Goal Reflection
From There to Here:
A Teacher's Tale by Bilbo Baggins Doug Asquith
Family at beginning of MAET program
Sometimes it is hard to believe where I am sitting, about to finish my Masters of Arts Educational Technology compared to where I was when I started the program. Since I started at MSU I have had a baby (with number two on the way shortly), I have bought a house and a car (very adult of me), I have been hired, fired, and hired again, and I have been constantly in classes working towards a goal. I have always set goals for myself and as I completed them I had to ask what I was going to do next. When I graduated college and started teaching in my own classroom I had achieved most goals I had had since I was in high school. I knew though that I wanted to keep improving.
When I started the program I was told I was the "techy guy" amongst my colleagues. What other teachers meant by that is that I did not shy away from technology and I was looking for new ways of doing the same old stuff. While a lot of people view this term with disdain, I am a millenial (an old one being born in 1988). I knew that I was the front wave of teachers about to be hired as the baby boomers retired. I entered the program looking to be on the cutting edge field of educational technology. The fact that a nationally recognized program also happened to be offered by my beloved Spartans was an added bonus. However my goal was clear that I wanted to embrace my role as the "techy guy" and become the go to person for my colleagues.
Family at the end of MAET program
Since enrolling I have change districts and positions. However me obtaining my new position had to do with the training I have had in this program. Part of my new position is being my school's Digital Learning Specialist. My goal is now to stay up to date with trends in educational technology, help support staff as they teach 21st century learners. I am now in a position where I am not only reacting to the changes being made in my district but I am actually able to help shape those changes. One class that really stood out to me is my Digital Leadership course where we worked on crafting our vision statement for how technology and education work together.
As I did in when my undergrad came to a close I had to think what is my next step. Do I want to continue and eventually get my Ph.D? Is administration in my future? (no, but the question has to be asked) While my motivations, job, and school district have all changed since the beginning of this program I have to say the core value of always trying to be better today than I was yesterday is still there and It is what drives me to be a life long learner.
