It's True, One Never Stops Growing . . .
Synthesis Essay
July 2012
July 2012
Thank goodness this day has finally arrived. When I began the Masters in Educational Technology two years ago, it was at a very optimistic and stable time in my life. I had a few years of teaching under my belt in a comfortable work environment, and I had a strong desire to begin another chapter in my educational career. In addition, I had the time and energy to be deeply involved in the program. These qualities were ones that I am thankful I inhabited, for as each course passed I realized that not only were the courses becoming more challenging, but my lifestyle was also maturing. This applied even more pressure. Reviewing each of the courses that I completed has brought back many memories and revealed more clearly how specific classes have affected me along the way.
The beginning three classes, which supplied me with my educational certificate, were a little taste of what the program entailed. CEP 810 was basically a review for myself with the basics in technology, in particular computers. However, the second course, CEP 811: Adapting Innovative Technologies to Education, sparked the fire to learn even more. This course turned out to be one of my favorites in the program. I was exposed to an array of technology skills that I did not possess and ended up loving. Each lesson and/or activity I completed in the course added anticipation for me to see what I would be able to learn and create next. I created a Webquest, something that I had heard of and viewed online, but would have never been able to create without the lessons. Also a blog, an online tool quite popular, but I would have probably not attempted without the ‘push’ from the course. Then, I put together an interactive PowerPoint.
PowerPoint was a tool that I was quite familiar with when it came to the basics and had used often in my undergraduate years as well as in the classroom. I was able to see though through this class that I was oblivious to the possibilities with this tool. In fact, the sTAIRS project I developed, helped to reassure why I had begun the program in the first place. To acquire skills, but to apply them directly in my classroom to enhance my lessons. Upon completing this second course in the program, I could not wait to see what lie ahead for me. In my mind at the time, I was astonished at the few skills I had learned and acquired at the time being and felt if the future classes where anything like this one, I would work through the program quite happily. In addition, displaying this drive to learn more myself, I believe, benefited my students at the time. I had the extra drive to push them to succeed. With this in mind, I was already starting to fullfill my goal statement that I had established when applying to the program and continued to feel confident in the direction I was heading.
Upon completing the first three courses for my certificate, I truly was looking forward to the next skills I would practice and develop with my classes to come. The next impacting course was CEP 820: Teaching k-12 Students Online, and I took it the following spring. Once again, I loved the contents of this class because of how meaningful it became to me. Any course that becomes memorable for a student is as a result of a positive or negative experience(s). Luckly, this is a class I will reflect on optimistically. During this course, I was able to examine how to bring the world into the classroom with technology to meet my students’ needs. A perfect match when it came to my goal for the program. Through this study of various resources and tools, I developed one of my favorite skills; web design. This resulted with the creation of a online course entitled “Poetry with Diller” (later changed to “Poetry with Holaday” due to a name change). Although we were given the basic requirements for this assignment, I found that I ended up putting my heart and soul into its final product. Achieving completion for possible full use in the classroom with this created course became a personal goal to reach. Passion was recognized almost instantly for web design, and I believe this was the eye opener for new career opportunities for me in the future.
In my opinion, passion is essential when it comes to one’s career. If one possesses this attribute with a subject matter, they will excel in that area greatly because it will be of high importance to them and enjoyable. Passion is a trait that I generated when I began teaching and remains a part of me today. However, when I realized I was developing a new passion, web design, I became intrigued to investigate where it could lead me. At this point in the program I felt that most of the skills I had developed were mostly helpful and beneficial for classroom use. It was easy to view and experiment with most, if not all, of them in my 7th grade ELA classroom and was pleased with the reactions and results with the students. With this new acquired tool, web design, I dreamed of how I could utilize it beyond my current classroom. Perhaps for curriculum use in the my school district or as a tool for students who have missed numerous school days due to sickness. All in all, I pictured applying web design in addition to classroom teaching to help my school and students for the better. This was one of the first changes that I acquired in my life through my learning in the MAET program. The door to different possibilities was opened for me, and it was up to me to decide to walk through it to see where it led.
As I stated above, there are courses that are memorable to a student for either the positive or the negative. Although it would be easy to continue reflecting on all the positives that I encountered throughout the program, there are those negative times that have become learning lessons. One particular course that I do not think I could ever remove from my memory is CEP 818: Creativity in Teaching. This particular class, I was really looking forward to taking as one of my electives. Creativity is an aspect that I strive to implement in my lessons and classroom, but also a ‘label’ I wish to have as a teacher and person. Thus when I saw that it was available as an elective in the fall 2011, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to take it. Ultimately hoping that the content I would be subjected to would spark new creative teaching ideas.
What I ended up finding as I began the course and worked my way through each week’s lessons and assignments was that this particular class would be the end to my happy streak in courses. In the beginning, as each week passed with submission of assignments, my feedback on my work was not completely positive or of perfection with grade. This harsh blow to my 4.0 average on almost every assignment in past classes was difficult for me to grasp and handle. As an undergraduate I did not always excel in studies, but as a graduate student for over a year at this current time, I would not except any mark below ‘A’ standard. This was/is a new outlook on education I have acquired and strive to maintain. Therefore, I took the professor’s feedback and criticism to heart and became even more determined to get myself back on track, especially when it came to creativity. Upon exerting even more effort and time into my next few lessons and assignments, I was certain that I would achieve high marks and praise. However, I once again discovered that I was receiving the same unsatisfactory feedback. Full of frustration and some anger, I decided to contact the professor to share my feelings and my uncomprehendingness for what I was doing wrong. Overall what I needed to realize was that I was being challenged in my schooling in an area that I had felt I had already surpassed with learning. Once I truly opened myself up and became completely willing to learn something new, change started to occur for the better. In addition, I had to train myself to ‘think outside of the box’, which was also a challenge. Too often I rely on viewing things for its face value. I favor the concrete view and do not practice enough the abstract. This can lead to leaving out full creativity. Although the course was a huge challenge for me because I was forced to exercise an area in my learning that I seem to struggle with, that then resulted with much hate towards it in general, it was good for me as a student and person. I matured more intellectually and was forced to realize that if I am going to challenge my students, I have to challenge myself too.
As I reflect back on all the courses I have completed throughout the MAET program, there are many fond memories from each. Sorting through the work I have developed I know that I have come a long way since beginning in the fall 2009. I am proud of myself for the tasks I have taken on and somewhat amazed at what I have accomplished. It is amusing how one can become so wrapped up within an individual course during a semester and forget momentarily your past accomplishments in previous courses. With each class I found myself in a zone of complete concentration and it was not until at this point, the end of the program, that I am completely conscious of the time, effort, and results that succumbed this journey. This last course CEP 807: Proseminar has brought me out of my graduate coma. I am no longer cruising along finding the light to the end of the tunnel approaching little by little. Now that I have reached that light, have been able to reflect on that journey; including my starting goals and future goals, I am satisfied with my results and decisions. The recap of previous courses, work, and highlights of each of them, brought about high reflection and even more decision making. Actions that should be performed regularly by every learner throughout their educational endeavors. For me I have found that overall regret does not exist in my choice for this graduate degree, but instead some surprise.
The feeling of surprise emerges from my rumination on the program. Through this assessment I have also been able to recognize how much I have grown as a learner and person. When I began the program I was enthusiastic about furthering my teaching skills in the classroom through technology and that continued with each skill I acquired with the courses. As the last few classes took completion though, I became aware that I wanted even more from my degree and teaching. I do want to continue to teach, my first passion, but I want to be able to put to use my graduate degree in technology to the fullest. Upon this understanding, I therefore established new goals for myself and now, as this program comes to a closure, I see that my traveling is not yet completed. If I wish to continue to grow as a learner, teacher, and person, I must pursue new voyages. Hence, I look forward to the paths I will travel upon next that will excitment and push me to go further.
~Kimberly Holaday
The beginning three classes, which supplied me with my educational certificate, were a little taste of what the program entailed. CEP 810 was basically a review for myself with the basics in technology, in particular computers. However, the second course, CEP 811: Adapting Innovative Technologies to Education, sparked the fire to learn even more. This course turned out to be one of my favorites in the program. I was exposed to an array of technology skills that I did not possess and ended up loving. Each lesson and/or activity I completed in the course added anticipation for me to see what I would be able to learn and create next. I created a Webquest, something that I had heard of and viewed online, but would have never been able to create without the lessons. Also a blog, an online tool quite popular, but I would have probably not attempted without the ‘push’ from the course. Then, I put together an interactive PowerPoint.
PowerPoint was a tool that I was quite familiar with when it came to the basics and had used often in my undergraduate years as well as in the classroom. I was able to see though through this class that I was oblivious to the possibilities with this tool. In fact, the sTAIRS project I developed, helped to reassure why I had begun the program in the first place. To acquire skills, but to apply them directly in my classroom to enhance my lessons. Upon completing this second course in the program, I could not wait to see what lie ahead for me. In my mind at the time, I was astonished at the few skills I had learned and acquired at the time being and felt if the future classes where anything like this one, I would work through the program quite happily. In addition, displaying this drive to learn more myself, I believe, benefited my students at the time. I had the extra drive to push them to succeed. With this in mind, I was already starting to fullfill my goal statement that I had established when applying to the program and continued to feel confident in the direction I was heading.
Upon completing the first three courses for my certificate, I truly was looking forward to the next skills I would practice and develop with my classes to come. The next impacting course was CEP 820: Teaching k-12 Students Online, and I took it the following spring. Once again, I loved the contents of this class because of how meaningful it became to me. Any course that becomes memorable for a student is as a result of a positive or negative experience(s). Luckly, this is a class I will reflect on optimistically. During this course, I was able to examine how to bring the world into the classroom with technology to meet my students’ needs. A perfect match when it came to my goal for the program. Through this study of various resources and tools, I developed one of my favorite skills; web design. This resulted with the creation of a online course entitled “Poetry with Diller” (later changed to “Poetry with Holaday” due to a name change). Although we were given the basic requirements for this assignment, I found that I ended up putting my heart and soul into its final product. Achieving completion for possible full use in the classroom with this created course became a personal goal to reach. Passion was recognized almost instantly for web design, and I believe this was the eye opener for new career opportunities for me in the future.
In my opinion, passion is essential when it comes to one’s career. If one possesses this attribute with a subject matter, they will excel in that area greatly because it will be of high importance to them and enjoyable. Passion is a trait that I generated when I began teaching and remains a part of me today. However, when I realized I was developing a new passion, web design, I became intrigued to investigate where it could lead me. At this point in the program I felt that most of the skills I had developed were mostly helpful and beneficial for classroom use. It was easy to view and experiment with most, if not all, of them in my 7th grade ELA classroom and was pleased with the reactions and results with the students. With this new acquired tool, web design, I dreamed of how I could utilize it beyond my current classroom. Perhaps for curriculum use in the my school district or as a tool for students who have missed numerous school days due to sickness. All in all, I pictured applying web design in addition to classroom teaching to help my school and students for the better. This was one of the first changes that I acquired in my life through my learning in the MAET program. The door to different possibilities was opened for me, and it was up to me to decide to walk through it to see where it led.
As I stated above, there are courses that are memorable to a student for either the positive or the negative. Although it would be easy to continue reflecting on all the positives that I encountered throughout the program, there are those negative times that have become learning lessons. One particular course that I do not think I could ever remove from my memory is CEP 818: Creativity in Teaching. This particular class, I was really looking forward to taking as one of my electives. Creativity is an aspect that I strive to implement in my lessons and classroom, but also a ‘label’ I wish to have as a teacher and person. Thus when I saw that it was available as an elective in the fall 2011, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to take it. Ultimately hoping that the content I would be subjected to would spark new creative teaching ideas.
What I ended up finding as I began the course and worked my way through each week’s lessons and assignments was that this particular class would be the end to my happy streak in courses. In the beginning, as each week passed with submission of assignments, my feedback on my work was not completely positive or of perfection with grade. This harsh blow to my 4.0 average on almost every assignment in past classes was difficult for me to grasp and handle. As an undergraduate I did not always excel in studies, but as a graduate student for over a year at this current time, I would not except any mark below ‘A’ standard. This was/is a new outlook on education I have acquired and strive to maintain. Therefore, I took the professor’s feedback and criticism to heart and became even more determined to get myself back on track, especially when it came to creativity. Upon exerting even more effort and time into my next few lessons and assignments, I was certain that I would achieve high marks and praise. However, I once again discovered that I was receiving the same unsatisfactory feedback. Full of frustration and some anger, I decided to contact the professor to share my feelings and my uncomprehendingness for what I was doing wrong. Overall what I needed to realize was that I was being challenged in my schooling in an area that I had felt I had already surpassed with learning. Once I truly opened myself up and became completely willing to learn something new, change started to occur for the better. In addition, I had to train myself to ‘think outside of the box’, which was also a challenge. Too often I rely on viewing things for its face value. I favor the concrete view and do not practice enough the abstract. This can lead to leaving out full creativity. Although the course was a huge challenge for me because I was forced to exercise an area in my learning that I seem to struggle with, that then resulted with much hate towards it in general, it was good for me as a student and person. I matured more intellectually and was forced to realize that if I am going to challenge my students, I have to challenge myself too.
As I reflect back on all the courses I have completed throughout the MAET program, there are many fond memories from each. Sorting through the work I have developed I know that I have come a long way since beginning in the fall 2009. I am proud of myself for the tasks I have taken on and somewhat amazed at what I have accomplished. It is amusing how one can become so wrapped up within an individual course during a semester and forget momentarily your past accomplishments in previous courses. With each class I found myself in a zone of complete concentration and it was not until at this point, the end of the program, that I am completely conscious of the time, effort, and results that succumbed this journey. This last course CEP 807: Proseminar has brought me out of my graduate coma. I am no longer cruising along finding the light to the end of the tunnel approaching little by little. Now that I have reached that light, have been able to reflect on that journey; including my starting goals and future goals, I am satisfied with my results and decisions. The recap of previous courses, work, and highlights of each of them, brought about high reflection and even more decision making. Actions that should be performed regularly by every learner throughout their educational endeavors. For me I have found that overall regret does not exist in my choice for this graduate degree, but instead some surprise.
The feeling of surprise emerges from my rumination on the program. Through this assessment I have also been able to recognize how much I have grown as a learner and person. When I began the program I was enthusiastic about furthering my teaching skills in the classroom through technology and that continued with each skill I acquired with the courses. As the last few classes took completion though, I became aware that I wanted even more from my degree and teaching. I do want to continue to teach, my first passion, but I want to be able to put to use my graduate degree in technology to the fullest. Upon this understanding, I therefore established new goals for myself and now, as this program comes to a closure, I see that my traveling is not yet completed. If I wish to continue to grow as a learner, teacher, and person, I must pursue new voyages. Hence, I look forward to the paths I will travel upon next that will excitment and push me to go further.
~Kimberly Holaday