Kristen Welton

 

 

The quote “The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go” by Dr. Seuss motivated me to start the Master’s in Educational Technology program (MAET) at Michigan State University.  My first goal was to be the best teacher possible, and I believed that in order to achieve this goal I needed to be looking for new ways to improve my teaching.  A big part of improving as a teacher is continually learning new things.  That’s why I also had my second goal of being a lifelong learner.  I knew that being a lifelong learner would help me become a better teacher by discovering new opportunities and trends in education.  Educational resources as well as students are entering into a digital realm, and I needed to learn more about the coolest technology in order to take my teaching to the next level.   Therefore, I made a third goal to learn more about how technology can be used in the classroom.  My three goals were all connected because the goal of learning about technology would help me reach my goals of becoming the best teacher possible and becoming

a lifelong learner.  I thought the MAET program was going to help give me a map of technology for this

new digital world.

 

My first goal of becoming the best teacher has not changed, nor has my desire to be a

lifelong learner.  In fact, it was from my learning journey in the MAET program that I found

out my goal of learning about technology in the classroom has not changed, however the

way I think about that goal has.  What I found from my trip through the program was that it

is not necessarily using the coolest new technology that helps you become the best teacher. 

It is using the technology as a supplement to your instruction to enhance your classroom.  It

is the quality of the technology used to balance both the teacher’s pedagogy and the

content in the room that makes a classroom effective in entering into the digital world. 

Students are now interacting as digital citizens in my classroom instead of digital lurkers. 

I am helping other teachers become leaders in education, not just showing them a cool tool.  I have become a guide for teachers on the road to using technology successfully in the classroom and therefore achieving my goal of making all of us better teachers.

 

On my learning path there was one hybrid class that made me change direction towards achieving my three goals.  I would now look to learn from others in my network to help in achieving goals.  The knowledge about technology from other teachers in the hybrid class inspired me to learn more about how to become a leader in my school, community, and in larger networks.  After collaborating with teachers I am motivated to be a lifelong learner in technology.  I believe that the more I learn from others, the more I can contribute to the digital world and other teachers, and the more I can become a better teacher myself.  As this program closes, I have been motivated to continue my goal of learning about technology and consequently on the path of becoming a lifelong learner.   As I continue to learn I will continue to grow as an educator and reach the goal of becoming the best teacher I can be.  I can’t wait to see the places I will go when continuing to reach for my three goals.