From K-12 to Teaching Technology
by Jacquelyn Chomic
When I decided that I was going to apply to MSU's Educational Technology
program, I had many goals that I wanted to achieve based on what was
going on in my life. I was working at a junior high school and trying
to become highly qualified in special education kindergarten through
twelfth grade. I looked at my options of masters programs and found the
one that I would fall in love with. I decided that I would apply to
MSU's Educational Technology program because I have a love for
technology and advancing minds through new thoughts and ideas. When I
started the program, my goals were to become highly qualified K-12 in
special education so that I could keep teaching in my science and social
studies classrooms; to integrate a little bit of computer technology
into my classroom (being that I only had a white board, an overhead
projector, and my 1 teacher computer in my classroom); and to inspire my
students to try new things and to motivate themselves to learn using
any new ideas and technologies possible.
It's interesting to me how narrowed my first two goals were based on where I was teaching and how my life was going at that time. Just eight months later, I was in a new district, a new classroom, and a new program. I would no longer need to finish a masters program to become highly qualified to teach students kindergarten through twelfth grade. I was now teaching students kindergarten through fourth grade (part of my degree-I was already highly qualified to teach them). Even though I didn't need to fulfill my first goal, to be able to teach K-12 to keep teaching my junior high students, I was now more motivated to complete my program and learn from my professors because of my second and third goals. I wanted to bring A LOT more technology into my classroom, and was given this opportunity. I went from a white board to a SMARTBoard. I went from an overhead projector to a ceiling mounted projector connected to my SMARTBoard and an ELMO. I went from my students raising their hands to SMART Response Clickers. I went from my one teacher computer to two more student computers and an iPad. I have brought technology into my classroom! These are great ways to motivate my students. I find myself pushing myself to find new and innovative ideas brought from other teachers and professors in my classes in the MSU Educational Technology Program. Bringing my students into the 21st century with technology in education has been a rewarding and challenging experience.
It's interesting to me how narrowed my first two goals were based on where I was teaching and how my life was going at that time. Just eight months later, I was in a new district, a new classroom, and a new program. I would no longer need to finish a masters program to become highly qualified to teach students kindergarten through twelfth grade. I was now teaching students kindergarten through fourth grade (part of my degree-I was already highly qualified to teach them). Even though I didn't need to fulfill my first goal, to be able to teach K-12 to keep teaching my junior high students, I was now more motivated to complete my program and learn from my professors because of my second and third goals. I wanted to bring A LOT more technology into my classroom, and was given this opportunity. I went from a white board to a SMARTBoard. I went from an overhead projector to a ceiling mounted projector connected to my SMARTBoard and an ELMO. I went from my students raising their hands to SMART Response Clickers. I went from my one teacher computer to two more student computers and an iPad. I have brought technology into my classroom! These are great ways to motivate my students. I find myself pushing myself to find new and innovative ideas brought from other teachers and professors in my classes in the MSU Educational Technology Program. Bringing my students into the 21st century with technology in education has been a rewarding and challenging experience.
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