I opened up my blog the other day and was shocked! I haven’t written anything since DECEMBER? Seriously? What the heck have I been doing? Oh, yeah. I’ve been finishing my Master’s degree in Education Technology. As I finish out my last week (the work is DONE!), I can’t help but think about what I’ve learned.
- Pedagogy over Tools. When it comes to incorporating technology in the classroom, teachers can be quick to try a tool because it seems cool. But sometimes, a piece of paper and a pencil is better. Technology can open a world full of possibilities, but always make sure the tech is chosen because it is the best teaching tool for students. Think pedagogy first. Always.
- Data Sees All. Having to complete an action research project where I am scrutinizing quantified data and coding qualitative data, opened my eyes. I often think a lesson or unit is working in my classroom, but is it really? Collect data and you’ll know for sure. Often, the results are not what you anticipated.
- Read. Read. Read. There is nothing more powerful than reading research. Yes, it’s dull and time consuming, but actually diving into other researchers’ data, can be incredibly enlightening. Plus, you might win an argument at the lunch table or sound really smart at a staff meeting.
- APA Kills. I was quite sure the fifth draft was fine. I was wrong. I swear. APA is like a blood-sucking mosquito. There must be a reason for its existence, but no one cares what it is.
- Time is Precious. When you’re a mom with a full time job, then decide to add a degree program, you learn quickly that time is one thing you cannot spare. I feel incredibly lucky to have such support around me, keeping me organized: most notably, my husband. And Google Calendar. In that order.
- Facebook is a Stress Management Tool: No, not reading about your fabulous weekends or dinners at exotic locales, I mean the constant questions, rants, memes, and other snide comments that created our iMET 18 Facebook Group. I was honored to have shared this journey with 13(ish) other tech-loving professionals. It was in the Facebook group that we could have the honest conversations and just generally help each other out. I would often laugh because our professors wanted us to have authentic online conversations so badly. We did. It was just out of the school’s earshot. This group of amazing individuals were my lifeline. I will be forever indebted to them.
While I am thrilled to be done with all my coursework, I will miss the camaraderie our group created. Getting to see my cohorts in person a few weekends a year was an added bonus. It’s the one factor I loved most of all about the program: not all of it was online. My cohorts connections allowed us to be honest and truly learn from one another.
I asked a few of them to share what they learned in the iMET program:
“The biggest thing I learned wasn’t the theories or the tools, it was in fact the level of intelligence, the passion, and the commitment that my fellow iMET cohorts had to teaching. Teaching, as it turns out, isn’t about saving the world or even a child. It’s about education, not through the mechanism of schools, but to provide the tools, whatever it may be for students to be able to read the world and become productive participants of their society. This is where technology fits in education.”–Chong Yang (Engineer)
“I learned how to use digital tools to reach students using different learning modalities. The use of student created audio and video resources have been valuable in making me a better teacher.” —Graham Stewart (Middle School Social Studies Teacher)
–Brianna Strang (5th Grade Teacher)
“I learned about collaboration on-line, as well as designing curriculum for online spaces. I learned that there are still injustices in classrooms throughout our country. Oh, and I learned that results were mixed in whether or not VR is better than 2D learning.” —Josh Breese (Community College English Teacher)
On Saturday afternoon I don my robe an hood (YES!) and receive the piece of paper for which I’ve been working. I must say I’m a little sad to be saying goodbye to the iMET program, but at least I still have Facebook.
Cheers, iMET 18!
If you want to see my projects, check out my iMET eportfolio