I am currently a middle school English Language Arts teacher at Carolina Voyager Charter School in Charleston, South Carolina. I have been in a similar role for five years now. Throughout my work experience thus far, I noticed how rapidly technology was changing and how much more it was being utilized in the classroom; I also noticed how it was consistently becoming more readily available to teachers and students. I decided that I wanted to better my practice by furthering my own education about how to implement technology meaningfully into the classroom.
I started my Master’s Degree in the summer of 2019 with the idea that I wanted to expand my knowledge about using technology in the classroom. It was my thought that if I could more meaningfully use technology to teach concepts these concepts would be easier to internalize for my students. The reason I felt this would be such a tremendous help to comprehension is because of how much my students use technology on a regular basis. I thought that if I could use something that relates so closely to their daily life, it would spark their interest in learning what I had to teach them.
Now, as I near completion of my Master's of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET), my goals have not so much changed as they have been added to. While it still holds true that I feel it is necessary to learn how to properly and effectively use technology in the classroom, I have realized that there are other avenues and professions that could benefit from what I have learned. Although I continue to have a passion for teaching, I realize that there are other positions in the education field, and outside of it, where it is necessary that people know how to use technology appropriately and effectively. This is not to say that I do not want to continue to teach, I am just excited to realize that what I have learned is useful in so many different fields. I plan to explore what I can do with the knowledge I have gained both inside and outside of the classroom.
I came into my Master’s Degree program with many goals and thoughts. I wanted to show my students that I am a lifelong learner, that there are always more possibilities, and that you can accomplish the things you work hard for. I think that completing this program has actually made me realize that this is true for me as well. There are so many opportunities that I can pursue within and outside of the classroom, and I am excited to continually embrace the ones presented to me.