I have been a student all my life, and so my teaching perspective has developed from my time tutoring students with learning difficulties in a one-on-one environment. I became a self-taught “technology tutor”, incorporating a variety of technologies into the learning strategies of the students I tutored. While these experiences provided me with some teaching experience, I feel as though I am relatively new to the teaching aspect of the field of education. In that regard, what started as a hobby became something of a passion as I found myself intrigued with the benefits of educational technologies and wanting to learn more. The MET program has become the perfect training ground for me, enabling me to enhance my understanding of the field of education, improving upon techniques that I already use with my students and discovering new techniques that I will be able to integrate into learning strategies.
I am very excited about the journey that lies ahead in ETEC 565. So far, the readings have been very insightful, with NETS introducing me to what it means to be a “digital age teaching professional”; Chickering and Gamson’s (1987) framework reminding me that it doesn’t matter if you are working with a classroom full of students, or working one-on-one, the seven principles are a good foundation for any teaching environment; and finally, Bates and Poole’s (2003) SECTIONS framework explaining the importance of making informed choices when selecting technology. These readings introduced me to key concepts that will help build a strong foundation when teaching in addition to providing insight into things that I didn’t realize I already knew.
While I am confident with my skills in regards to using and providing instruction on the learning technologies I already know, I realize that I still have much to learn. My hope is that ETEC 565 will assist me in developing my understanding of Learning Management Systems (LMS) in addition to social and multimedia software as I aim to incorporate all of them into programs that I will develop for students with a variety of learning styles.
References
Bates, A.W. & Poole, G. (2003). Effective teaching with technology in high education: Foundations for success. New York: Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
Chickering, A. W. & Ehrmann, S. C. (1996). Implementing the seven principles: Technology as lever. AAHE Bulletin. Retrieved from http://www.aahea.org/bulletins/articles/sevenprinciples.htm
Chickering, A.W. & Gamson, Z.F. (1987). Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. AAHE Bulletin. Retrieved from http://www.aahea.org/bulletins/articles/sevenprinciples1987.htm
International Society for Technology in Education (2008). NETS for teachers 2008. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx