Realizing That the Latest and Greatest Isn’t Necessarily Where It’s Meant to Be
When it came to pursuing my master’s degree, it was a given that at some point I would follow through and find and complete a program. However, life continually got in the way and it was always put on the back burner. Then, my career path took a sudden, unexpected turn when my principal approached me about taking a position as the middle school Digitial Literacy Specialist for our district. It was a great opportunity that I simply could not pass up.
I had spent numerous hours working with our district’s Technology Integration Specialist and was in awe of her unending wealth of knowledge of different technology tools available and the best ways to use them within classrooms to help enhance student learning. So, I looked for opportunities to expand my skill set in this area.
This journey led me to participate in some classes through the Regional Educational Media Center Association of Michigan (REMC). I participated in courses led by an instructor who also taught classes for Michigan State University’s Master of Educational Technology (MAET) program. She spoke very highly of the program and I knew that it was finally time to work on earning my master's degree.
Photo from Michigan State University College of Education 2021
When applying to Michigan State University’s Master of Arts in Technology Education program, my initial goal was to stay up to date on the different educational technology tools available, so that I could bring them back to the teachers and students within my school. I also wanted to expand my Professional Learning Network (PLN) to ensure that I would be constantly in the loop when new and exciting tools were introduced.
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Through the MAET program, I had the opportunity to examine my current Professional Learning Network.
Which gave me the opportunity to expand my network by connecting with other educators and professors in my classes, creating a blog to share my thinking with others, and expanding my presence and interactions with other professionals on Twitter. Throughout the program and continuing now, I have worked to build strong connections to strengthen my network to help me stay up-to-date on educational technology trends.
When I began on this journey, my biggest fear was that I would not be able to keep up with the newest and latest technology tools and trends. This goal majorly changed throughout my coursework as I realized that educational technology is not simply about the tools and trends but is more about how those tools and trends are adapted to be used within classrooms in order to enhance student learning and understanding. My goal shifted to make sure that technology is not being utilized within classrooms for the simple sake of being able to say that people are using it but to make sure that it is being incorporated in ways that help to enhance student learning and understanding.
As I am wrapping up my work on my Masters in Educational Technology, I have come to the realization that educational technology encompasses so much more than simply incorporating the newest technology within classes. Due to this, I am using the skills I have gained from this program to make sure technology is incorporated to drive my students’ understanding to the next level.