What Now?
One of my new goals is to prepare my students for the digital world we all live in today. Until recently I believed my students were extremely competent when it came to technology. They spend most of their day staring at their cell phones so you’d think they know a lot right? Boy was I wrong. While they may be fluent in texting, Instagram and Twitter they were severely lacking when it came to even the most standard computer programs. I had them working on a project where they were making brochures for a hotel of their choosing in French using Microsoft Word and I was shocked by how much I had to teach them about using the laptops before we could even start the project! Most of my students had no idea how to do, what I thought, were the most basic things; from accessing their email address to attaching a document in an email. I even had to teach a student how to copy and paste! To say I was shocked would be an understatement and it made me realize how sorely unprepared my students are for this technological world they’re about to enter. So I made it a new goal to take some of the time in my classroom to teach them. I plan on taking some of the assignments we would typically do on paper and instead use the laptops to provide my students with the computer time they are clearly not getting in their other classes. I want to send them into the world feeling confident with technology even if it is not part of the French curriculum.
Another goal is one I set for myself and that is to always keep learning. As I near the end of my MAET experience I don’t want to become complacent with what I know and stop actively trying to find new and better resources. So often I see teachers at my school who have their way of doing things and getting them to change and try something new is like pulling teeth. I don’t want to become that kind of teacher. Being open to learning something new is critical in order to be a great teacher and I want to be the best teacher I can be for my students.
Goals are something that, like technology, are constantly changing based on the world around us. While my original goal remains, I’ve added on others throughout my journey in the MAET program and I’m sure I’ll be adding more in the future as well. After all, teachers should be professional learners as well.
As it gets nearer and nearer to graduation I find myself thinking “what now?” To think that I am no longer going to be in classes with textbooks and professors and deadlines and grades is mind boggling to me. After 20 years of being in a school setting it’s hard to imagine what it’ll be like when I’m no longer a typical student. As I have progressed through the Master’s in Educational Technology (MAET) program here at Michigan State I’ve realized something; I may not be a student but I’ll always be a learner. When I went back and looked at the goals I set for myself during my first MAET class I realized although my goal is still very similar, I’ve broadened my goals a bit as well. When I first started I just wanted to find new and exciting ways to incorporate technology into my classroom and while that is still true I’ve added on other goals along the way.