The Journey has just Begun...
by: Dana Collett
When I was six I thought the year 2000 would bring flying cars and a way for you to skip to a song without having to constantly fast forward and rewind to find the start of a different song. So imagine my excitement when I received my first CD and my disappointment as 1994 neared and I realized a flying car would not be an option for my 16th birthday.
I enjoy sharing that with my students. They seem to disregard the flying car statement and focus on the fact that I spent half my childhood without CDs let alone mp3s. They are baffled how I survived without a cell phone, iPad and laptop computer. Technology is constantly revolutionizing. It has become a part of our society and a part of our education system. The integration of technology into education is remarkable. Education has embraced technology and I believe they will both continue to move forward together. And I plan on following them and being a lifelong learner. My journey has just begun.
As my Master’s program draws to close, I think about how far I have come as an educator and how much knowledge I have gained in the field of technology. My favorite part of this program is that it is set up to help you be a lifelong learner. My professors always encouraged exploration as a learning tool. The goal was to explore, learn and use the technology in ways that it worked for you. Since entering this program I have been exposed to hundreds of websites, blogs, software, and companies that have taught me to keep exploring. As an educator, I also want to give my students the opportunity to explore and as a lifelong learner, I never want to stop exploring.
On my journey as a lifelong learner, I want to continue to find ways to best integrate technology into my curriculum. The wired generation relies on technology to help them solve problems, find solutions, contact a friend and get them to where they need to be. They communicate via technology. Through this program, I as well, have learned to communicate via technology. have set up a wonderful learning network consisting of people, places, and forums I can seek out if necessary. I have learned that almost any question can be answered on the internet (although it may not be answered correctly) and even the “experts” don’t know everything. I have gained more knowledge about who to ask and where to go to help me bring technology and education together. Technology is constantly evolving and in order to evolve with it, you must learn with it as well. I am truly excited about continuing the research and exploration of how to better integrate technology into my classroom.
My other passion as a lifelong learner is to bring technology to everyone. As a teacher in a low socio-economic area, I see, first hand, the disconnect and feeling of loss when the wired generation is not wired. I want to make sure we are setting up students to be lifelong learners as well. One website, DonorsChoose.org is a foundation in which teachers can write a grant to get items for their classrooms. It is a wonderful website helping teachers get what they need to help the students in their room. I have been able to share this website with other teachers in my community to help them help their students. This program has brought out the leader in me and I have shared with others how to best utilize the resources available and how to learn about those resources. I have turned some part-time learners into lifelong learners and that pushes me to learn more. I want to learn more so I can share it with my community, my faculty, and my students.
As I watch myself prepare for my journey ahead, I know that MAET has given me the tools necessary to survive. The professors have set me up to succeed and continue to learn and that is exactly what I plan to do. I am excited to embark on my new adventure and explore everything that technology has to offer. (I will begin by getting a new iPhone 4s).
I enjoy sharing that with my students. They seem to disregard the flying car statement and focus on the fact that I spent half my childhood without CDs let alone mp3s. They are baffled how I survived without a cell phone, iPad and laptop computer. Technology is constantly revolutionizing. It has become a part of our society and a part of our education system. The integration of technology into education is remarkable. Education has embraced technology and I believe they will both continue to move forward together. And I plan on following them and being a lifelong learner. My journey has just begun.
As my Master’s program draws to close, I think about how far I have come as an educator and how much knowledge I have gained in the field of technology. My favorite part of this program is that it is set up to help you be a lifelong learner. My professors always encouraged exploration as a learning tool. The goal was to explore, learn and use the technology in ways that it worked for you. Since entering this program I have been exposed to hundreds of websites, blogs, software, and companies that have taught me to keep exploring. As an educator, I also want to give my students the opportunity to explore and as a lifelong learner, I never want to stop exploring.
On my journey as a lifelong learner, I want to continue to find ways to best integrate technology into my curriculum. The wired generation relies on technology to help them solve problems, find solutions, contact a friend and get them to where they need to be. They communicate via technology. Through this program, I as well, have learned to communicate via technology. have set up a wonderful learning network consisting of people, places, and forums I can seek out if necessary. I have learned that almost any question can be answered on the internet (although it may not be answered correctly) and even the “experts” don’t know everything. I have gained more knowledge about who to ask and where to go to help me bring technology and education together. Technology is constantly evolving and in order to evolve with it, you must learn with it as well. I am truly excited about continuing the research and exploration of how to better integrate technology into my classroom.
My other passion as a lifelong learner is to bring technology to everyone. As a teacher in a low socio-economic area, I see, first hand, the disconnect and feeling of loss when the wired generation is not wired. I want to make sure we are setting up students to be lifelong learners as well. One website, DonorsChoose.org is a foundation in which teachers can write a grant to get items for their classrooms. It is a wonderful website helping teachers get what they need to help the students in their room. I have been able to share this website with other teachers in my community to help them help their students. This program has brought out the leader in me and I have shared with others how to best utilize the resources available and how to learn about those resources. I have turned some part-time learners into lifelong learners and that pushes me to learn more. I want to learn more so I can share it with my community, my faculty, and my students.
As I watch myself prepare for my journey ahead, I know that MAET has given me the tools necessary to survive. The professors have set me up to succeed and continue to learn and that is exactly what I plan to do. I am excited to embark on my new adventure and explore everything that technology has to offer. (I will begin by getting a new iPhone 4s).