Since I can remember, I have always found technology fascinating.  In high school, I couldn’t wait to learn about the Microsoft Windows 95 that I heard about.  I know for some of you Windows 95 is ancient technology, but at the time, it was cutting edge.  I thought it was such a great improvement of previous computers.  That fascination I had with technology continues today.  I like to have the latest TVs, android phones (IPhones are overratedJ), computers, ipads, HD home entertainment projectors and many other gadgets or applications that I find interesting.  However, even though I always found a way to get the latest technology at home, I was not using it in my classroom.  I was stuck in a 20th century classroom but lived in a 21st century society.  I read an article on video games and students that made a lot of sense to me.  It stated that from a young age students are introduced to video games and those games stimulate their senses by displaying the content of the game through words, images, graphics and videos.  Then they walk into the classroom and they are taught in mostly an old-fashioned way.  Many of these students just don’t connect to the material as easily through proven educational methods because their brain just works a little different.  I thought I needed to continue my education to help transform my classroom into a classroom that still had analysis, discussion, lecture but incorporated as much technology in that process as possible.  That is what led me to applying to the MSU MAET program.

 

            As I begin the program last summer, I came in with a lot of enthusiasm and ready to go at it.  I thought I knew technology but I was quickly put in my place.  I did not know nearly as much as I thought.  So, this program has been great for me.  I have learned so many new technologies that before I had always thought of as being too hard to understand.  I feel that I have gained a long list technological tools that are shaping how I teach now and in the future.  I feel that right now I am a tech hero in training.  This is something that I really want to become in the future.  I want to be able to share what I have learned in this program with my students but especially with my colleagues.  Now, I know that will not be the easiest thing to accomplish but I think it will benefit so many more students if these technologies are spread throughout the campus.  So, I have been pushing myself the last five semesters to learn about much about technology and education with technology as I can.  Not only from the MAET program but from any professional development offered by my district.   The desire to learn about technology has only been fueled by this program and I know I will continue to find resources to help me improve my skills using technology in the classroom. 

 

            When I began this program, I had several goals.  I feel that I am on my way to accomplishing most of them.  But this assignment got me thinking about my educational future after the program.  I need to set a goal to keep me going with technology and education.  Therefore, my new goal with technology will be to be the technology expert on my campus.  I want to be able to share as much of the technology and pedagogical techniques I have learned to our staff.   I already began this goal but mostly to my fellow history teachers.  I have helped several of them create their own websites and have introduced many of the great programs that Google offers.  I want my goal to expand beyond just my department and to the many other departments on campus.  I do not know if I will be able to achieve this goal soon because we are a very large school with over 160 teachers.  Plus, many of those teachers are veterans who do not even like to check their email regularly.  So, this will definitely be a challenge.  A few others and I have recently begun my school’s first official educational technology group on campus.  We are in the midst of recruiting teachers into four sub groups to begin the process of bringing more technology to campus and how to train our teachers to use that new technology.  I tried starting a technology group last year but it did not really go anywhere because we did not have the support of the administration.  But luckily, we got a new administration this summer and one of those new administrators is our technology group.  Through this group, I hope to set up system that will allow me and others to share their technological expertise to the rest of the staff through school sponsored professional development.

 

            In about two months, I will be flying to Michigan to graduate and my masters in educational technology will be completed.  I know I will feel a great sense of accomplishment and I will be happy it is over.   But the question will then be, what is next?  What do I do now that I am done with this degree?  I know I will be continuing exploring technology in education because of the technology team we have begun on my campus.  So, I feel happy that I will continue to learn new technologies as they are developed.  But is that it?  Honestly, I am not sure right now.  When I first began teaching high school, I said to myself that I would stay here for a while and then I would go back to school and get my masters in history to be able to teach at a community college.  But I have come to really love teaching history to my juniors so much so that now I am not sure if that is still my goal.  Maybe as the years go by and my enthusiasm for teaching high school kids wane, I will want to go back to school and get my masters in history to go teach at a community college.  For now, I will keep my options open and be ready to learn when opportunities present themselves.