Looking Back
Megan Carnaghi
Here you will find a reflective essay on my goals from when I first began the MAET program, and how my thinking has changed over the course of the past two years. I decided to apply for the MAET in March of 2010, after learning about the program at the MACUL conference. I started the MAET program in the summer of 2010 and will graduate from the program in December 2011. Although I could not find my original goal statement from when I first applied to the program, I was able to find my personal statement.
“Although I have learned much about both teaching and technology from my past experiences, I know there is still much to be learned. This is why I am choosing to pursue a Master’s in Educational Technology. In terms of my career, I see technology playing a very prominent role in my future classroom. My hope is to further my knowledge and understanding of technology and how to apply it to my future classroom, so to better my students’ educations. It is also my hope to use the experiences and knowledge gained from your program to teach my future students and other teachers about how to use different technologies, as well as how to incorporate it into their everyday lives. Thus, your Master’s program would provide me with both the teaching and technology experiences I am eager to acquire. “
This is a paragraph from the personal statement I submitted when originally applying for the MAET program. Looking back, I remember grappling with the tough decision of which Master’s program to apply for. Although I had heard a lot about the other Master’s programs MSU offered educators, the first I heard of the MAET program was during my student teaching internship. A fellow colleague who was already in her first year of the MAET program encouraged me to consider the MAET program. She and I had bonded early on over our passion for integrating technology into the classroom. It was after the MACUL conference in 2010, when I had the opportunity to speak with Leigh Graves Wolf, that I decided this was the Master’s program I wanted to pursue.
I naively began the program in the summer of 2010, unsure of what to expect from my journey. I had always loved learning about new technologies and more so, having the opportunity to introduce my students to new technologies. I quickly learned, however, that the program would be so much more than just learning how to use new technologies. The courses I have taken for my Masters in Educational Technology have engaged, challenged and motivated me. While I have learned about many new technologies to use in my classroom, I have also learned that what’s important is not necessarily how many different technologies I utilize in my classroom, but the purpose behind their integration and how their integration can enhance my teaching and my students’ understanding.
For the most part, when I read the paragraph above from my personal statement, my goals have stayed the same. After two years of teaching in my own first grade classroom, I can honestly say that technology has played a prominent role in both my students’ lives and mine. Using previous knowledge and experiences gained prior to the MAET program, as well as the knowledge and experiences I have gained throughout my MAET journey, I continue to search for new ways to integrate technology into the classroom so as to motivate, engage and inspire my students. The difference, I feel, between how I thought about technology integration into the classroom before the MAET program and how I view it now, is that the MAET program has given me the tools, knowledge and critical thinking skills, to truly utilize technologies in the classroom in meaningful ways for both my students and myself.
As I look to the future, I feel informed and empowered by all that the MAET program has taught me. I feel excited about the possibilities that lie ahead of me as far as technology integration goes. More importantly, however, I remember that technology is not the end-all-be-all, nor can it merely be used as the solution to an educational problem. It is the integration of technology, pedagogy and content that gives meaning to how we effectively use technologies in the classroom.
While my MAET journey may be over in a few short months, my journey as a learner is not. I look forward to what the future holds for me and the learning and teaching I will continue to do throughout my life.
This is a paragraph from the personal statement I submitted when originally applying for the MAET program. Looking back, I remember grappling with the tough decision of which Master’s program to apply for. Although I had heard a lot about the other Master’s programs MSU offered educators, the first I heard of the MAET program was during my student teaching internship. A fellow colleague who was already in her first year of the MAET program encouraged me to consider the MAET program. She and I had bonded early on over our passion for integrating technology into the classroom. It was after the MACUL conference in 2010, when I had the opportunity to speak with Leigh Graves Wolf, that I decided this was the Master’s program I wanted to pursue.
I naively began the program in the summer of 2010, unsure of what to expect from my journey. I had always loved learning about new technologies and more so, having the opportunity to introduce my students to new technologies. I quickly learned, however, that the program would be so much more than just learning how to use new technologies. The courses I have taken for my Masters in Educational Technology have engaged, challenged and motivated me. While I have learned about many new technologies to use in my classroom, I have also learned that what’s important is not necessarily how many different technologies I utilize in my classroom, but the purpose behind their integration and how their integration can enhance my teaching and my students’ understanding.
For the most part, when I read the paragraph above from my personal statement, my goals have stayed the same. After two years of teaching in my own first grade classroom, I can honestly say that technology has played a prominent role in both my students’ lives and mine. Using previous knowledge and experiences gained prior to the MAET program, as well as the knowledge and experiences I have gained throughout my MAET journey, I continue to search for new ways to integrate technology into the classroom so as to motivate, engage and inspire my students. The difference, I feel, between how I thought about technology integration into the classroom before the MAET program and how I view it now, is that the MAET program has given me the tools, knowledge and critical thinking skills, to truly utilize technologies in the classroom in meaningful ways for both my students and myself.
As I look to the future, I feel informed and empowered by all that the MAET program has taught me. I feel excited about the possibilities that lie ahead of me as far as technology integration goes. More importantly, however, I remember that technology is not the end-all-be-all, nor can it merely be used as the solution to an educational problem. It is the integration of technology, pedagogy and content that gives meaning to how we effectively use technologies in the classroom.
While my MAET journey may be over in a few short months, my journey as a learner is not. I look forward to what the future holds for me and the learning and teaching I will continue to do throughout my life.