Run, Forrest! Run!
By: Melissa Benoit
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with on step." -Lao Tzu
The Decision to Run
This summer I decided to do something I never thought I’d do: sign up to run a race. I have never been a runner. My parents both run, my dad’s done several marathons and my mom has done a few half-marathons. Even all three of my siblings enjoy running, but I just never have. I finally decided the only way I would actually start running is if I had an end goal in mind. If I signed up for the race, paid for it, and told people about it I knew I’d have to run it. I also knew I’d have people cheering for me along the way and at the finish line, so I took the leap. I’ve been thinking about how much better of a runner I’m becoming because of all the training and effort I’m putting in. The same is true for getting my Master’s of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET). It was a big commitment and took a lot of hard work, but I have learned a lot and become a better teacher because of it.
The reason I signed up for the race was to stay in shape and also work towards something I’ve always wanted. This is exactly why I started my masters. I wanted to stay in shape mentally and continue my education. I wanted something that I found relevant and something I could use right away in my classroom. Teachers from my school signed up for the “21 Things for the 21st Century Educator” class. Since I already used technology with my students, the program would be a great opportunity to learn innovative tools for implementation within my classroom. It was also being offered in the summer, when I had time to focus on the class. My school district pays for three credits every five years, so I could get master’s credit for free. That was a good enough reason for me, so I signed up for the class. It was a lot of work, but I fell in love with the idea of studying how to use technology in the classroom. I liked creating assignments and tools I knew my students would find engaging. Prior to this class, I was struggling with what master’s path I would take. Friends would talk about administration and curriculum design because it would eventually result in a pay increase. But I couldn’t focus on what would make me more money. I knew I wanted a master’s program that I felt passionately about. After completing the course, I had a solid foundation of the goals I wished to accomplish in my master's program. As I was deciding about starting a program, my principal approached me and asked how I felt about piloting and designing our district's first hybrid class, where half of the class was in a traditional classroom setting and other other half took place online. My principal felt the second half of Senior English was the perfect opportunity, since students were in their last half of Senior English and needed to prepare to be out in the world next year. I was the Senior English teacher, so I would be teaching the class. I knew at this point, I needed to continue learning about technology by getting my master’s degree.
The reason I signed up for the race was to stay in shape and also work towards something I’ve always wanted. This is exactly why I started my masters. I wanted to stay in shape mentally and continue my education. I wanted something that I found relevant and something I could use right away in my classroom. Teachers from my school signed up for the “21 Things for the 21st Century Educator” class. Since I already used technology with my students, the program would be a great opportunity to learn innovative tools for implementation within my classroom. It was also being offered in the summer, when I had time to focus on the class. My school district pays for three credits every five years, so I could get master’s credit for free. That was a good enough reason for me, so I signed up for the class. It was a lot of work, but I fell in love with the idea of studying how to use technology in the classroom. I liked creating assignments and tools I knew my students would find engaging. Prior to this class, I was struggling with what master’s path I would take. Friends would talk about administration and curriculum design because it would eventually result in a pay increase. But I couldn’t focus on what would make me more money. I knew I wanted a master’s program that I felt passionately about. After completing the course, I had a solid foundation of the goals I wished to accomplish in my master's program. As I was deciding about starting a program, my principal approached me and asked how I felt about piloting and designing our district's first hybrid class, where half of the class was in a traditional classroom setting and other other half took place online. My principal felt the second half of Senior English was the perfect opportunity, since students were in their last half of Senior English and needed to prepare to be out in the world next year. I was the Senior English teacher, so I would be teaching the class. I knew at this point, I needed to continue learning about technology by getting my master’s degree.
Signing Up for the Race
So I had committed to running the race, but now needed to figure out what race. It had been almost a year since I took the 21 things class and I was ready to start classes again. Colleagues had talked about taking the MAET certification classes at Michigan State University and how they had really learned a lot. I also knew if I eventually went back to MSU for my master's some of my student teaching graduate credits would transfer. When I realized the MAET certification credits would also transfer into the master’s if I ended up taking them, I knew that was my next step. So in the summer of 2012, I started CEP 810 “Teaching for Understanding with Technology” with Carolyn McCarthy. The class was a great introduction to using technology. It actually had us start by looking at our interaction with technology on both a personal and professional level. That really helped me think about myself as not only a teacher, but also a learner. In this class, I created my first Glog on Glogster and my first student website. I was actually creating things about myself and for my classroom. I also learned about TPaCK for the first time and how important it was that technological, pedagogical, content knowledge worked together. I realized how much more I had to learn about technology. There was more to it then new tools and ways to get students interested. Educational Technology was about how to help students learn more effectively. As I spent another summer taking a technology class, I knew I had found the race I was going to run. I immediately filled out the application to enroll in the full MAET program.
The Training
Now that I had signed up for the race (and been accepted), there was no turning back. It was time to make a training schedule and make sure I was able to finish this race. After CEP 810, I was fully immersed in the program. CEP 811 “Adapting Innovative Technologies to Education” and CEP 812 “Apply Educational Technology to Issues of Practice” were the next two classes in the certification program. CEP 811 with Nancy Ayers was a chance to enhance my technology knowledge even further. I was asked to create a STaIR, something I’ve never heard of before. It was a tool on PowerPoint that allowed students to work through concepts. If they got answers right, they moved forward; if they didn’t, it sent them back to study the concept again. It was a great tool that I can continue to use with my students. The class showed me new ways to approach teaching that I didn’t know about. We studied Universal Design for Learning (UDLs) principals. Aside from TPaCK which I learned in CEP 810, these were new standards to think about as I planned lessons and created assignments. We also were asked to create a webquest. This was something I’d done before, but I never knew how to make them correctly until I took this class. Again, I was forced to think about how students viewed assignments and why certain lesson plan choices were essential for student success. In CEP 812 with Sylvia Plair, I worked with web conferencing for the first time. I was placed in a group and had to create a professional development presentation. Since the class was completely online, my group members and I met using Google Hangout. This was the first time I had used that and it was a great way to meet virtually. I started thinking about how students might use this tool. They could even record it, so I could view their digital meeting. I haven’t tried this yet, but this class showed me it was something that would work in a classroom environment. I was also asked to create a Wicked Problem Project, where I picked a problem in my context and found ways technology could solve it. It was a mini-research project and really got me thinking about what I could make better in my classroom. I then had to create a presentation of the steps I took and the tools I used to solve the problem. It was the first time I made a Google Presentation. I then used Jing screencasting to record the Google Presentation I made. I had learned a lot of new communication tools to use with students. This was the first class that made me realize communication in an online environment didn't have to be just emailing back and forth. I began to think about different ways I could effectively use tools to talk with students. After CEP 812, I was done with the certification classes and was excited to continue the program.
I was up and running, now it was time to dive into the MAET classes. I took several different types of classes about technology. CEP 800 “Learning in Schools and Other Settings” with Danah Henrickson was all about focusing on student understanding. Again I was forced to think about how students were viewing assignments I created. I recorded my first podcast in this class. Something I’ve wanted to do for a while, but never had the confidence to try. It was fairly easy to do, especially usually Garage Band on my Mac computer. I asked students what it meant to be a leader and got some authentic feedback about what they had taken away from class. I learned how to edit and format the podcast so music was integrated and it sounded professional and polished. Another aspect of the class was applying psychological perspectives. Since psychology was my undergraduate minor, I enjoyed thinking about the different perspectives in student learning. For my lesson plan, I focused on constructivism and the social cognitive theory, which focused on modeling as well as having students critically think about the process of the activity. The class also asked us to revisit TPaCK which was I had learned previously, but it was nice to incorporate again into a new lesson plan. I felt much more comfortable with TPaCK now that I had already learned about it. I implemented my lesson plan and made a digital movie showcasing what I did and what I learned about my students. The class not only encouraged me to use new tools, but I felt much more confident with thinking about student understanding. Along with CEP 800, I took CEP 815 “Technology and Leadership” with Leigh Wolf. I knew the class would incorporate technology, but I didn’t know how much I would enjoy this class. I learned a lot about being a leader in general and then created assignments to show how I was a leader. I created things like a policy brief and wrote a letter to a school board discussing the impacts of class size on student learning. I enjoyed learning about different types of leaders and to see what type of leader I most identified with. We studied how the type of leader someone is says a lot about how a company (or in my case a school) will run. Another thing that’s stuck with me from this class is missional verse instrumental thinking. I know it’s important to think about how a technology will affect student learning before using the technology, but I never realized how often decisions are made that do the opposite. It was an eye opening experience to think about my own school and how we sometimes get wrapped up in the technology instead of how it will help students. I also used technology to do things like create a survey, make a de-motivational poster, and design a Prezi exploring the different types of leaders. These tools helped me use technology like the students would, but in a way that also helped me think about myself as a leader. For the final project, I had to think of a problem in my classroom and implement a solution that didn’t include any funding. It was challenging to try and solve something without any money, but it helped me think critically about how to implement new things. I also felt like a leader because upon coming up with a solution, it was definitely something I could share with other staff members. It made me feel more confident as a leader within my school.
I was up and running, now it was time to dive into the MAET classes. I took several different types of classes about technology. CEP 800 “Learning in Schools and Other Settings” with Danah Henrickson was all about focusing on student understanding. Again I was forced to think about how students were viewing assignments I created. I recorded my first podcast in this class. Something I’ve wanted to do for a while, but never had the confidence to try. It was fairly easy to do, especially usually Garage Band on my Mac computer. I asked students what it meant to be a leader and got some authentic feedback about what they had taken away from class. I learned how to edit and format the podcast so music was integrated and it sounded professional and polished. Another aspect of the class was applying psychological perspectives. Since psychology was my undergraduate minor, I enjoyed thinking about the different perspectives in student learning. For my lesson plan, I focused on constructivism and the social cognitive theory, which focused on modeling as well as having students critically think about the process of the activity. The class also asked us to revisit TPaCK which was I had learned previously, but it was nice to incorporate again into a new lesson plan. I felt much more comfortable with TPaCK now that I had already learned about it. I implemented my lesson plan and made a digital movie showcasing what I did and what I learned about my students. The class not only encouraged me to use new tools, but I felt much more confident with thinking about student understanding. Along with CEP 800, I took CEP 815 “Technology and Leadership” with Leigh Wolf. I knew the class would incorporate technology, but I didn’t know how much I would enjoy this class. I learned a lot about being a leader in general and then created assignments to show how I was a leader. I created things like a policy brief and wrote a letter to a school board discussing the impacts of class size on student learning. I enjoyed learning about different types of leaders and to see what type of leader I most identified with. We studied how the type of leader someone is says a lot about how a company (or in my case a school) will run. Another thing that’s stuck with me from this class is missional verse instrumental thinking. I know it’s important to think about how a technology will affect student learning before using the technology, but I never realized how often decisions are made that do the opposite. It was an eye opening experience to think about my own school and how we sometimes get wrapped up in the technology instead of how it will help students. I also used technology to do things like create a survey, make a de-motivational poster, and design a Prezi exploring the different types of leaders. These tools helped me use technology like the students would, but in a way that also helped me think about myself as a leader. For the final project, I had to think of a problem in my classroom and implement a solution that didn’t include any funding. It was challenging to try and solve something without any money, but it helped me think critically about how to implement new things. I also felt like a leader because upon coming up with a solution, it was definitely something I could share with other staff members. It made me feel more confident as a leader within my school.
Ready for the Race
As I look back over my training schedule and how much running I’ve actually done this summer to prepare, I’m impressed at how far I’ve come. The same is true as I work on my portfolio for CEP 807 the “Capstone Portfolio Project” with Matthew Koehler. The class is designed to help us showcase our work in the MAET program and reflect on where we have come from and where we plan to go. This program has only taken me a year to complete, but it’s been such a whirlwind, I forgot how much work I’ve actually done. The class was a great reminder of how many new tools and resources I have available to me. Putting them on a public website, in my case a Weebly, makes it more authentic, as a real audience will be viewing it. The class also helped me become more aware of how experienced I am with technology and using technology in the classroom. I often feel like I’m just a student, but really I’m starting to realize I’m qualified in educational technology. The class not only helped me show off my hard work, but made me feel confident and proud of all I’ve accomplished.
The race, like graduation, is just a few weeks away. As I look back at why I started this and all the training I’ve undergone, I’ve realized how much I’ve done and how much I’ve learned about myself. I’ve become much more confident in my ability to use technology successfully in my classroom and I feel much more prepared to try new technologies. I also now know a lot more about student learning and understanding. I feel I can back up my technological and pedagogical choices with evidence from things like TPaCK, UDLs, and psychological perspectives. I’m not just using tools to entice students, but I’m using them so students are more critical thinkers and better prepared for the future. I knew getting my MAET would be hard work, but I also knew if I set my mind to it, I’d be able to do it. Being just a few weeks from completing my master’s degree, I can definitely say I am even more passionate about educational technology than when I started. I have learned a tremendous amount about myself personally and as a teacher. Like running this race, I know I won’t just quit when the race is over, I’ll continue to train and run longer races in the future. Graduation is just one accomplishment in my continual learning in educational technology. Like Jenny says in the famous movie, Forrest Gump, “Run, Forrest! Run!”, that’s exactly what I plan to do!
The race, like graduation, is just a few weeks away. As I look back at why I started this and all the training I’ve undergone, I’ve realized how much I’ve done and how much I’ve learned about myself. I’ve become much more confident in my ability to use technology successfully in my classroom and I feel much more prepared to try new technologies. I also now know a lot more about student learning and understanding. I feel I can back up my technological and pedagogical choices with evidence from things like TPaCK, UDLs, and psychological perspectives. I’m not just using tools to entice students, but I’m using them so students are more critical thinkers and better prepared for the future. I knew getting my MAET would be hard work, but I also knew if I set my mind to it, I’d be able to do it. Being just a few weeks from completing my master’s degree, I can definitely say I am even more passionate about educational technology than when I started. I have learned a tremendous amount about myself personally and as a teacher. Like running this race, I know I won’t just quit when the race is over, I’ll continue to train and run longer races in the future. Graduation is just one accomplishment in my continual learning in educational technology. Like Jenny says in the famous movie, Forrest Gump, “Run, Forrest! Run!”, that’s exactly what I plan to do!