My experience in Michigan State University’s Master of Arts in Educational Technology (M.A.E.T.) Program impacted my thinking and beliefs more than I expected it would when applying to the program. Initially my drive to enter this program was a hope to travel, ensure my previous graduate credits did not expire, and to find something that allowed me to better myself in my current position, teaching middle school S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and math). Sitting here now, I am surprised to be considering careers I did not even know existed with a shifted mindset and belief of education and learning as a whole. This program showed me that learning is an ongoing process that can be enhanced or overshadowed, but it is always happening even when you do not realize it. In addition I took away the fact that technology enhances almost every aspect of our lives, we must use it effectively to enhance our education as well. Lastly, I was shown that a leader who is confident in their skills and stick to what they believe in, yet understands that working together for the good of the whole ensures strong leadership and culture. Many of the courses I took throughout my time in the Master of Arts in Educational Technology Program provided me with an abundance of resources and skills that apply to my current and future careers paths. But through reflection three specific courses stand out in transforming my beliefs and philosophy on education, CEP (Counseling and Educational Psychology) 800 - Learning in Schools and Other Settings, CEP 820 - Teaching Students Online, and CEP 815 - Technology and Leadership. 

 

         As an educator it is really easy to get caught up in what we think learning means. In our field there is such a focus on introducing curriculum standards, ensuring your lessons are engaging while finishing with a uniform and structured formative or summative assessment. This was my experience until I was asked to take a step back in CEP 800 - Learning in Schools and Other Settings and truly ask myself, what is learning? CEP 800 started with creating a learning philosophy and updating it every week throughout the semester. Being an educator for four years and getting my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from Michigan State University, I thought I had my learning philosophy figured out, and that this assignment would be a breeze. That was until week one when we covered operant conditioning and habits. This flipped my idea of formal education defining learning on its head. Reflecting now on what I learned and how my philosophy changed, I would now argue that most learning is done in informal settings without the direct intention of learning. By the end of the course I defined learning as “any type of growth and change” (Diemert, 2020). Learning is thought to be this active and positive process where a student is learning to multiply in a formal classroom sitting at a desk. This is a type of learning, but this does not define learning. Learning can be a new recipe you discover on a Sunday, hitting a speed bump too quickly, your mouth watering as you open a sour candy, creating a new habit of making your bed, or a prison inmate rushing to get to the cafeteria quickly. Learning can be active or passive, it can be done in formal and informal settings, by the young and the old, a positive or negative experience, intentional or unintentional. But one thing that is certain about learning is that it shows change and growth within a person. Coming to this new philosophy on learning shaped the way I teach. It has shown me the content standards are important, but the life skills, the social interaction and modeled positive or negative behavior that these students are acquiring from their educators, peers, parents, the media and even strangers around them are just as important as the questions on their next assessment. 

 

        I have always been interested in technology, ever since I was a child I took an interest in discovering new useful technology, or getting broken and outdated technology to work and be more effective. Even now-a-days in my personal life, I utilize technology in almost every aspect. I have transitioned my home into a smart house; with lightbulbs, a thermostat, and speakers turning on without getting up from my seat, I use a smart bike and app on my phone to work out, I listen to podcasts and playlists curated just for me on my drive to work. Yet my professional life was still lacking efficient and effective technology integration, even as a teacher of a technology focused subject! Many courses throughout the Master of Arts in Educational Technology Program provided resources for positive technology integration in schools. But CEP 820 - Teaching Students Online, stands out because on top of resources, it taught me effective strategies to teach in a variety of structures including asynchronous and synchronous online, hybrid and flipped classroom models. I learned to look critically at a situation to assess if online teaching and learning were appropriate, how to use technology to enhance a students learning of the content, not just use technology just to use technology. Ironically, in the midst of  learning how to develop an online course and best practices of teaching online, a global pandemic forced almost all schools across the country to finish out the year in a remote setting. Over the course of two days, I shifted my middle school S.T.E.M. classes from fully in person to fully online. This was unexpected and unlike anything I had experienced, yet I was confident and comfortable knowing that I had the skills, knowledge and resources available to adapt my course online. I took what I was learning in CEP 820 and directly applied it to my students. I was able to provide quality online education that would have been impossible for me just a few months prior. Although it was not an ideal situation and the timing of my first semester of graduate school was overwhelming, I found it to be a great way to supplement and practice what I was learning in CEP 820. Fast forward 6 months and my school district is still using a remote and hybrid model to teach. Not only do I continue to  implement the philosophies and strategies that I was taught in CEP 820, I was able to adapt the asynchronous online course for middle school coding that I created as a part of my semester long project for my current students. Learning when and how to incorporate technology in education was one of the most important takeaways from this program. I truly believe that there is a situation where technology enhances learning and is essential for the success of students, like a global pandemic. But it is the responsibility of a technology educator to recognize and look critically when technology does not need to be incorporated and it is being used as a crutch or for the wrong reasons. Thanks to Michigan State University’s Master of Arts in Educational Technology Program and CEP 820 I feel very confident to be critical of when to use technology and how to effectively support all students using technology in any required setting. 

 

        When deciding to go back to graduate school I was contemplating between going into a K-12 Administration or Educational Technology master’s degree program. Even before graduating with my bachelor’s degree and becoming an educator I had interest in progressing into a leadership role. When I started teaching and got a job as a S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and math) Teacher I developed a love for teaching technology and was constantly looking for ways to learn strategies and resources to improve my teaching and fill the gaps of my undergraduate degree. CEP 815 - Technology and Leadership perfectly merged these two interests. I am fortunate to have spent my four years teaching under very strong leadership. I have worked with the same head principle and four different assistant principals, all of which brought different leadership styles while being approachable and effective leaders. On the other hand,  I have seen the detriment of poor leadership in an educational setting. My student teaching year was an example of poor leadership. It was this disorganization and lack of support to teachers that led me to leave the school district to pursue my first job elsewhere. I quickly understood that the leadership in a school directly influences the school culture and climate. Learning to support educators through a lens of technology was an important takeaway from the course but not nearly as impactful as the lesson I learned about approaching difficult conversations and working together for a common goal. Previously I would have always considered myself as a passive person. I would often do everything in my power to avoid difficult confrontation and diffuse a situation. On top of that, I was considered the “yes man” type, someone who will almost always agree to do something even if it does not seem possible at the time. These two traits can easily lead to burn out and overwhelmed leadership, ultimately contributing to poor quality work and negative school culture. CEP 815: Technology and Leadership, gave me a space to practice difficult conversations and confrontation. We discussed best practices and strategies for leaders to be effective and well received in all types of communication. This has given me the confidence to approach others and certain problems that need to be solved efficiently, opposed to beating around the bush. Uncovering this skill has encouraged me to be a more effective and efficient leader. On the other hand, as a leader it is important to be a team player and do what you can to help the good of the whole, but it is impossible to do it all. I have learned through CEP 815 as well as navigating working full time, a global pandemic and being a graduate student that spreading yourself too thin will lead to poor quality work on all fronts and greater stress. It was a specific article read in CEP 815 week 4, “Management time: Who’s got the Monkey?” by Oncken and Wass, that led me to realize delegating work and asking for help not only makes you a stronger leader but encourages a stronger culture among colleagues. My time in Michigan State University's Master of Arts in Educational Technology Program has given me the confidence to take on a leadership role and has equipped me with resources, knowledge and practice to overcome some of my leadership downfalls, confrontation and delegation. I am now considering a technology leadership role in not only a district setting but considering positions at a county and state level. 

 

        Reflecting on my time in this program I have seen personal and professional growth that I never knew I needed. This program provided me with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to move my career forward in any path I choose. I will continue in the educational field with a true idea of what learning means to me, how and when to effectively incorporate technology in the classroom and be a leader that confronts difficult situations and creates a team with positive culture and community. Although my reasons to apply to this program may have seemed insignificant at the time I will be forever grateful to what led me to Michigan State University’s Master of Arts in Educational Technology Program and for the skills, relationships, resources, and lessons it provided me. 

 

Image Contributions

Diemert, J. (2020). Personal Leadership Philosophy
Oncken, W., & Wass, D. L. (1974). Management time: Who's got the monkey? Harvard Business Review, 75-80. Retrieved from bit.ly/337UtMT