It's official- I'm at the finish line for the Master's of Instructional Technology program. May 10th is our date for graduation. I have worked extremely hard this semester, to be able to get all of my coursework finished. I've also had big changes in my personal life- I gave birth to the most precious angel on Earth on April 10, just a few weeks ago! Becoming a new mom again (my other son is 12 already) has caused me to have to juggle between my health, my family, and this program all semester. Luckily, I am dedicated and persistent. I am thankful to all of my professors who have me on this journey and to KSU for the program and experience! | |
The ITEC 7500 course has proved rewarding for me in a couple of ways. First- I view myself as a great writer- and in this course, there is so much writing! Luckily, this is something I enjoy, BUT, for the last several weeks, I have struggled with having an extra hand to type with. Having a new baby (who wants to be held often and needs to feed often) forced me to experience accessibility issues. I can not type one handed- yes, I was T-Rex typing while also trying to hold a bottle and baby. Finally, I began using speech-to-text in Microsoft Word- and this may be the only reason I finished everything on time! If you don't already know- when in Word, you can press and hold the Windows key + H key and it will initiate the tool. From here, you just say what you intend to type (but you also have to provide grammar statements- such as stating "period" at the end of a sentence or "comma" where you would like one placed).
Second, this course helped me to reflect (30+ times) on the courses and work that I have put into this program, as well as on the characteristics required of an Instructional Technologist. Not only have I learned to integrate technology within my classroom, to enhance learning and increase productivity, but I've also learned how to stay up to date with new and emerging technologies and to utilize data more efficiently. I am also now confident in assisting and encouraging peer educators to use technology to improve teaching, learning, and assessment strategies. I am now more proficient with creating and managing digital learning environments and resources, professional development programs, and evaluating impact of programs/strategies on student learning. I also understand the importance of continuing learning and reflecting/evaluating personal professional practice to continuously improve in the ever-changing field of technology. I believe that I am fully prepared to serve my school in a instructional technology capacity, whether that is from my classroom, assisting peer teachers, as an academic coach, instructional specialist, or any other related position.
Second, this course helped me to reflect (30+ times) on the courses and work that I have put into this program, as well as on the characteristics required of an Instructional Technologist. Not only have I learned to integrate technology within my classroom, to enhance learning and increase productivity, but I've also learned how to stay up to date with new and emerging technologies and to utilize data more efficiently. I am also now confident in assisting and encouraging peer educators to use technology to improve teaching, learning, and assessment strategies. I am now more proficient with creating and managing digital learning environments and resources, professional development programs, and evaluating impact of programs/strategies on student learning. I also understand the importance of continuing learning and reflecting/evaluating personal professional practice to continuously improve in the ever-changing field of technology. I believe that I am fully prepared to serve my school in a instructional technology capacity, whether that is from my classroom, assisting peer teachers, as an academic coach, instructional specialist, or any other related position.