@inspirelilminds // ashleybcongdon@gmail.com
My Synthesis captures the significant lessons as a master's student. Click here for a PDF version.
tekˈnēk/
noun
noun: technique; plural noun: techniques
1. a way of carrying out a particular task,
2. especially the execution or performance of an artistic work or a scientific procedure.
tech nique
Professionals are recognized for their technique -- be it a chef, a painter, or an educator -- the delicious meal, an artful masterpiece, or a series of engaging and purposeful learning experiences. Technique points to a professional’s competence in their field and passion for their artform. I have always believed that the educational profession is an artform which allows for continued growth and development of technique. An educator should consistently work toward improvement -- improving her performance of an artistic work. This process of endless transformation drew me to teaching, and I enrolled in graduate school to continue growing my technique.
To make sense of the changes I have seen within my own performance, within my own technique, I must first elaborate on the format of my graduate program. Depth. Exploration. Challenge. Engagement. These are terms I would use to describe my experience at Michigan State as a graduate student in the Master’s in Educational Technology (MAET) program. And these are terms I would hope my students would use to describe their instruction as well. I have used the phrase “walk the walk” in conversations when explaining MAET to my peers because I experienced first hand the objectives my instructors were aiming to hit. For example, the overarching framework of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) was the foundation of this program introduced in course CEP 810: Teaching for Understanding with Technology, and it informed the instruction I received in every class.
People outside of the course may assume that because technology is in the title of the program that my focus was learning the latest and greatest technologies. I would describe my reality as quite different. While I have learned about several outstanding technologies in the past two years my greatest takeaway was to find cohesion between instruction, content, and the repurposing of technology. As a result of my master’s program experience I have grown as a teacher within my classroom, as a teammate on my Grade 4 Team, and as a technology leader at school. As I finalize my formal path, I have been asked to consider challenging, defining questions: Who am I now? What are my big ideas about teaching and technology? What are my responsibilities as an educator, and how do I now approach my job?
Who am I now? What I have I learned? How have I changed, and what are my thoughts and feelings regarding teaching and technology?
As I retrace my steps to the fall of 2013, I recall an overwhelming feeling of treading water. I wondered, “How am I going to catch up? How will I ever be an expert on all of these technologies if I cannot even keep track of them all?” I was meeting and collaborating with colleagues in the program who were knowledgeable of such wide-ranging technology, and I was under the impression that I should
be a master of all of these programs, platforms, and devices as well. At the very beginning, I was introduced to the fact that technology is growing at an exponential rate, and I sympathized with Natalie Babbitt, author of Tuck Everlasting, when she shared the following with her readers.
“As for those of us who write books, I often think we should all stop for fifty years. There are so many wonderful books to read, and not enough time to get around to all of them. But we writers just keep cranking them out. All we can hope for is that readers will find at least a little time for them, anyway.”
I used to wish for a lull in the technological advancements too, and while I still search for more hours in the day, I have overcome my concern using the soothing realities of TPACK . My perception shifted over the course of my graduate degree. When I recognized the importance of repurposing technology to best suit my students’ needs, a weight was lifted from my shoulders. I do not have to master every technology, I just have to find a tool that will support the learning outcomes and content; I can repurpose technology to suit my instructional needs, especially since many technologies do not have education as their guiding purpose.
Another change I have undergone is a greater appreciation for technology. As surprising as it may seem coming from a student in MAET, I had always experienced a love-hate relationship with technology. I had concerns over the disconnect I sensed in our youth, which is ironic because I am considered today’s youth by many others. I was assigned Danah Boyd’s It’s Complicated and Frontline’s documentary “Generation Like” in CEP 815: Technology and Leadership, and I was introduced to several arguments on gamification, too. After these explorations, I realized the limitation of my scope of understanding. I needed to immerse myself into the technologies that my students were using. I have now tweeted! I have now blogged! I am now a member of Facebook! I have now built my own lesson using Minecraft in CEP 813: Electronic Assessment for Teaching and Learning! These are all technological moments in my learning that I did not expect to experience, and they have helped me understand how my students find ways to collaborate and actually connect with their peers through each of these. I will continue tweeting, blogging, and designing within Minecraft, and I know I will jump in to explore other technologies I hear about from students to better connect with them.
Additionally, one last area that I have changed is how I personally use technology for my professional development. I have found value in using technology to balance my information diet, to build and stay connected with my Personalized Learning Network, and to expand my educational horizons. I follow educators, institutions, and bloggers that I value for their innovations, current news, and thought-provoking ideas. I check my Twitter feed weekly and share my Twitter handle at conferences. I have designed my professional learning portfolio to grow with me even after graduation. My learning blog will now contain thoughts about the experiences within my homeroom. The blended math site I developed for my fourth graders in CEP 800: Learning in School and Other Settings is linked, and my portfolio houses resources for students, teachers, and parents alike. I have personally learned how to book-bind from masters on the Internet, and I have continued to discover resources for my interests in the Maker Movement, gamification, and creativity.
Ultimately, I was asked to explore and consider multiple perspectives frequently enough within my coursework that I now incorporated it into my daily life. The tensions that I initially felt are still important to be aware of and have influenced my experiences, but I have methods for approaching them now that I did not at the beginning.
What are my responsibilities as an educator? How am I innovating and strengthening the education community?
In grade school my brother always performed better in his classes when he was involved in an organized sport. I used to believe that the improvement my brother found was a result of balance. As I complete my graduate coursework, I still agree with balance, but I will now also argue that collaboration and leadership were huge components as well. Donald H. McGannon, the chairman of Westinghouse
Broadcasting Company and influential player in the television industry during the mid 1900s, was convinced that, “Leadership is action, not position.” And I have a feeling that the connection my brother felt with his teammates, as well as the leadership he displayed on the baseball and football field all created a positive impact on his learning. My brother has always been a true believer of leading by example, and I see my responsibilities as an educator to emulate much of the above -- balance, collaboration, and leadership.
Even without a title that incorporates technology, I was able to: administer a technology survey at my school to help inform administration; help coordinate a live webinar on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for the MAET Bridge Series; conduct research, establish interview protocols, and analyze results from a project exploring pervasive misconceptions surrounding a historical figure in our curriculum in CEP 822: Approaches to Educational Research; design a blended learning experience for my fourth graders through the creation of a website. All of these accomplishments were facilitated by my instructors, but these are all still within my reach now, with or without a technology position. I believe that positive change is going to happen when teachers take innovation into their own hands and share their technology integration successes and outside-of-the-box instruction with others in the education community. We cannot focus on just technology, or just pedagogy, or just content. We must work to balance influential forces. We cannot work in isolation. We must strengthen connections. We cannot wait for others to accomplish what we know is right. And we must lead by example. It all came together at the 2015 Constructing Modern Knowledge Institute when David Loader referred to
Gary Stager’s position within his school, “I’m willing to give anyone with that much initiative that much power.” All in all, I have developed an awareness for the potential influence that one individual can have on the education community.
How do I now approach my job? What impact, if any, has the graduate program had on my instruction in the classroom?
In my master’s work I was asked to consider content I had not explored in the past. I was asked to form opinions and was safely pushed beyond my comfort
zone. Throughout these challenges I always felt supported by the wide range of viewpoints and resources I was offered. I was participating in deep learning with instructors that established high and clear expectations. Within this autonomous environment I continued developing my technique. My instruction now incorporates more exercises to uncover prior knowledge and any possible misconceptions. I was always a fan of re-thinking the layout of my classroom, and now I consider ways to provide more spaces for collaboration and making. I am incorporating a homebase for making and tinkering in my classroom, and I have begun outlining a technology badges program to promote project-based learning. After CEP 813: Electronic Assessment for Teaching and Learning, I spend more time utilizing formative assessments to inform instruction and incorporate more opportunities for students to receive feedback from their peers and from me before providing “final” products. When designing a new learning experience, or when reflection post-lesson, I reference Universal Design for Learning, Understanding by Design, and the Total PACKage framework. I am providing students with more blended learning opportunities and finding more time for collaboration. My next task is fostering more creativity in the classroom as this is a passion of mine I would love to share with my students.
I will consider myself successful if I continue to refine my technique by tackling the hard questions. Am I designing my instruction so that students are able to safely collaborate and express themselves? Do I establish high and clear expectations while also providing students with autonomy and a voice? Have my students felt challenged, yet supported? Are the tools my students need to express themselves available and accessible? Are balance, leadership, and creativity valued in our classroom?
