When I first applied for grad school I was eager to once again be a part of the Michigan State University College of Education. I had a few years of teaching under my belt and had seen  that students were excited about technology. I remember every year, at work, being told about a new technology that we were going to try in our school and thought, “Well, this is where education curriculum  is going and I had better do something with technology in my career in education.” It was simple to see that the Masters in Educational Technology program was a perfect fit. My goal was to learn about new classroom technologies to help engage my students and become a little more tech savvy myself were just a couple of the things I looked forward to experiencing.

Within my first few classes I was pleasantly surprised that some technologies, “old” technologies, such as something as simple as a crayon was still considered a meaningful teaching tool. As my classes continued I was often worried about getting work done for the sake of getting it done, but found myself more engaged than I had expected in the material. It was more than learning about new technologies for my students and school, it became a sincere interest in the material and developing myself as a teacher and as a person.

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I have enjoyed reaching my goal in learning about technologies that will not only further engage my students, but will also help students create more ownership of their learning. In a kindergarten classroom, I am limited in the depth to which I can use many of the technologies I have learned about, but the few I have been able to utilize, I have found my students have been very receptive to and it has often helped emphasize teamwork, cooperation and patience, which are all very important skills kindergarteners must learn in order to be successful students. Additionally I have found I enjoy being able to help other teachers when they become flustered with the new technology demands we receive each year has also been an unexpected and enjoyed benefit, which was not a goal I had initially intended. I have been fortunate enough to work at a K-8 school where some of the things I have learned about in my classes, but not been able to apply for my students have been useful for my coworkers in higher grades.

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As technology in education and throughout the  world continues to evolve and change I now feel more confident in my technological abilities. Additionally, I look forward to being able to incorporate new technologies and ideas in my room and pass them along to others. The spark of learning has been lit and I hope that I continue to follow the bright path it leads me on to being a better teacher for myself, my coworkers and especially my students.