Reflection Paper - LOOK HOW FAR WE'VE COME
By Luke A. Swanson
As my master’s degree program draws to a close, I find myself reflecting upon where I came from and where I am going as an educator. I began this degree on a quest to improve as a teacher who is driven by my passion for cultivating a desire to learn within my students. I am constantly pushing to guide my students toward the discovery of new knowledge and growth. I recognize that becoming a great teacher is journey and not a destination. These were my guiding principles when I began this program. I had a desire to further my theoretical and practical knowledge base as an educator and I recognized as a very young teacher that technology was and is the future of learning. My hope was that the Master’s of Arts in Educational Technology program at Michigan State would allow me to discover the many uses of technology based learning in the classroom. I began this program with these complex goals:
1. Discover and implement a theoretical framework to utilize in the creation of technology based education in the classroom.
2. Continue to evolve as an educator of young adults.
3. Discover the resources, databases, and tools to continue to be on the cutting edge of technology learning.
4. Utilize this program to become a better leader within my district and school community.
I firmly believe that this program has given me the tools to complete these goals. My theoretical approach to technology education was most heavily influenced by Dr. Punya Mishra while taking CEP 800, CEP 815, CEP 822. These courses were taken during the summer of 2013 in the East Lansing “Hybrid” Program. My time in these classes taught me how to become a technology leader within my district by providing resources and a framework to teach others about technology based learning.
I discovered a wide variety of classroom resources and tools during my time in CEP 810, CEP 811, and CEP 812. These courses were taken during the summer of 2012. This fast paced program provided lessons and projects geared towards showing the variety of resources available on the web. I learned the value of repurposing technology tools for educational use and I discovered dozens of resources that I am using today.
Throughout the MAET program I have been challenged to be reflective about my teaching and use of technology education. Through the use of the TPACK Framework and SAMR model I can continue to grow and develop as an educator. This program has also taught me the value of continuing to follow trends and collaborate with colleagues. Technology can and will continue to change. In order to be a technology education leader I must follow these changes and improve as an educator.
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