Over the past couple of years, our school has invested in many classroom technologies and resources in order to provide teachers and students with the latest tools that can enhance their learning. As a technology enthusiast, I was always ready to research, learn and roll out any technology tool that teachers, management and I thought would leverage classroom learning environment and practices. My original goals for starting my Master’s studies through the MAET program revolved around;

   

  1. “Deepening my knowledge about theories and perspectives of learning”

 

Prior to becoming an Educational Technology Specialist, I worked in the enterprise technology services sector. As a solutions architect at Hewlett-Packard, I focused on designing networking and server solutions to meet enterprises’ requirements and needs. Transitioning into the education sector, I felt that in order to provide support to the teachers, I needed to know how learning occurs for both adults and children. Without this exposure, my work as a coach would be lacking the basis for implementing effective coaching strategies with teachers. Also, my efforts in supporting teachers in meaningful integration of technology would be fruitless.

 

   2. “Increasing my exposure to new technology tools that can drive learning in the 21st- century”

 

Education communities are abuzz with new ideas and technology tools to engage and enrich students’ learning experiences. My hope was that this program offers me the opportunity to be well-versed in effective and popular technology tools that can transform the classroom and help students reach their full potential in the digital age. Essentially, I wanted to have a wide selection of technology tools and applications that I can coach and train teachers on and introduce to students in the classrooms.

 

Looking back at my original goals for the MAET program, I find that although my goals remain the same in essence, my perspective and understanding of the need for technology integration and how to apply it have immensely changed. In CEP 800 " Psychology of Learning in School and Other Settings", I explored learning theories in depth which helped me understand how learning transpires and how it translates into a set of instructional methods. I am now equipped with the knowledge needed to analyze a learning situation, leverage the technology resources at teacher’s disposal and design the very best learning experience for students no matter their preferences and capabilities. One example work for my growth is the  "Living on Mars" lesson plan that I created in the course. For the second goal, CEP 815 "Technology and Leadership" course helped me realize that my role as an Educational Technology Specialist flourishes when I present my work as a leader. For purposeful and effective technology integration to take place, I need to provide strategic direction to the school. The “What” technology tools questions that I often asked are now “Why” and “How” questions. As I develop myself into a leader, my goal is to craft a vision for technology integration that considers the purpose, and the reason for introducing specific technologies in the school. One essential question that I now focus on is “How I as a leader can help facilitate this vision?”.

 

In conclusion, as I delved deeper into this profession, I have become increasingly aware that in order to be successful in technology integration, I need be a leader who always wraps technology around the educational goals. I want to continue to deviate from instrumental thinking and into missional thinking. For so, I plan to always bring my focus away from technology and bring it back to improving education in the 21st century. This starts with rethinking my approach of technology integration and infuse leadership vision into it.