Learning is something that does not end when you finish school.  When I finished undergraduate school, I was now applying everything I had learned in school to the situations that actually happened.  It was this situation that showed me one is never truly done learning.  I have learned so much from my students and keep learning from them. To be truly effective as an educator I believe that you must constantly learn. This is true in the world of technology.  Technology is rapidly changing and what we now consider cutting edge will be obsolete in the next few weeks, even minutes. Because of this the world is becoming flatter, as Thomas Freedman states.  Being able to bridge geographical areas and communicate through technology is becoming easier and easier.

 

I envision that within the next few years, I will be able aiding my colleagues in adequately using technology for preparing 21^st century students for the world.  At my school, I have already begun to hold Professional Developments for the faculty about different technologies that are available.  By doing these PD’s and aiding the faculty I discovered what my ultimate goal (as of now) is.  I envision myself as a technology specialist for a school district somewhere.  Being able to work as a director of e-learning is something I have developed a passion for.  I have always found technology interesting but being the director of e-learning would combine my two passions (education and technology) more so than just having a degree and using it in the classroom.  I have really come to discover that being able to share what I have learned with my peers is a passion.  That is the end goal but for this particular moment I am content where I am.

 

But being able to share what I have learned can only go so far.  As stated earlier, technology changes all the time and because of that I cannot stop learning.  I have to constantly challenge myself and learn new things.  This learning experience can take the form of many different avenues.  I have learned so much from the classroom setting.  Going through the Master of Arts in Educational Technology program has given me a good foundation for how to use technology in the classroom effectively but I have also added to that knowledge by talking with my students.  They have shown me so much that I would never have thought of and how to use technology they are already familiar with in different ways that can enrich the education they have.  For example, one student showed me how she used Pintrest in her IB Art class to display and study different artwork.  The comment feature underneath allowed the students to hold discussion online throughout the week.  I had never thought about that.  This leads into what other teachers are doing in their classroom.  Many times what the students tell me they are doing in other classrooms with technology are things that should be shared.  Some teachers just do not want to share for fear that they are doing it wrong.  However, collaboration is something that really fosters ideas and fine tunes them for what works. 

 

That is another way to increase one’s learning: collaborate with others.  Something I do now and plan to continue to do is collaborating with other teachers and not just with my department.  The idea to use Remind101 in my classroom came from a math teacher at my school.  This was something that has truly impacted my classroom and the way my students learn making sure that they get the most current information possible.  I would probably have discovered it on my own but not as quickly.

While these ideas and goals are a great importance to have, the main idea is to never stop learning.  Learning comes in all shapes and forms and can impact a person’s life.  When we stop learning, we stop living and I refuse to let the world pass me by while I sit content in what I have now.  The ever changing technology in the world can easily surpass one if I choose to not challenge myself and strive for learning.  It is only a matter of taking every opportunity to learn and to share my learning with others.  Part of an educator’s job (and my job as a teacher) is to share my learning with others. If not, what is the point of learning?  I can’t help think of the saying “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”.