True leadership lies in guiding others to success. In ensuring that everyone is performing at their best, doing the work they are pledged to do and doing it well.
~ Bill Owens
Reflections on Teaching, Technology, and Leadership
A Reflective Essay by Melanie Broxterman
Over the years, I have spent much of my personal learning focused on learning about the latest practices in special education and exploring more strategies to help individual students. Then one day my principal said, “Hey, you’re getting a SmartBoard!” My reaction: “Yeah...now what?” And a year later, Mr. Dugan said, “Hey, would you like an iPad to try with your students?” My reaction: “Are you kidding... YES!” And this is where my learning took a turn from learning specifically about special education to my passion for exploring how these “new tech tools” can support ALL students as well as provide my students multiple way to engage and express what they know.
This is where I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the Masters of Educational Technology (MAET) program at Michigan State University. Within the program, I was able to take my personal learning, my teaching experience, and my passion for creating the best classroom for my students and channel it into courses that challenged me.
This is where I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the Masters of Educational Technology (MAET) program at Michigan State University. Within the program, I was able to take my personal learning, my teaching experience, and my passion for creating the best classroom for my students and channel it into courses that challenged me.
Click image to view My Technology Plan post
As I sit and reflect on these past two years, I am amazed at the educator I have become. I am not “just a special education teacher.” I am a teacher leader within my school and district. I am the team leader for my school’s technology and math team. I am the teacher who invites other classrooms to complete projects together doing my best to demonstrate how technology can be used within the classroom. I am a connected educator who wants to learn, share, and create an atmosphere of learning that inspires students and peers to become lifelong learners. In addition to inspiring students, I have also began to focus on inspiring other educators to explore technology within their classrooms.
In one of my first MAET courses, our assignment was to create a technology plan. This assignment made us focus on my experiences with technology in special education, my personal goals, and a timeline for the future. In October 2011 when I wrote this plan, I was very ambitious with my goals. Family, friends, and fellow students commented that there seemed to be a lot packing into my 2 year plan because most of it was in addition to family commitments, work, MAET coursework, and free time (what’s that?). I am very proud (and a little surprised) to say that most of my goals have been met!
Completing the Masters in Educational Technology program has provided me many opportunities to reflect on my teaching and my use of technology to support student learning. However, I have to say that the focus on becoming an education leader is has influenced me the most.
In one of my first MAET courses, our assignment was to create a technology plan. This assignment made us focus on my experiences with technology in special education, my personal goals, and a timeline for the future. In October 2011 when I wrote this plan, I was very ambitious with my goals. Family, friends, and fellow students commented that there seemed to be a lot packing into my 2 year plan because most of it was in addition to family commitments, work, MAET coursework, and free time (what’s that?). I am very proud (and a little surprised) to say that most of my goals have been met!
Completing the Masters in Educational Technology program has provided me many opportunities to reflect on my teaching and my use of technology to support student learning. However, I have to say that the focus on becoming an education leader is has influenced me the most.
What goal am I most proud of?
I would have to say that working with another special education teacher to create a collaborative presentation on using iPads with students with special needs was the most exciting goal. This opportunity revolved around being connected to other educators and using the amazing technology tools available.
What goal didn’t I meet and will continue to focus on?
This year as I become the team leader for the technology and math team, I plan on implementing a “Mobile Monday” or “Tech Tuesday” which would be a voluntary, monthly meeting with interested staff to introduce and demonstrate new technology, possibly doing through a Google Hangout or Skype to involve other schools as well.
I would have to say that working with another special education teacher to create a collaborative presentation on using iPads with students with special needs was the most exciting goal. This opportunity revolved around being connected to other educators and using the amazing technology tools available.
What goal didn’t I meet and will continue to focus on?
This year as I become the team leader for the technology and math team, I plan on implementing a “Mobile Monday” or “Tech Tuesday” which would be a voluntary, monthly meeting with interested staff to introduce and demonstrate new technology, possibly doing through a Google Hangout or Skype to involve other schools as well.