Building Blocks to my Future
by: Samuel Lopez-Romero
The last year and a half has been the most exciting time of my life. Deciding to be part of the Master of Arts in Educational Technology Program at Michigan State University was the best decision I have ever made. It gave me the opportunity to grow and mature in many aspects of my life. Not only did I furthered my technological skills but I have learned to become a better person and educator in a way that I can use technology to improve the quality of learning for my students. The MAET program has challenged my own creativity and individualism. It has also given me an insight of what to expect in this ever-changing future. Am I ready to face it? Do I have the necessary 21st century skills and beyond? At this point I can honestly answer yes to both questions. But I do not feel that this is where it all ends. The future keeps transforming itself and in order to be prepared I must further my knowledge? So how do I accomplish this?
I have certain plans and future goals that I aim to accomplish to further extend my knowledge of education and technology. If it were up to me I would remain in school and forever be a lifelong learner. My dream is to obtain a PhD in Education. I would like to teach educational technology at the university level. The MAET Program has left such a profound impact in my vision of how important technology is in education. In my opinion, technology has completely transformed society in the last few years and I see it influencing further how education paves the way to better the lives of students. A doctorate degree would give me the opportunity to research and present the benefits of technology in schools.
A more immediate goal has always been to influence my colleagues and share the many technological tools and applications I have learned to use throughout the program. This goal has already been put into motion. I have been asked to present many professional development workshops during the school year to help other teachers achieve these wonderful and necessary 21st century skills. While promoting these workshops, I have experienced the lack of motivation from “old school” teachers who oppose to the new technological movement. I feel they are hesitant to leave their antiquated methods, but to them I urge them to accept the challenge. I have also been asked to improve collaboration between different departments on campus. The Science and Social Department at my school are in full force in trying to convince administration to purchase class sets of iPads. It might be a far-fetched idea since all we hear is that money is tight; but we are working on it. I have been asked to learn about applications that students can use on the iPad to improve comprehension cross-curriculum. So my newest goal is to do just that, learn and become proficient on those applications so that I can transfer this knowledge to students and other teachers. Hopefully if this idea becomes reality, it could become something that other schools in the district could benefit from.
In the last few months of implementing new curriculum using technology in my classroom, I have experienced many visits from administration and department chairs. They are all very excited and now are even eager to learn from me. Especially, the Science Department chair has asked me to look for ways to improve teaching Biology, Chemistry, and even Physics through the use of technology. So another immediate goal is to continue researching and developing new ways to bring life into our classroom and make Science more tangible with stronger comprehension and understanding from all students.
My district had started offering online courses very recently. The available courses have been very limited. Some of the ones that are offered now are mainly from the Social Studies department, such as European and United States History and Psychology. Some students have expressed their opinions and would like to see Science courses being offered online. My goal is to put together the curriculum for a Biology course to be taught and fulfill that need. I find this to be a very challenging objective but I feel that I am prepared to build something meaningful. During the MAET Program we were able to construct part of our curriculum online. I used Haiku Learning to create mine and the feedback I received was very positive and supportive. I have learned to choose proper pedagogy and assessment which works well on an online environment. I would like to lead the way in building the blocks towards a more productive and effective mode of learning for students.
I know that accomplishing my dream, my goals, and plans will not be simple. I must stay informed continuously and explore about what is new in technology and education. I need to find new tools and applications and use them in my classroom. I have to constantly revamp my curriculum and pedagogy. I need to further share and collaborate with others. I want to help students be more successful and acquire 21st century skills and beyond, but ultimately provide them with the knowledge of the “building blocks to their future”.