Always a

Student

 

Written by Trista Teuscher, June 29, 2014

 

The year 2012 was a big one. I finally earned my teaching certificate from Spring Arbor University. I was officially a teacher, but I wasn’t sire I want to be done being a student yet. My whole life I had been a student, and suddenly upon walking across a stage, I was given that piece of paper that I said I was done. I spent eight years after high school trying to decide what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I listened to too many people telling me what not to do; I didn’t stop to listen to myself in what I wanted to do. In 2012, I became what I always wanted to become, a teacher. But, maybe I wasn’t quite ready to stop being  a student myself.

 

When applying to the MAET (Master of Art in Educational Technology) program in the summer of 2012 my goals were simple:

• To become a technology leader in my school (whatever school that would end up being)

• To increase my skills in technology and understand what I am doing (I often take the long way when figuring things out because I don’t always understand entirely)

• Use innovative technology strategies within my everyday teaching

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Becoming a technology leader

As a young teacher, I wanted to find a way to be the go to person for basic technology questions in my school. My goal was to lead by example and demonstrate ways to utilize technology in class. Over time, I will become that leader. This goal is something that I will continue to strive for. It is a difficult goal to measure, but it is something I have begun to obtain.  I informally introduced and supported other teachers with websites, resources, and I arranged a computer lab schedule for the elementary teachers. I enjoyed being “that person” teachers would go to for assistance. In some cases I was able to help, but not always. This continues to be a goal of mine.

 

Increase my skills in technology

As I learned new programs and skills throughout the past few years, the most important thing I learned to guide this goal is that there is always a way to figure something out. There are many online resources available for just about anything. Even though I might not know the answers to something, I have the tools available to find an answer. Although I don’t know exactly how everything works, I feel confident in being able to find the answer. Soaking in information and understanding it all will continue to be a goal.

 

Integrating technology strategies

This goal was the main reason that I became interested in the MAET program at MSU. I want my teaching style to be relevant to best suit the needs of the 21st century students. I see that students are going to need different skills in the future than what the previous generations needed. The more and more I can use, integrate, and teach some of these technology skills, the better off my students will be. This goal will continue to push my own teaching style to integrate the most technology that I can. I think I have struggled with this over the past few years with lack of resources, but it is still very important to me and something I will strive to be better and better at as each year passes.

 

Since beginning the MAET program in 2012 and creating those goals, not a lot has changed. I still have the same goals, but a different perspective on them. I don’t see these goals as something that is reached before moving on to new ones. I see them as something that I will continue to work towards each and every year. I will never get to a point where I think that I have accomplished one of these goals and I no longer need to work on it. In 2012 I was correct in thinking that I wasn’t ready to be done being a student. Being in the world of education means that we are always trying to better ourselves and strive towards never ending goals each and every day. I will forever be a student.