Professional Growth through Technology Education

 

Having made the decision to change careers and pursue a teaching credential, I was immediately presented with the choice as to whether to pursue a masters degree in education as well.  Salary structures for teachers in California provide an economic incentive for teachers to pursue additional education.  However, in the CSET prep courses I took, rumors were circulating that given California's budget issues it may be more difficult to get a job as a new teacher if you have a masters degree because of the salary bump.  I decided that I would only pursue another master's degree if I felt that it would really help me to become a better teacher. 

Throughout my credential program, I learned the importance of individualizing instruction for each student.  I learned to prepare lesson plans that include additional challenges for my more advanced students, to accommodate my English language learners and special education students, and to present lessons for different learning styles.  And yet, when observing classroom teachers I realized the difficulty of implementing these concepts.

As I have pursued my masters degree in digital teaching and learning at Azusa Pacific University, I've come to  realize that technology was the missing piece of the implementation puzzle. The credential program included useful technology components; but, I believe the masters program really allowed me to grasp how teachers were utilizing technology to actually implement individualized instruction in their classrooms.  Learning about the amazing online resources for teachers and the great teachers that were willing to share their knowledge online has been inspiring.  However, when it comes to technology you can't just learn by observing, you have to actually try out the different apps, software, and websites and learn by doing.  The masters program has allowed me to test out the new technologies in a supportive environment before I try to do so in the classroom.  But more importantly, it has truly shown me how to stay current in my field and how to help my students learn to utilize technology to their advantage.

Students need to be taught how to find and use information effectively in this internet age.  It was recently reinforced to me how important technology skills are in the real world outside of the ivory tower.  In February my mother was  diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, which  is a collection of blood disorders that range from manageable to very serious.  The medical profession is shifting many documents to digital format which presents many opportunities for patients who are computer savvy to learn about the latest research on their disease.  However, it presents many challenges to medical practitioners, similar to the challenges that teachers face.  As the medical profession is shifting many documents to digital format, those who are not comfortable accessing information in this realm will not be able to perform effectively. Unfortunately, my mother is in the process of changing doctors in part because it became clear that her doctor was not able to navigate in this new digital world. A patient's ability to conduct effective research on their disease and evaluate the qualifications of their doctors could make the difference between living and dying.  As teachers, we need to help students develop the necessary skills to be successful in the new digital world.