11.+Reflection

Reflection **
 * Professional Growth and Leadership **

I feel as though this project in EDT6040 sums up this degree. Half the classes are on leadership and the other half on technology. It takes educational leadership to forge new roads of learning with the use of technology. To be a good leader, one needs to know the process of how to implement technology into a school system and to lead others to use technology in their instruction. This final course made us aware of every aspect of change and how to properly accomplish it. Change is the optimal word here. Technology will never stay stagnant. Changes will happen sometimes at too fast a pace. We need critical thinkers that can put the pieces of the puzzle together quickly and share with others what they have learned.

At times this project seemed daunting. My first two initiatives had already been in the works so I had to start all over being already far into the block. I kept wondering why in the world I was taking two courses at once. The process was exhausting. I can only imagine what those before us (1964) went through just to get a projector in the classroom.

Teaching is all about the student. The buzz word about teaching is engage the student. I say engage the teacher and the student will follow. Technology has made student learning more collaborative learning. It has established a new culture for growth that could not have been accomplished 20 years ago. I consider myself a better student because of technology. I teach technology in college. I watch as my students become engaged on a daily basis. It is so rewarding to see them grow into critical thinkers in technology. Through all my research, I spotted Blooms Digital Taxonomy of Learning. How perfect is that!

I can look back at when I signed up for my Masters in Applied Technology. My passion for teaching and technology seemed to be the perfect fit for this graduate degree. With the completion of the EDT portion of the degree, I can say that I still have the passion but I now have the confidence.