This journey and chapter of what I am now on and quickly coming to an end began in May of 2012 with my first graduate school class. As this journey is coming to an end, I can’t help but think back to the various courses that I have taken.  It seemed like the perfect timing for beginning and when I began this journey my understanding of what educational technology was and what exactly it meant to study it were very different than what I actually learned and for that I am thankful.  The limited understanding I had before I began has morphed into a better understanding of how to truly use technology to benefit my students.  This understanding came from the ten courses that I took for the degree.  The different courses that I took in the program all flowed together.  While some of these courses were part of the required curriculum, the choices I made in regards to the electives I took were impacted by the ultimate goals that I have in my professional career. Each of the ten course’s contents all had an underlying flow and tied into each previous one, the individual courses provided a different content, each one built on each other which gave the entire program a continuity that facilitated my learning.  However, there were four courses that really stood out among the others.  These four courses, in my opinion, were the most influential to my study.  They were Teaching Science with Technology (CEP 806), Technology and Leadership (CEP 815), Teaching Students Online (CEP 820) and Adapting Innovative Technology to Education (CEP 811).  Each of these courses provided insight into the various roles technology plays as well as giving me the background knowledge for my ultimate professional objective of becoming a district office level Director of E-learning.

Since my professional objective is to become a Director of E-learning somewhere, knowing how to use technology to facilitate learning in a science classroom was crucial.  Since I am not a science teacher by trade I was unaware of what types of technology could be used to help students and what technology was out there for them to use.  This course allowed me to step into the role of a science teacher for a little bit so I could see what things I would need to consider when helping a science teacher.  I learned in this course that technology does not have to be solely for science for it to work.  To demonstrate this, we were assigned the task of completing two different labs: one via Skype/Google Hangout and the other through face to face.  This related to a practical application for my district, a way for students who are home based/homebound (unable to attend school or be on school premises for various reasons) a way to interact still with their class; students who are able to can attend lessons via Skype or Google Hangouts or view the lesson recordings.  Another aspect of this course that was beneficial is that now I have a greater understanding of how I can use technology to facilitate learning science in my classroom.  I do not teach a science class but a course called AVID.  AVID is designed to give support to students in the academic middle and help them achieve their college dreams.  Through the use of in class peer tutorials I am able to do that.  One of the subjects that they struggle with the most is science which is why I chose to take this course as an elective; to see how I can really use technology to help my students achieve the best they can.  By being hands on and actually doing the assignments with the technology impacted my learning because I was able to see how it actually applied to science and in some cases other subject areas.  The take away that I got from this course was that there really is no content specific technology but rather the practical and educational adaption of various tools that are currently out there.

To facilitate my role into becoming a Director of E-learning, I would also need to know how to lead the faculty and staff within my district with the use of technology.  Before taking Technology and Leadership (CEP 815) I had no idea what exactly this meant but through the course I learned that it is not necessarily the same type of leadership that school administrators have but rather how can we really help those with technology.  One of the main assignments the course had me do was the sustainable technology project.  This was something that truly opened my eyes to how technology can be used to help those around us.  My project dealt with parent communication and how to increase parent involvement.  The idea that I came up with for my project was just scratching the surface of what I could do to better help my students and carried over into this year where I was able to put into practice some of the ideas that I had.   Through this assignment I discovered a Google translate app was able to be embedded into the school homepage and Remind 101.  Remind 101 is a free, safe texting tool that allows me to communicate quickly and effectively with parents and students without having to share personal contact numbers.  Both Remind 101 and the Google translate app are now being used school wide and it has made a difference in the communication and parent involvement at my school.  CEP 815 also taught me about the use of Video Not.es and flipping a classroom.   It got me interested in the idea of a flipped classroom and what could be done to facilitate that.  Video Not.es works with Google Drive which fits into what my district is already doing.  From there it would be an easy process to allow notes and videos you wish for students to see to easily be shared.  These were just two of the things I learned but I would enjoy seeing them implemented.  But part of what this course taught me about leadership and technology is that a technological leader is not someone who pushes for technology to be used but rather somebody who supports teachers as they discover what technology they are comfortable with using in their classroom as well as pushing them slowly out of their comfort zone.

Completing this degree online was a new concept for me.  I had always seen the commercials for online degrees and was not sure how exactly it worked.  Then a few of my students took some online courses and had mixed reviews about them so when the opportunity appeared for my whole degree to be taken online I was unsure of how exactly it would work.  By the time I took Teaching Students Online (CEP 820) I had taken about half of my courses already and had a positive experience with them that I was excited to see the other side.  I had had experience as a student but now was ready to see the interworking – so to speak – about how exactly one developed and taught online. The course was not what I expected.  Having the one main assignment and smaller tasks that built into the assignment was crucial to the understanding I gained from the course.  The creation of an online course became both the bane of my summer as well as my proudest accomplishment.  At the start, I had no idea what I would create an online course about.  I really did not know what I could create one on since I do not teach a traditional course.  The course I teach at my school is called AVID and is designed to bridge the achievement gap and help the academic middle obtain their college dreams.  Many of my students will be first generation college students and are first generation Americans.  That was when it hit me create an online course that can be used to explain and showcase this to new hires into the district.  From there I was able to begin construction on what I felt would be an easy venture.  This course was important because it provided an insight into what is important to consider when creating an online course and what are the key concepts that are crucial to have.    Another aspect that this course taught me was that an online course does not have to simply be learn this and do this but still can fit one’s teaching style.  I had always thought there was only way to teach an online course but an online teacher can still have their own personal touch to their online course.  I came away from this course thinking that I can now teach an online course, if needed, without having to sacrifice my own teaching style.

While not coming from one particular course but what began in the Adapting Innovative Technology to Education (CEP 811) probably the most important thing I learned from this graduate school journey was the use of Google Docs and Google Apps in the classroom.  It coincided perfectly with my school using Google Drive as a main platform for students and teachers.  Being able to learn exactly what Google Drive can do and how to use it in the classroom setting was an amazing opportunity.  Google Drive is now something that I use constantly in my classroom and I am one of the main teachers that use it at my school.   Using Google Drive and other concepts in this course taught me that technology does not have to be meant for education only but rather can be any piece of technology that, when used in the educational setting, can be substantial in increasing student learning.  Using simple tools like texting and poll everywhere, I can engage my students and assess their learning in a whole new context.  But Google Drive was not the only innovative technology that had an impact on my learning.  This course taught me how using simple everyday pieces of technology that students are already familiar with and using them for a new purpose: education.  This course also taught me how I can convert what my students are currently doing and apply technology to them.  An example would be that my students used to write journal and reading logs on paper and now they write them on blogs that they can share and comment on with their peers. 

While the shift in what I thought educational technology was and what it now has shifted and molded into, I have learned a great deal.  My initial understanding of what it entailed was “here use this app and get this result”. I thought I was on the cutting edge of using technology in my classroom because I had a Smart Board and I knew how to use it or that I used iPads.  The Masters of Educational Technology program has changed my definition of what exactly technology is that it is not simply using it.  The shift in mindset that I now have has not only inspired me to really use technology but also opened my eyes to what is out there and revamped some of my lessons to use more technology and engage my students. Looking back at where I was when I started to where the past year and a half have taken me, feels like 10 years.  It seemed like perfect timing because I began in May 2012 and when I returned to work in September, my school began implementing BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology) and I was able to apply everything I was learning with full support of administration.  At the close of this chapter and in my schools second year of BYOT I am able to really share what I have learned with my colleagues, spreading the excitement and passion for incorporating technology into lessons with them.  I am now entering the next chapter of my educational journey and applying all that I have learned and processing what I have learned.  It is now time to share and begin writing this new chapter of my educational and professional career.