Lindsay Annelin

The Best is Yet to Come

 

I truly view learning as a process for myself and my students.  As I reach the end of my Masters of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program, I see this as just a stepping stone in the process of my own learning.  I am a more innovative thinker, self-motivated learner, and passionate teacher and believe "the best is yet to come" in regards to this new found knowledge!  The next step is to take a "leap of faith" and hope that it all works out for the best as I work towards my next goal in my educational career.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the courses that I took in my Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) journey that made an incredible impact on me was CEP 820: Teaching Students Online.  I learned many valuable lessons throughout this course, but most importantly I learned what a difference it makes when students can access curriculum online.  As a fifth grade teacher, my students are more engaged in the curriculum when lessons are enhanced through the use of technology.  This course in particular stretched my abilities as an educator, it challenged me mentally, and encouraged my creative side.  I designed an entire online learning site that focuses on one of our science units: Body Systems.  I remember feeling a bit overwhelmed at first when I started looking at student samples from previous Masters students, and thinking how will I ever create a site like this?  However, it didn't take long to choose a Course Module Site (CMS) that aligned with my teaching needs and begin my online teaching site on Haiku Learning.  After much hard work and dedication to this course, I created my very own online learning course for which I was very proud!  Reflecting on what I learned throughout this particular course and teaching students online, I now have another goal I am hoping to accomplish.  

I have learned throughout this learning process and finding myself in more of a student role, that I am and will forever be a lifelong learner and I crave new knowledge.  The next part of my learning journey begins after getting my Masters of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) degree and a goal of mine that I now have after taking CEP 820 is to teach students online.  

 

When I first applied to the Masters program, I didn't quite know what I was getting myself into in regards to "online learning" and was a bit concerned about this type of learning.  I am the type of person who loves to be in class, asking questions, and participating in discussions.  However, I found that this is all still possible through the use of discussion boards such as Piazza, chats sessions on Google Hangout or Zoom Technology, or sharing responses on Blogs with my classmates and instructors.  I am constantly amazed at what students are able to do and how online instructors are able to teach through the use of these online resources and many more.  Teaching online is a long-term goal, and is something I see myself doing down the road.

 

Had I not taken the course, CEP 820: Teaching Students Online, I would not have had the challenging, yet valuable opportunity to create an online learning site, nor would I want to take this next "leap of faith!"  I am proud of this accomplishment in my learning journey, and my dream is to be as powerful of an online teacher as the instructors whom I have had throughout my Masters courses.  I hope to continually inspire my students the way my instructors have inspired me through the MAET program. If this is something I wish to pursue, I will without a doubt need to stay up to date on the latest technology tools, participate on Twitter where I learn from many other educators, and expand my Personal Learning Network even more.  One of the exciting aspects of this "new dream" is that I am not certain what this will look like in regards to online teaching and that curiosity in itself keeps me wanting and needing to learn more about online education.   I can see myself teaching blended learning courses at the fifth grade level; teaching both online and in the classroom.  I can also see myself solely teaching online.  My husband and I would love to travel more and teaching online would give us an amazing opportunity to do just that: travel with our family and learn even more from those experiences.  Utilizing the incredible technology resources can open up a whole new world of opportunity both in and out of the classroom.  

 

By Lindsay Annelin