Teaching, Learning, and Leading:
A Synthesis of my Journey through the Educational Technology Master's Program
By Neil Syrek
Sometimes I look back at significant moments in my life and wonder what it would be like if things had gone differently? If I had tried out for the soccer team instead of playing football in high school, would I still have the group of lifelong friends I have today? How different would my life be if I chose to attend the University of Michigan instead of Michigan State? What if I never asked my wife out on our first date? The decisions I made at these turning points in my life both shaped me and define who I am. Another one of these moments came in the summer of 2007 when I was discussing my post-graduate educational plans with an advisor at Michigan State. As our conversation neared its end, she said, “Oh and I almost forgot, there’s one more thing I want to tell you about…” What if she had forgotten? I surely would not be in the position I am today. I have become a dynamic and successful teacher, a learner who is passionate about furthering my education, and a skillful and effective leader, all because of that fateful conversation. I can’t imagine what life would be like had I not been introduced to the Educational Technological Master’s program.
Several experiences I had in the master’s program have contributed to my success as a teacher. In my goal reflection essay, I wrote about how I changed the way I teach from incorporating technology in lessons to teaching through technology. CEP 820: Teaching K-12 Students Online, had a great deal to do with this. Although the course focused on online instruction, many of the principles and key ideas are very applicable in face to face classrooms as well. My final project for CEP 820, an online instructional module, was a culmination of everything I learned in the class, as well as a display of my transformation in teaching practices. One of the main themes of this course was the need to maintain an online presence so that students feel a sense of connectedness. I discovered that one of the best ways to do this is to create an atmosphere of community online. In my online module, I achieved this by incorporating communication and collaboration through discussion forums, blogs, group projects, and presentations. Creating a sense of community is very important to online learning, but it is equally important in a traditional classroom as well. In any setting, there should be healthy exchanges of ideas, sharing of understandings, and collaboration on projects. Because the jobs of today and tomorrow will require these skills, students will need these experiences to be successful in their careers beyond school.
Another theme of CEP 820 focused on the attributes of the resources used for online instruction. Because of this course, I came to the understanding that resources that are free, can be accessed anytime from anywhere, and are likely to exist for a significant time, should be used above all others. The applications I used in my instructional module, such as Moodle, Google Sites, and Edublogs, as well as those I utilize routinely in my face to face classroom, follow these guidelines. The durability of resources is especially important. What good is it to design something for student use on an application that won’t exist in a year? Accessibility is also a significant factor. Logs of online activity for my class Moodle page show that some students work and study at times when many others have their heads firmly pressed against a pillow. As unconventional as it might be, this is the time that they have available. If the resources weren’t accessible at that time, these students may not be learning and applying everything they should be in my class.
A final and very important insight I gained from CEP 820 is that the use of technology should not only enhance instruction in an authentic way, but that it should allow for learning and engagement that wouldn’t otherwise occur. For instance, studies show that when teachers use Microsoft PowerPoint as a lecture tool, it does nothing to enhance the learning outcome when compared to other forms of lecture. This is a perfect example of a use of technology that changes instruction, but does nothing to make a difference in the learning of the students. When creating my online learning module, and designing many other instructional units for use with my students, I made sure that I was providing authentic and meaningful learning experiences that prepared them to solve problems both inside my classroom and in the real world as well. When applied properly, the use of technology promotes a level of engagement, relevance, communication, and creativity that is unmatched by what can be done in a traditional classroom without using technology.
Another course in the master’s program that had a significant impact on the way I teach was TE 843: Secondary Reading Assessment and Instruction. One of the most valuable parts of this course was learning about an inquiry approach to instruction developed by Jeffrey Wilhelm. I’ve been teaching through inquiry for several years, so part of the importance of learning about this approach was that it validated what I had already been doing, such as incorporating essential questions and meaningful final projects. In addition, Wilhelm’s instructional approach also reaffirmed the importance of discussion in terms of socializing intelligence, and introduced several useful ideas regarding class discussions. A unit plan I designed for teaching about petroleum and alternative sources of energy included several class discussions that were derived from ideas in Wilhelm’s book, Engaging Readers and Writers With Inquiry. For example, in planning the unit, I used a variety of small group and whole class discussion formats. The formats used for small group discussion allowed students to generate, explore, and elaborate on ideas, make interpretive connections, and reflect on their thinking and understanding in a personal way. Whole class discussions, in turn, provided a place for broad sharing, socializing intelligence, and consensus building. As a whole, these discussions make learning more student-centered, allow students to purposefully interact with each other and the material, and allow for the sharing of understanding and insights.
In addition to impacting my overall instructional practice, TE 843 also influenced how I view technology. Just as with reading and writing, students attain a level of literacy with technology. A valuable insight I gained from this course is that many students are becoming digitally literate outside of school, not because they have to, but because they want to. This is a result of the compelling nature of the new technologies available and the capabilities they provide. Specifically speaking, through social networking and other Web 2.0 technology, adolescents are learning new ways to create, collaborate, express themselves, connect to people, analyze and synthesize data and information, think critically, and solve problems. What is problematic is that many of the students who are learning these things either don’t realize that these skills are very closely related to those they will need to be successful in school and many careers, or they are unaware of how to transfer them. In recognizing the significance of digital literacy, I made its development and application one of the main goals of my unit plan project, and included several activities that would help students build upon and use their digital literacies in a meaningful way.
While every course in the master’s program influenced my teaching in some way, the two described above had the most significant impact. In the same way, there were three courses that had a considerable effect on me as a leader in educational technology. The first was CEP 815: Technology and Leadership. One of the responsibilities of a technology leader is to share resources with colleagues and develop tools for professional growth. In CEP 815, I began this process by designing a wiki for my fellow teachers. This wiki was a place where teachers could share their knowledge of and experience with various forms of computer hardware, software, and applications. It could then be browsed or searched by teachers looking for new resources to use. To be a responsible leader, I made sure to familiarize myself with everything that was added to the wiki. This paid off when several teachers came to me with questions about a resource or application. As a leader, being able to offer necessary assistance and training to others is just as important as providing them with resources.
Aside from providing information on available resources, technology leaders must also evaluate innovations and applications for their educational worth. In CEP 810: Teaching for Understanding with Computers, I performed this task when I analyzed the use of WebQuests. I carefully considered how the use of this type of technology would affect both instruction and learning, and in this case determined that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. In the process, I learned that before I recommend any technological application to other teachers, a thorough evaluation such as this must take place. This process also has many other applications, such as evaluating new software being considered for purchase by a district or school.
In addition to performing subjective evaluations, technology leaders must make decisions based on data. Therefore, the ability to collect and analyze data is a critical skill. In CEP 822: Approaches to Educational Research, I developed and refined this skill. I first learned about the intricacies and burdens of educational research. Because there are so many variables and contexts that can’t be controlled when performing this type of experimentation, it is extremely hard to do, and takes great skill to perform. After learning about educational research in general, I began the process of conducting my own experiment by learning how to formulate a valid and testable question, developing a hypothesis and credible study design, and collecting and analyzing useful data. I also learned how to focus my research and make it more meaningful by conducting a literature review that examined the perspectives and assessment methods of the related work of other researchers. The culmination of this learning resulted in a research project that included a focus and rationale for performing the research, a detailed description of the research design, and a formal review of several other research studies with related topics. From this experience, I learned that educational research is a difficult but necessary process when making important pedagogical decisions. These decisions may include what types of instructional technology to use in classrooms and how best to use them.
While the ability to examine and perform scholarly research is a necessary skill that a leader in educational technology must possess, it is also a process that leads to life-long learning. Because I gained the ability to learn from the research of others and my own original research, I am now a much more proficient learner. In addition to learning from research, one of the most crucial ways that I have and will continue to advance my own learning is by learning from my students. A very simple yet effective way to do this is through surveys. Prior to developing the unit plan for TE 843 that I described above, I created an online survey aimed at uncovering information about how and why my students use technology outside of school. That survey allowed me to understand the digital literacies of my students, and led to further learning of how I could use their digital literacies to foster application and reflection within the context of my class. Beyond that, I learned how to help my students refine their digital literacies to the point they could be applied beyond my class in various real-world contexts. By beginning the process with learning from my students, I was able to set other learning targets and align them with the goal of improving and giving greater purpose to the educational experience of my students.
Another instance in which I learned from my students in a meaningful way came about through a project I completed for CEP 800: Learning in School and Other Settings. In this project, I surveyed students to open up a dialogue about the validity of a newly adopted science curriculum at my school. I was able to determine from the conversation with the students that there were serious problems with the new curriculum. Even though the evidence gathered as a result of this project was anecdotal and non-scientific, I was able to learn from the experience and again set new learning goals that prompted further action. As an educator, I know that all types of learning are important, but one of the most significant insights I gained as a result of the master’s program in educational technology is that if I fail to learn from my students, I am overlooking one of the most valuable learning opportunities that exists.
By developing the ability to gain important information and insights from those that I teach, as well as the skill to conduct and learn from research, the Educational Technology Master’s Program has made me a prolific learner. It has also transformed me from a good teacher to a superb one by teaching me how to create effective online and face to face learning communities, stressing the importance of free, durable, and accessible resources, and guiding me in the creation of authentic and meaningful learning experiences for my students. In the process of becoming a more capable learner and teacher, the master’s program has also made me a dynamic leader. By learning how to share my wealth of technology related knowledge and expertise, and understanding how to perform and communicate the results of both formal and informal analyses of technological applications, I have moved into a leadership role in my profession. In the future, I will continue to develop these skills, and grow as a learner, educator, and leader. When the opportunity to become an educational technology administrator arises, I will be ready and willing to accept the challenge and apply everything I learned as a result of this program.
Several experiences I had in the master’s program have contributed to my success as a teacher. In my goal reflection essay, I wrote about how I changed the way I teach from incorporating technology in lessons to teaching through technology. CEP 820: Teaching K-12 Students Online, had a great deal to do with this. Although the course focused on online instruction, many of the principles and key ideas are very applicable in face to face classrooms as well. My final project for CEP 820, an online instructional module, was a culmination of everything I learned in the class, as well as a display of my transformation in teaching practices. One of the main themes of this course was the need to maintain an online presence so that students feel a sense of connectedness. I discovered that one of the best ways to do this is to create an atmosphere of community online. In my online module, I achieved this by incorporating communication and collaboration through discussion forums, blogs, group projects, and presentations. Creating a sense of community is very important to online learning, but it is equally important in a traditional classroom as well. In any setting, there should be healthy exchanges of ideas, sharing of understandings, and collaboration on projects. Because the jobs of today and tomorrow will require these skills, students will need these experiences to be successful in their careers beyond school.
Another theme of CEP 820 focused on the attributes of the resources used for online instruction. Because of this course, I came to the understanding that resources that are free, can be accessed anytime from anywhere, and are likely to exist for a significant time, should be used above all others. The applications I used in my instructional module, such as Moodle, Google Sites, and Edublogs, as well as those I utilize routinely in my face to face classroom, follow these guidelines. The durability of resources is especially important. What good is it to design something for student use on an application that won’t exist in a year? Accessibility is also a significant factor. Logs of online activity for my class Moodle page show that some students work and study at times when many others have their heads firmly pressed against a pillow. As unconventional as it might be, this is the time that they have available. If the resources weren’t accessible at that time, these students may not be learning and applying everything they should be in my class.
A final and very important insight I gained from CEP 820 is that the use of technology should not only enhance instruction in an authentic way, but that it should allow for learning and engagement that wouldn’t otherwise occur. For instance, studies show that when teachers use Microsoft PowerPoint as a lecture tool, it does nothing to enhance the learning outcome when compared to other forms of lecture. This is a perfect example of a use of technology that changes instruction, but does nothing to make a difference in the learning of the students. When creating my online learning module, and designing many other instructional units for use with my students, I made sure that I was providing authentic and meaningful learning experiences that prepared them to solve problems both inside my classroom and in the real world as well. When applied properly, the use of technology promotes a level of engagement, relevance, communication, and creativity that is unmatched by what can be done in a traditional classroom without using technology.
Another course in the master’s program that had a significant impact on the way I teach was TE 843: Secondary Reading Assessment and Instruction. One of the most valuable parts of this course was learning about an inquiry approach to instruction developed by Jeffrey Wilhelm. I’ve been teaching through inquiry for several years, so part of the importance of learning about this approach was that it validated what I had already been doing, such as incorporating essential questions and meaningful final projects. In addition, Wilhelm’s instructional approach also reaffirmed the importance of discussion in terms of socializing intelligence, and introduced several useful ideas regarding class discussions. A unit plan I designed for teaching about petroleum and alternative sources of energy included several class discussions that were derived from ideas in Wilhelm’s book, Engaging Readers and Writers With Inquiry. For example, in planning the unit, I used a variety of small group and whole class discussion formats. The formats used for small group discussion allowed students to generate, explore, and elaborate on ideas, make interpretive connections, and reflect on their thinking and understanding in a personal way. Whole class discussions, in turn, provided a place for broad sharing, socializing intelligence, and consensus building. As a whole, these discussions make learning more student-centered, allow students to purposefully interact with each other and the material, and allow for the sharing of understanding and insights.
In addition to impacting my overall instructional practice, TE 843 also influenced how I view technology. Just as with reading and writing, students attain a level of literacy with technology. A valuable insight I gained from this course is that many students are becoming digitally literate outside of school, not because they have to, but because they want to. This is a result of the compelling nature of the new technologies available and the capabilities they provide. Specifically speaking, through social networking and other Web 2.0 technology, adolescents are learning new ways to create, collaborate, express themselves, connect to people, analyze and synthesize data and information, think critically, and solve problems. What is problematic is that many of the students who are learning these things either don’t realize that these skills are very closely related to those they will need to be successful in school and many careers, or they are unaware of how to transfer them. In recognizing the significance of digital literacy, I made its development and application one of the main goals of my unit plan project, and included several activities that would help students build upon and use their digital literacies in a meaningful way.
While every course in the master’s program influenced my teaching in some way, the two described above had the most significant impact. In the same way, there were three courses that had a considerable effect on me as a leader in educational technology. The first was CEP 815: Technology and Leadership. One of the responsibilities of a technology leader is to share resources with colleagues and develop tools for professional growth. In CEP 815, I began this process by designing a wiki for my fellow teachers. This wiki was a place where teachers could share their knowledge of and experience with various forms of computer hardware, software, and applications. It could then be browsed or searched by teachers looking for new resources to use. To be a responsible leader, I made sure to familiarize myself with everything that was added to the wiki. This paid off when several teachers came to me with questions about a resource or application. As a leader, being able to offer necessary assistance and training to others is just as important as providing them with resources.
Aside from providing information on available resources, technology leaders must also evaluate innovations and applications for their educational worth. In CEP 810: Teaching for Understanding with Computers, I performed this task when I analyzed the use of WebQuests. I carefully considered how the use of this type of technology would affect both instruction and learning, and in this case determined that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. In the process, I learned that before I recommend any technological application to other teachers, a thorough evaluation such as this must take place. This process also has many other applications, such as evaluating new software being considered for purchase by a district or school.
In addition to performing subjective evaluations, technology leaders must make decisions based on data. Therefore, the ability to collect and analyze data is a critical skill. In CEP 822: Approaches to Educational Research, I developed and refined this skill. I first learned about the intricacies and burdens of educational research. Because there are so many variables and contexts that can’t be controlled when performing this type of experimentation, it is extremely hard to do, and takes great skill to perform. After learning about educational research in general, I began the process of conducting my own experiment by learning how to formulate a valid and testable question, developing a hypothesis and credible study design, and collecting and analyzing useful data. I also learned how to focus my research and make it more meaningful by conducting a literature review that examined the perspectives and assessment methods of the related work of other researchers. The culmination of this learning resulted in a research project that included a focus and rationale for performing the research, a detailed description of the research design, and a formal review of several other research studies with related topics. From this experience, I learned that educational research is a difficult but necessary process when making important pedagogical decisions. These decisions may include what types of instructional technology to use in classrooms and how best to use them.
While the ability to examine and perform scholarly research is a necessary skill that a leader in educational technology must possess, it is also a process that leads to life-long learning. Because I gained the ability to learn from the research of others and my own original research, I am now a much more proficient learner. In addition to learning from research, one of the most crucial ways that I have and will continue to advance my own learning is by learning from my students. A very simple yet effective way to do this is through surveys. Prior to developing the unit plan for TE 843 that I described above, I created an online survey aimed at uncovering information about how and why my students use technology outside of school. That survey allowed me to understand the digital literacies of my students, and led to further learning of how I could use their digital literacies to foster application and reflection within the context of my class. Beyond that, I learned how to help my students refine their digital literacies to the point they could be applied beyond my class in various real-world contexts. By beginning the process with learning from my students, I was able to set other learning targets and align them with the goal of improving and giving greater purpose to the educational experience of my students.
Another instance in which I learned from my students in a meaningful way came about through a project I completed for CEP 800: Learning in School and Other Settings. In this project, I surveyed students to open up a dialogue about the validity of a newly adopted science curriculum at my school. I was able to determine from the conversation with the students that there were serious problems with the new curriculum. Even though the evidence gathered as a result of this project was anecdotal and non-scientific, I was able to learn from the experience and again set new learning goals that prompted further action. As an educator, I know that all types of learning are important, but one of the most significant insights I gained as a result of the master’s program in educational technology is that if I fail to learn from my students, I am overlooking one of the most valuable learning opportunities that exists.
By developing the ability to gain important information and insights from those that I teach, as well as the skill to conduct and learn from research, the Educational Technology Master’s Program has made me a prolific learner. It has also transformed me from a good teacher to a superb one by teaching me how to create effective online and face to face learning communities, stressing the importance of free, durable, and accessible resources, and guiding me in the creation of authentic and meaningful learning experiences for my students. In the process of becoming a more capable learner and teacher, the master’s program has also made me a dynamic leader. By learning how to share my wealth of technology related knowledge and expertise, and understanding how to perform and communicate the results of both formal and informal analyses of technological applications, I have moved into a leadership role in my profession. In the future, I will continue to develop these skills, and grow as a learner, educator, and leader. When the opportunity to become an educational technology administrator arises, I will be ready and willing to accept the challenge and apply everything I learned as a result of this program.