My journey of learning through concepts of educational technology

Throughout my short journey in the Masters of Education in Applied Technology I have learned a few key concepts in EDLD 5302 that I will not only carry with me through this program, but also daily in my classroom and throughout my life.

 I was able to look back and reflect on what made me choose to become a teacher and when I discovered my love for science. We learned about COVA and letting go of having to have complete control in the classroom by giving the students an authentic learning environment. This is a lot harder for me than I thought it would be, but I will get there. This in turn helped me when I wrote my learning manifesto. 

I was also introduced to the growth mindset. Learning the difference between a fixed mindset, a false growth mindset and a growth mindset really opened my eyes to how I view things. This was a completely new topic to me, but I learned a lot from it. I have had to remind myself I need to be able to fail so that I can fix things and move on, and that it is ok to fail. I now see it as a learning experience instead of something negative. Learning about this has also changed the way I talk to my students in class and how I receive feedforward instead of feedback. I have also learned how to identify when I am in the fixed mindset and steps to use to get back on track with having a growth mindset. I will be able to continue to use the information and knowledge I have gained from this course in regard to the growth mindset and any negative situations I might find myself in.

 Another big, fundamentally rewarding and beneficial thing we did during this course was join a few learning networks and joined collaborative groups. This was a change for me because I am usually the person who works by herself because I would rather do it all to make sure that it is done correctly than have to rely on someone else who might not get the job done. So, this made me step out of my comfort zone. I ended up making a few friends and being able to not only help others, but others helped me tremendously through these first two courses. I don’t know what I would have done if it wouldn't have been for them. After the course was coming to a close, I was able to self-reflect on this and analyze my success in the learning community. I had to step back and analyze my strengths and weaknesses. It taught me that I still have room to grow and what I need to do to be better when starting the next few courses.

 I also joined a few learning networks since starting the program. 

These networks will help me grow as a professional and keep me up to date with the new trends, and best practices. There is so much information out there and I am trying to keep a growth mindset to continue my goal of lifelong learning. I feel these networks will definitely help me do that. These groups and feedback have helped me look back and correct mistakes and misunderstandings which has created a better learning experience. These are priceless tools and I encourage everyone to join networks for whatever their profession or passion is.

I have had the same learning philosophy for years, but in the last 8 weeks it has already changed. I know that as I grow my knowledge and continue in this program it will continue to change, but I see that as a good thing. The more I change the more I grow, and the better I can be for myself and my students.