Looking Ahead At
My Future Learning Goals
Through my experiences so far, I have developed into an advocate for change in schools through the use of technology. My future goals are centered around making an even larger impact on student learning. I understand the importance of being a lifelong learner. I will continue to learn new skills that will help me in my current position while also opening up potential opportunities for me in the future.
Three goals that I currently have are as follows:
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Coding & Programming
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Professional Multimedia Creation
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Leadership & IT Management
Although all three of these goals can involve extensive training, I believe that I have some experience working with each of them. I am looking to build on these experiences to broaden my technology skills. I have found a hobby as a designer and creator, so these learning goals will impact my abilities to create and learn on my own time as well. The ultimate goal for me is to develop the skills that are needed to effectively pursue a leadership position related to Instructional Technology. Below, you will see that I split my goals into two categories: Goals to Impact My Current Role and Goal to Impact My Future Opportunities. Please read through each goal to view its context and what I hope to accomplish by developing the skills!
Goals to Impact My Current Role
As an Instructional Technology Specialist, my current role is not able to be easily defined. I find myself in a position that is blended between technology and instruction/curriculum. The Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program through Michigan State has helped me develop the foundational skills and reasoning for integrating technology in education. I am looking to further diversify my technology skills so that I can be even more effective in my role to help other teachers move forward in their efforts to use technology in their classrooms. In addition, these skills will make me a better resource for students who are looking to get into a technology related field.
Goal 1:
Coding & Programming
Goal 2:
Professional Multimedia Creation
I will enroll in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and free online courses such as Coursera, Edx, and Udacity to rebuild coding skills that are needed to create and build applications. I want to use this knowledge to mentor students who enter projects into contests and also support their inquiry into technology related fields upon graduation. My focus for coding would be on web/mobile applications and on physical computing. Students who are currently enrolled in our student help desk course have the opportunity to experiment and explore with coding on a web server and Raspberry Pi. My goal for students is to make the course revolve around helping others through the help desk and through design. I will use my coding skills to be more effective in troubleshooting issues and offering advice for how to make ideas come to life. I want students enrolled in the class to have the opportunity to create content that can be used as part of their portfolio when they graduate from high school.
I will learn how to create professional multimedia (video, audio, vector graphics, animation, interactive PDFs, etc.) through the use of Adobe Creative Cloud products. The programs that I would like to master include Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. These skills will be used to create high quality resources for my district. In addition, I want to focus on learning the tools that are used by professionals in related fields so that I can bring that knowledge to students. These skills and tools will also be used as a part of the student help desk curriculum to have students create multimedia that showcases their skills. I will develop these skills through the participation in the Adobe Education Exchange. I will enroll in a Creative Cloud Train the Trainer course upon the completion of my master's program.
Goal to Impact Future Opportunities
As I reflect on my experiences as an educator and Instructional Technology Specialist, I realize that I am at a professional crossroad. My current position is a blend of technology and education. I am very passionate about education and helping students and will potentially be looking for more of a leadership role in the future. My current position will provide me with valuable experience for future technology goals but will not allow me any opportunities for advancement in other aspects of education due to my limited number of years as a full time teacher. My decision is to continue to focus on my role with technology. I will pursue skills that will allow me to pursue leadership opportunities related to Instructional Technology.
Goal 3:
Leadership & IT Management
I will pursue further training through an advanced degree and certifications to broaden my technology and leadership skills. These skills include project management, database structure, infrastructure, cybersecurity and hardware management. I believe that I have the potential to be a strong candidate for a leadership position related to Instructional Technology. The role of Technology Leaders is changing and it is becoming more important for technology leaders to have a background with education. I have a strong idea of how technology can transform learning through my professional experience as an educator and an Instructional Technology Specialist and through my graduate experience in the MAET program. I am currently looking into Leadership & Innovation programs through Arizona State University & Drexel University, as well as an IT Management program provided through Southern New Hampshire University. As I learn new skills that can apply to more of the behind the scenes technology and leadership aspects, I will make myself a stronger asset to my technology department while also putting myself in position for potential advancement in the future.
Closing Thoughts
Looking into the future can be very intimidating due to all of the unknowns that exist. However, I believe that I have the ability to continue to learn new skills that will help me reach my future goals. The MAET program has renewed my love of learning. I believe that I can make a huge difference for my current district and any potential future opportunities that may become available. Through the development of skills related to coding, digital creation, and IT Management, I believe that I will have a very broad set of technology skills that I can pair with my current knowledge of education to bring a unique perspective to how to adapt and make improvements to the education of students.