Looking Back on the Road Traveled
The goals that I entered the Michigan State Masters of Educational Technology (MAET) program with have evolved and granted me a new perspective on my career as an educator.
When I first entered the MAET program, a central goal of mine was to alter the methods that teachers use to facilitate their classes. Collaborating and sharing ideas is something that I place great value on and I have come to the realization that doing so can change the way that both teachers and students approach learning. Having almost reached the end of the program, I aim to inspire teachers to create learning environments where students are rewarded for taking risks, prompted to ask questions, share the knowledge that they have constructed, and design personalized solutions to problems they encounter.
A secondary goal that I had in mind upon entering the MAET Program was to advance my career. 3 years ago, this meant obtaining a position as a technology integration specialist or technology coach. Now that my degree is on the horizon, changing job titles is an option, but not a priority of mine. The learning experiences that I have had at Michigan State have refueled my passion to teach and assured me that I haven’t yet reached my full potential as a teacher. I know that there is important work to be done in my own classroom and it is my goal each day to apply the knowledge I’ve gathered to elevate the learning experiences of my students.
When I began the MAET Program at Michigan State I possessed a passion and talent for developing resources for delivering my courses' content. One of my goals was to explore additional methods for creating these resources and to also find ways to deliver them to students and other teachers. Thankfully, I believe that I have conquered this goal, and in doing so, have also come to the realization that my passion and talent for designing resources is something that should be shared with my students and colleagues. The work I have done at Michigan State has made me cognizant of the importance of the design process and has changed the way that I look at learning. My passion to develop resources has evolved into an ongoing pursuit of inquiry and examination of the learning process. As a result of this progression, it is now my goal to design lessons that demand learners to inquire, take risks, and share the products of their learning experiences with others.
The evolution of my professional goals has inspired me to take on new challenges and solidified my commitment to the teaching profession for the time being. Looking forward, I know that my coursework at Michigan State has provided me with the skills and confidence to take my classroom to the next level.
