We are preparing students for jobs that don’t exist.
~ David Warlick
Initially, this quote carries an apocalyptic innuendo. However after carefully considering the author’s point of view, it is clear that this 21st century educational advocate is insinuating the obligation of teachers to ensure that their pedagogy continually evolves. This is imperative in order to produce citizens that are capable of meeting the demands of our metamorphic global community. This quote has been a cornerstone in my philosophy as an educator since I first read it over ten years ago and was instrumental in my decision to pursue an advanced degree in Educational Technology.
A Slow and Level Road
As a certified eMINTS teacher I have a significant amount of technology available for my students to utilize every day. I used it well and had a reputation of being one of the most "techie" teachers in my own school as well as among several other schools within our district. However, in the eight years since achieving this accolade, I didn't pursue any further formal education in the field of technology in schools. Rather, I had a couple of kids and tried my best to do justice to the investment my district made in me and my "computer classroom." As I strove to independently stay abreast of trends by following blogs, tweets and discussion boards though, I found that I was continually feeling inadequate. At the same time, I realized that I needed to pursue some sort of advanced degree in order to maintain my credibility as an educator. Because I enjoyed using my technology to help push the envelope with the gifted cluster of third graders I taught every year, the idea of gifted education seemed a good course to pursue. I actually met with an advisor from a local university and laid out a course of study. However, after receiving several follow up calls from her I realized why I just could not get myself to take that next step: I was not passionate about pursuing that degree. It was not until my own little brother shared with me the content of a course he was taking online through the University of Missouri's SISLT that my spark for higher learning was reignited.
I knew first hand that that technology is the tool that can be the catalyst in closing the learning gap and engaging otherwise lethargic learners. I realized that our current curriculum can become so much more applicable to the world in which our students live and will one day become leaders, if only they are given the tools to engage themselves beyond their classroom walls. I believed that the rigor of the University of Missouri’s Master’s program would prove invaluable as I endeavored to broaden my own horizons for the eventual greater good of my students and collegial whole.
Or, so, that is an excerpt from my statement of purpose I wrote to get accepted into this esteemed program. What I found, however, is that I achieved so very much more. It brings tears to my eyes to think of the capabilities that technology can bring to students in this age. The evolution of technology is at a pace unparalleled in any field....ever. Teachers often scoff at the former No Child Left Behind requirements as trying to propel students to hit a "moving target." I say, the world IS a moving target. It becomes our responsibility as educators not to teach our pupils how to shoot straight but to ingrain in them skills so they can innovate a way to track the target wherever it may fly. To restate this obtuse comparison; we have to fathom a way to predict the skills they need to achieve in the future, not the ability to rehash content we value now. These, I say, are the skills I learned in my program of study at Mizzou.
Top Three Winners
While I could go on for eternity describing everything I've learned during my coursework, I'll settle to describe my top three realizations.
The first prize winner is definitely the rediscovery of my own love of learning. Before beginning this program, I was in a bit of a rut professionally and had lost much of my passion for teaching. Feeling bogged down by workplace politics, challenging students and administrative mandates I'd begun to under utilize the 2:1 ratio in my classroom and relegated them to routine use for practice activities and productivity. Through my courses I've discovered the multitude of recent developments on the Web 2.0 and integrated them into my classroom instruction, assessment and communication. I've become more interested than ever in the use of technology by other students in my school. No longer can I be satisfied that I'm doing my own 20ish students justice each year in preparing them for a future in our global community, rather, I've become a proponent for equal access for all students and quality professional development on technology topics. For example, I've assisted our Technology Committee in the Buddy Program pilot they're seeking approval for by volunteering to be a mentor for a peer to help foster their development of effective technology integration skills. This Pretest performance task is currently being considered to gauge the participants' growth during the course of a year. Although any colleagues wanted more of a survey type of an assessment, I was a proponent of this method due to its alignment with the ISTE-T. I I feel, to use Rogers' (1995) term, that I've taken the first steps to become a change agent within my social system.
My next case in point is one that has earned me the nickname "Google Nazi:" everything I've discovered about Google Drive. While using Drive was not in a single syllabus or required for any assignments, I learned from classmates and through experimentation the capabilities it holds. I've used the file sharing and collaborative features extensively with colleagues, students and parents alike. I've trained several groups within my own school on its features and am happy to report that, as my district becomes a Google Apps for Education member next year, we will be far ahead of the curve as we transition from OneDrive, Sharepoint and other Microsoft tools. I am pursuing a Google Educator certification this summer. Since I've passed the Basics Exam, I hope to finish the remaining exams before returning for the 2014-15 school year. My goal is to one day serve in a leadership role to share my knowledge with even more colleagues or preservice teachers. The valuable side effect of learning the logistics of Drive was that I realized that fellow colleagues are a virtual goldmine of pedagogical knowledge. I found that, as uncomfortable as it was at first to work collaboratively on coursework, I believe that the finished projects were heads and shoulders above what I would have completed independently.
Finally, I've learned to be more self-confident and reflective at the same time. As one who has always hated the sound of my own voice on a recording, I've begun offering twice monthly TechTuesday mini-trainings at my school to share with my colleagues the topics I've learned about during my course of study. I've begun screencasting them and posting them to my new YouTube channel. I'm always careful, however, to first view them and add my own critique of the presentation before sharing them with my school community who may not have attended. I do this for two reasons. First, it will help me to improve before my next session. By examining my own presentations I can refine and adjust to always increase my ability to meet the needs of my audience. Second, I believe that humility is part of the growth process that technological change requires. I feel that, as a "techie" teacher, openly admitting my faults may open the minds of those who have labeled themselves "technology challenged" and perhaps prod them to take the risk of attempting something I share. Collaboration requires trust and confidence in one another and often that means building upon the strengths of others after first admitting our own weaknesses.
Change for the Future
With my degree firmly in my back pocket, I forsee a much different "me" both as a teacher and as a professional.
As a teacher I will strive to do so much more than just use technology with my students. I seek the transformation that breaking down classroom walls can bring to enrich their little lives and open up the world to them. With the plethora of tools I've come to understand and the capabilities of my newfound resourcefulness I realize that the sky is the limit as I engage my learners to become miniature 21st century skills masters.
As a professional, I no longer see myself being content in a classroom of 20ish students for the remaining 20 years of my career. Seeing how much growth needs to take place in the profession of teaching and the immense pace at which it must transform to keep pace with today's learners has already prompted me to seek out leadership opportunities both in and outside of my district. I feel that having the credibility that this degree grants will make my voice more clearly heard as I pursue endeavors beyond impacting a small population of children each year. Whether it is as a Google professional, online instructor, college professor for preservice teachers or in a role educating adults outside of schools I know now that I am competent enough to make an impact worthy of a Mizzou graduate. I'm so proud to be a Tiger and in a field that is so turbulent at this time!
A Slow and Level Road
As a certified eMINTS teacher I have a significant amount of technology available for my students to utilize every day. I used it well and had a reputation of being one of the most "techie" teachers in my own school as well as among several other schools within our district. However, in the eight years since achieving this accolade, I didn't pursue any further formal education in the field of technology in schools. Rather, I had a couple of kids and tried my best to do justice to the investment my district made in me and my "computer classroom." As I strove to independently stay abreast of trends by following blogs, tweets and discussion boards though, I found that I was continually feeling inadequate. At the same time, I realized that I needed to pursue some sort of advanced degree in order to maintain my credibility as an educator. Because I enjoyed using my technology to help push the envelope with the gifted cluster of third graders I taught every year, the idea of gifted education seemed a good course to pursue. I actually met with an advisor from a local university and laid out a course of study. However, after receiving several follow up calls from her I realized why I just could not get myself to take that next step: I was not passionate about pursuing that degree. It was not until my own little brother shared with me the content of a course he was taking online through the University of Missouri's SISLT that my spark for higher learning was reignited.
I knew first hand that that technology is the tool that can be the catalyst in closing the learning gap and engaging otherwise lethargic learners. I realized that our current curriculum can become so much more applicable to the world in which our students live and will one day become leaders, if only they are given the tools to engage themselves beyond their classroom walls. I believed that the rigor of the University of Missouri’s Master’s program would prove invaluable as I endeavored to broaden my own horizons for the eventual greater good of my students and collegial whole.
Or, so, that is an excerpt from my statement of purpose I wrote to get accepted into this esteemed program. What I found, however, is that I achieved so very much more. It brings tears to my eyes to think of the capabilities that technology can bring to students in this age. The evolution of technology is at a pace unparalleled in any field....ever. Teachers often scoff at the former No Child Left Behind requirements as trying to propel students to hit a "moving target." I say, the world IS a moving target. It becomes our responsibility as educators not to teach our pupils how to shoot straight but to ingrain in them skills so they can innovate a way to track the target wherever it may fly. To restate this obtuse comparison; we have to fathom a way to predict the skills they need to achieve in the future, not the ability to rehash content we value now. These, I say, are the skills I learned in my program of study at Mizzou.
Top Three Winners
While I could go on for eternity describing everything I've learned during my coursework, I'll settle to describe my top three realizations.
The first prize winner is definitely the rediscovery of my own love of learning. Before beginning this program, I was in a bit of a rut professionally and had lost much of my passion for teaching. Feeling bogged down by workplace politics, challenging students and administrative mandates I'd begun to under utilize the 2:1 ratio in my classroom and relegated them to routine use for practice activities and productivity. Through my courses I've discovered the multitude of recent developments on the Web 2.0 and integrated them into my classroom instruction, assessment and communication. I've become more interested than ever in the use of technology by other students in my school. No longer can I be satisfied that I'm doing my own 20ish students justice each year in preparing them for a future in our global community, rather, I've become a proponent for equal access for all students and quality professional development on technology topics. For example, I've assisted our Technology Committee in the Buddy Program pilot they're seeking approval for by volunteering to be a mentor for a peer to help foster their development of effective technology integration skills. This Pretest performance task is currently being considered to gauge the participants' growth during the course of a year. Although any colleagues wanted more of a survey type of an assessment, I was a proponent of this method due to its alignment with the ISTE-T. I I feel, to use Rogers' (1995) term, that I've taken the first steps to become a change agent within my social system.
My next case in point is one that has earned me the nickname "Google Nazi:" everything I've discovered about Google Drive. While using Drive was not in a single syllabus or required for any assignments, I learned from classmates and through experimentation the capabilities it holds. I've used the file sharing and collaborative features extensively with colleagues, students and parents alike. I've trained several groups within my own school on its features and am happy to report that, as my district becomes a Google Apps for Education member next year, we will be far ahead of the curve as we transition from OneDrive, Sharepoint and other Microsoft tools. I am pursuing a Google Educator certification this summer. Since I've passed the Basics Exam, I hope to finish the remaining exams before returning for the 2014-15 school year. My goal is to one day serve in a leadership role to share my knowledge with even more colleagues or preservice teachers. The valuable side effect of learning the logistics of Drive was that I realized that fellow colleagues are a virtual goldmine of pedagogical knowledge. I found that, as uncomfortable as it was at first to work collaboratively on coursework, I believe that the finished projects were heads and shoulders above what I would have completed independently.
Finally, I've learned to be more self-confident and reflective at the same time. As one who has always hated the sound of my own voice on a recording, I've begun offering twice monthly TechTuesday mini-trainings at my school to share with my colleagues the topics I've learned about during my course of study. I've begun screencasting them and posting them to my new YouTube channel. I'm always careful, however, to first view them and add my own critique of the presentation before sharing them with my school community who may not have attended. I do this for two reasons. First, it will help me to improve before my next session. By examining my own presentations I can refine and adjust to always increase my ability to meet the needs of my audience. Second, I believe that humility is part of the growth process that technological change requires. I feel that, as a "techie" teacher, openly admitting my faults may open the minds of those who have labeled themselves "technology challenged" and perhaps prod them to take the risk of attempting something I share. Collaboration requires trust and confidence in one another and often that means building upon the strengths of others after first admitting our own weaknesses.
Change for the Future
With my degree firmly in my back pocket, I forsee a much different "me" both as a teacher and as a professional.
As a teacher I will strive to do so much more than just use technology with my students. I seek the transformation that breaking down classroom walls can bring to enrich their little lives and open up the world to them. With the plethora of tools I've come to understand and the capabilities of my newfound resourcefulness I realize that the sky is the limit as I engage my learners to become miniature 21st century skills masters.
As a professional, I no longer see myself being content in a classroom of 20ish students for the remaining 20 years of my career. Seeing how much growth needs to take place in the profession of teaching and the immense pace at which it must transform to keep pace with today's learners has already prompted me to seek out leadership opportunities both in and outside of my district. I feel that having the credibility that this degree grants will make my voice more clearly heard as I pursue endeavors beyond impacting a small population of children each year. Whether it is as a Google professional, online instructor, college professor for preservice teachers or in a role educating adults outside of schools I know now that I am competent enough to make an impact worthy of a Mizzou graduate. I'm so proud to be a Tiger and in a field that is so turbulent at this time!