When I decided to pursue my Ed. Specialist Degree, I had no idea what I wanted to focus on. I started by looking at my goals for my career, and since I don’t plan to go into administration, any degree related to that was not relevant to me. So I started delving into my passions, one of which is early literacy. I started browsing programs and speaking with potential colleges about different literacy degrees and certifications I could get, and while some seemed like wonderful programs, for some reason I just couldn’t commit to any one because none felt quite right.
In the midst of my search for a focus, our school became 1-1 with iPads in the classroom. Technology in the classroom is something I have always been very interested in, but until now I had never actually had any (and I mean ANY) technology in my schools or classroom to work with. All of a sudden, I had this wonderful gift dropped into my classroom and it was amazing!
In the midst of the excitement, however, I quickly realized that though I (used to!) consider myself decently tech savvy, I had no real idea how to best implement these iPads in my classroom. I had a strong desire and very urgent need to learn though! So when I found Mizzou’s online Educational Technology Degree, I knew I found something that I was both passionate about and that would directly help me in my current classroom.
As I started this degree, I was quickly faced with the fact that I was not nearly as tech savvy as I had originally thought myself to be. My first courses were 3D printing where we engineered models to print and Intro to Web Development where we hand coded a website. To say I was overwhelmed is an understatement. There were many times I felt like giving up and questioned whether I had picked the wrong degree. However, every time I questioned myself I thought about all the times my students are frustrated and how I constantly urge them to persevere. So I followed my own advice and kept going and I am SO glad I did!
Throughout this degree, I have learned so many things that I have applied directly into my classroom already. I am much better at designing effective lessons that incorporate technology as showcased by my Flipped Lesson I created in Intro to Digital Media. In designing this lesson, I had to really think creatively at how to incorporate audio, graphics, and video into a lesson, while still keeping in mind my tried and true best practices in teaching. This project got me to try out many new programs that I likely never would have had the courage to try otherwise, such as GarageBand and Photoshop. Because of this, I am now much more confident in my ability to create and incorporate purposeful use of technology in my classroom.
Another key takeaway I have from this program is to not use technology just because it is available, or simply for the sake of using technology. I have learned ways to tell if my technology use is effective as shown in my Action Research Plan. I now research before implementing a new technology, and I also monitor and collect data as we use the technology to see if it is as effective as I thought it would be. If not, I adjust my lessons and plans accordingly.
Most exciting of all, I now have a ‘toolbox’ full of new tech tools and knowledge that I can refer to when needed, one of which is shown in my Voice Thread presentation on Tynker from Technology to Enhance Learning. Throughout my courses and even just through many discussions with classmates, I learned about so many new apps and sites I had never heard of previously. I now have a long list of technologies, apps, and websites that I am excited to try in my classroom. Many of these I have researched and tried out on my own already. When planning lessons, I now refer to this list to see if there is a way that technology could enhance teaching and learning, or possibly engage my students in a way that I would not otherwise.
This degree definitely gave me some skills and a good knowledge base of how to effectively implement technology in my classroom. But I think most importantly, it gave me a confidence in myself that I didn’t even realize was missing before. If you had told me a year ago that I would hand code a website from scratch, I probably would have thought you were crazy! But I did it, among many other tasks I never saw myself capable of prior to these courses. I am now not afraid to try new technology on my own or in my classroom. Does every lesson go perfectly or without frustration? Absolutely not. But I do have a confidence to try and persevere that was not there before.
With this newfound confidence in my technological abilities, a newfound passion has also been ignited—I love learning about and coming up with new ways to incorporate technology, and I also love sharing it with my colleagues! In the beginning, I never saw myself leaving the classroom, especially for an administration role. But now if a technology leadership opportunity ever comes my way, it is something I will seriously consider and most likely take. But even if I never leave the classroom, I am preparing my students for 21st century life much more effectively than I would if not for this experience.