation to be extremely important, especially when it comes to online education programs. One of my personal goals to meet through the degree program was to simply obtain a master’s degree. From the time I was young, a master’s degree had always been something I wanted to achieve. I have always been motivated to gain knowledge and obtaining a master’s degree was a way I could prove that I had done that. Nobody else in my immediate family has a master’s degree, so being the first to achieve it is an accomplishment of which I am proud. This goal has remained the same since it was set, even more so now because it is close within my grasp. I will graduate in the spring of 2018.
One of my professional goals when I began the MAET program was to advance my lessons for my fourth grade students in the area of technology. I have always had a strong interest in using technology to enhance lessons and I was looking to further increase my knowledge of the technological world. I knew that this program would allow me to be a leader in the technology education area at my school. This is still a goal of mine and something I have been able to achieve because of the knowledge I have gained in my courses at Michigan State. I have been able to better implement technology in my classroom and I also became a technology coach in my building. This new role allowed me to train other teachers using technology and give them the assistance they need when attempting a new lesson with the integration of technology. I have been able to take what I have learned, especially with the TPACK method, and use technology in purposeful, meaningful ways. Something exciting I did this year for my classroom was get a grant through DonorsChoose, which allowed me to purchase 13 MakeyMakey kits. My students have become comfortable with collaborating together to create and problem solve with technology; skills I believe to be important as they progress in our technology-centered world. I knew in the back of my mind when I applied to the MAET program that it would open the doors to other opportunities outside of teaching in the public education sector. I had previously considered the fact that I would be able to do jobs other than teaching, but never seriously considered it. I now have the goal and desire to make the transition from public education to using some of the technological skills in other settings. I have found a passion for using technology and integrating it and would like to proceed further with that area. I have gained skills in the areas of leadership, collaboration, technology, and training that would serve me well outside of education. |
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