Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and with others and exploring proven and promising practices that leverage technology to improve student learning. The program shall prepare candidates who:

(i) Set professional learning goals to explore and apply pedagogical approaches made possible by technology and reflect on their effectiveness;

(ii) Pursue professional interests by creating and actively participating in local and global learning networks; and

(iii) Stay current with research that supports improved student learning outcomes, including findings from the learning sciences.

The expectations of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission outlined above were a central focus of my graduate program from the very first day of classes. It was evident that current pedagogy and innovations were always forefront. By having high expectations of keeping up with current research (as outlined by the article critiques below) and connecting with other professionals in the field (as evidenced by the practicum interviews), I have grown a personal network of professional from whom I can continue to learn.

In addition to current article interactions and building the network of people I know, I was also taught a lot about resource curation during my program. One of the assignments that I completed for this particular objective was the FRIT 7233 Symbaloo Professional Learning Network linked below. It was such a helpful tool for bring resources together and sharing with other professionals in the field no matter where they were in the world.

The last thing that I learned to use for bettering myself as an educator and instructional technologist was social media. As part of our course, we did have to keep a Twitter account. However, I think that any form of social media is great as long as you use it appropriately. For instance, Facebook groups and Pinterest boards are packed full of great ideas that can then be analyzed for appropriateness based on what I have learned about research-based practices.

Educators are very fortunate to work in environments that are so interconnected. The access to information and resources is boundless in our society today. I consider it our job as members of this profession to share content, help with analyzing its uses, and applying best practices in all available areas.

Professional Learning Network | FRIT 7233

Article Critiques | FRIT 7235

Technology Coordinator Interviews | FRIT 7739