By Robert Breedlove
My Goal Reflection Essay examines the goals I set for myself upon admission to the MAET (Master of Arts in Educational Technology) program. The essay compares those initial goals with where I am currently in the program. When I applied for the program I submitted a video essay.
Transcript from my video essay.
Hello my name is Robert Breedlove and I am applying for admission to the Educational Technology Program at Michigan State University. I am currently in my second year of teaching. I teach 7th grade social studies and 8th grade science at Otsego Middle School in Otsego, Michigan (about 15 minutes north of Kalamazoo). I am actively involved in many aspects of our schools technology implementation, including use of Pinnacle Suite Applications, smart boards, airliners, and clickers as well as using online applications with iPads in the classroom. I am most interested in learning effective strategies to incorporate technology in the classroom. In particular I am excited for the opportunity to argue the use of technology in the classroom, one of my skills is seeing both sides of an argument and I would love the opportunity to explore the pros and cons of using technology in education. My future goal in my career is be a technology coach or a curriculum director. I love my experiences in the classroom but I would welcome the opportunity to give other teachers the tools and confidence to effectively use technology in their classrooms. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Two years into my teaching career I decided to further my education. I wanted to learn about something I could use in my classroom immediately. One of my passions was helping other teachers and students integrate technology in their classrooms. When I researched a program in Educational Technology my intention was to complete my entire Master’s degree program online. Plans quickly changed when I discovered the MAET (Master of Arts in Educational Technology) Overseas Program through Michigan State University. I was excited for the opportunity to travel the world and learn about technology.
In my video essay I stated that my future goal was to be a technology coach or a curriculum director. I also stated that I wanted the opportunity to argue the use of technology in the classroom.
Photo by Me - MAET Summer 2014 - Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland
Reproduced by permission of the publisher, © 2012 by tpack.org
The Educational Technology program has strengthened my desire to become a technology coach. I would love to be able to help teachers integrate technology in to their classrooms. I enjoy helping my students learn about technology and know that if I could help teacher’s full time I could reach so many more students.
While in the MAET program I learned a wealth of information regarding technology including creating engaging lessons, using technology effectively, being creative, using a design approach and so much more. My biggest takeaway from the MAET program is the TPACK framework. This examines how technology, pedagody, content and how they fit together. The "sweetspot" of TPACK
In regards to being a curriculum director I now know that is more of an administrative position that I may not be qualified for. I did, however, discover a love for data while in the program. I love to put together spreadsheets using Excel or Google Sheets and see just how my students are doing. If an opportunity arose for a data coach position I would surely jump at the chance to help other teachers to use data to drive their instruction.
One surprising lesson I learned from the program is that often times taking technology away and having meaningful discussions is often more beneficial than using the technology just because it is there. I think too many times we force technology on our students to stay current and we don’t take a step back to allow students to see the whole picture. The Wordle to the right illustrates this reflection essay. As you can see opportunity is one of the biggest ideas here. The opportunities that we have as educators and the opportunties that we present our students are equally important.
I will continue to adjust my goals as I continue to learn. I want my students and peers to reflect the same values I have placed on myself as a life long learner. I want them to be able to see the advantages of using technology in the classroom. I want them to not only use the technology but to use it in a way that is beneficial to all stakeholders.
Koehler, M.J. Tpack.org. Retrieved from http://www.tpack.org/