Running Head: MASTERING EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Mastering Educational Technology Lydia Lozano Azusa Pacific University

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My Growth Personal Growth A few things resonate in my mind concerning my personal journey of completing my Master of Arts in Educational Technology. First, I think about my spiritual growth. Second, I reflect on the new found skills I have obtained as a result of this program. Lastly, I contemplate the increased confidence and camaraderie I have received these past 15 months. I look forward to applying what I have learned in my professional life and personal life. Spiritually, this program has increased my faith and hope, for with God all things are possible (Mark 10:27). I trust that God knows my heart and that He understands my limitations. One particular devotional that was particularly helpful was posted by Professor Bruzzese. He shared with us Joshua 1:6-11, where God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous. Professor Bruzzese then asked us to share a moment in our lives where we were challenged to find courage to persevere. As I read the postings of my colleagues I grew more and more grateful to God for His goodness. I found comfort in knowing that several of my cadremates had gone through similar situations that I had. For example, when I shared about my mothers illness (dementia) two cadremates shared that they were or had gone through a similar life event. While growing spiritually I was also being challenged mentally to think through issues and tasks that required a higher level of thinking and problem-solving. At the beginning of my program I was not sure where or how to being my assignments. Having a learning disability adds to the challenge of organizing a plan for tackling my assignments. I would become frustrated with myself because I found difficult to organize my assignments and forum post, but then I learned how to adapt. First of all, I needed to organize myself in a way that made sense to me, so I printed the syllabus and the list of assignments and highlighted the important details of each

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assignment. This made my online learning experience much more enjoyable because I felt more in control of my learning. Another growth learning experience was when we were taught how to write powerful paragraphs using the Keep It Simple, Stupid (K.I.S.S.) method. Strong thoughts and ideas do not need many words to get the point across. Learning this technique was difficult at first due to the fact that I love giving details, but after some practice it was easier to write short, concise paragraphs. Lastly, the confidence I gained through this program was the direct result of the influence of each professor and cadremates. Through the encouragement of my professors and cadremates I was able to be more open about the topics about which I felt the most enthusiastic. What made a true difference was the concepts I learned. It is so rewarding to see such quick results from being part of this program. Researchers have found that, Student satisfaction and the level of knowledge construction in the e-learning environment are also important variables influencing student learning, especially in a student-centered e-learning environment (Chang, 2012, p. 134). I believe that this is true as I am very satisfied with the results from what I have learned. In conclusion, my life has been changed for the better due to this online masters program. Each part of my life has been touched and each experience has been unforgettable. I consider myself fortunate to be part of this community of students and faculty. I have grown as a person and as an educator. Professional Growth After completing my Bachelors of Arts in Human Development with Azusa Pacific University (APU), I started searching for master programs that would fit my career goals. I knew that I wanted to work in education, but I was not sure where I would find the best fit. I had

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previously worked in community development so the thought of creating educational programs for underserved areas interested me. As a future community educational developer, I am grateful for the experience and knowledge obtained in this program. Two of my proudest moments that I have experienced during this masters program were when I was asked to teach a graduate nursing course and when the director of my school asked me to develop faculty development workshops. I am very grateful that my current job is interested in utilizing my talents and skills. I look forward to working on these new projects where education will be enhanced through the use of current technology. If I could say succinctly what I have learned professionally - after being part of this masters program, succinctly I would say that educational technology is constantly changing. Therefore, I will need to be proactive staying current in educational technology consistently throughout my career. As Nemeck (2013) says, Our journey into the great unknown world of innovative education technology is ongoing (p. 35). The opportunities to apply what I have learned in this program are vast. Professionally speaking I feel that I have made a great choice in being part of this masters program. Technical Growth I became aware of so many new and amazing educational technology tools. This program has been a launching pad for me to gain the skills needed to become a better educator. One of our first assignments was to create an Acrobat interactive page that included adding bookmarks and links. At first I could not figure out how to add a bookmark to a page, but I resolved that I would not give up and after a few failed tries I finally learned to accomplish this. These simple assignments were milestones for me. Allowing myself to be teachable gives me opportunities to

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grow. The assignment that I believe was my best learning experience was creating the Global Learning Project (GLP) website. It was the most challenging assignment because this project is geared more toward educators who have elementary or high school students. However, I do not have a classroom or students so this project was going to be a challenge. After submitting my first draft for critique, I realized that I needed help. I carefully read each comment and made adjustments. After completing the newly revamped GLP website I came to the conclusion that having someone assess my work allows me to have a perspective or viewpoint that you I might not otherwise be fully aware of. My desire is to create quality work and in order to do that each product must be thoroughly evaluated and critiqued. Right now I feel confident that even though I am not an expert in technology I do have an advantage. My advantage is that in such a short amount of time I have learned and applied valuable skills that will increase my impact in education. My technical skills will be in high demand as education continues to incorporate technology. The findings suggest that faculty who view themselves as technologically competent may find those competencies manifest themselves in ways that are relevant to their professional lives which in turn help to shape favorable attitudes toward technology and encourage other application (Tabata and Johnsrud, 2008, p.636). In other words, having the opportunity to use my new technological skills in the classroom has given me a better attitude towards technology in general. Life Long Learning

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Completing my Master of Arts in Educational Technology degree is only part of my learning journey. One thing that I learned throughout this program is that technology is constantly changing and improving. As technology advances forward so must I maintain the knowledge and skills which builds upon my graduate education. My plan is to find career opportunities where these skills can be utilized and taught. I do not want to get to a point where my knowledge becomes archaic or obsolete. Plus, in the continuation of my education I will keep my mind sharp and engaged. As a leader in education I will be able to set an example to my students the importance of lifelong learning. I desire to further my knowledge in video production. Recently, I have been given the task to organize and produce informational videos for the School of Nursing department at Azusa Pacific University. I plan to take an online course in video production. I look forward to creating these videos that will be archived for further reference. I am humbled by this assignment as my work will assist many students for years to come. As I look ahead I picture myself being a teacher of teachers. I have had a few opportunities to conduct faculty workshops which have showcased what I have learned. The interesting part is that faculty members are now asking me to teach them web tools that I am not totally familiar with, hence the need to keep on learning. Where there is a need there is also a solution. I would love to be part of that solution. In the end I feel that I need to make a conscious effort to keep on top of any new development in technology. This will keep me motivated to keep myself constantly learning. I love a challenge. I am grateful for every opportunity to improve my skills. God has been so gracious to open doors for me and I want to honor Him by doing my best. Keeping myself

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engaged in education will give me the advantage I need to move forward in my career. Conclusion Throughout this Masters program I have had insightful and memorable moments that I know that I will not soon forget. God has blessed me with a wonderful cadre, amazing professors and a dynamic, interesting program. I have been blessed and uplifted by the devotional forums. I have been challenged by the assignments. I have also been inspired to learn more about technology since starting this program. This program has taught me not only the skills to move forward in my education, but it has also inspired me to continue to learn more about educational technology. I want to expand my knowledge even further by taking more courses on video production for the classroom and also apply these skills in creating educational technology workshops for faculty. The possibilities are endless and I am thankful to God for allowing me this opportunity to grow and expand my knowledge for the betterment of education.

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Reference Chang, Z. (2012). Student satisfaction, performance, and knowledge construction in online c ollaborative learning. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 15(1), 127-136. Nemcek, F. (2013). A progressive approach to integrating education technology. Techniques: Connecting Education & Careers, 88(1), 32-35. Tabata, L., and Johnsrud, L. (2008). The impact of faculty attitudes toward technology, distance education, and innovation. Research in Higher Education, 49(7), 625-646.

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Master of Arts in Educational Technology

EDTC 527 Special Topics EDTC 571 Curr. Foundations Term: Fall 1 2012 EDTC 511 Foundations of Ed. Tech. Term: Fall 1 2012 Dr. Kathleen Bacer Grade : AKey Learning: Obtaining Acrobat skills, understanding APA formatting, and eLearning. Reflection: This course was my foundation for this program. I learned that online learning is not based solely on creating, but applying onine tools to curriculum. Prof. Valerie Suffren Grade: A Key Learning: Learning about my personal learning style, discovering the many collaborative resources such as the ISTE and understanding how to apply learning theories. Reflection: I understood my role as an educator and I understood the importance of adapting my technological skills in order to accommodate the various needs of my students. Term: Fall 2 2012 EDTC 517 Telecommuni cations Term: Fall 2 2013 Prof. Joe Bruzzese Grade: A Key Learning: Learning how to use Vimeo and YouTube to create and upload tutorial videos, discovered the many uses of Google Docs and created my first website. Reflection: The skills I obtained in this course has helped me so much in the job I currently have. I have been able to apply these skills to enhance university level curriculums. Prof. Barry Bettger Grade: A Key Learning: Creating my Personal Learning Network and understanding the importance of surrounding myself with people who will be able to contribute to my ever increase knowledge of educational technology. Reflection: I identified and implemented the use of web tools with my Enhancing Your Curriculum Project. I used the online tool called Prezi to present a series of web tools for professors who teach graduate nursing students.

EDTC 518 Global Learning/Cros s-Cultural Classroom Term: Spring 1 2013 Dr. Kathleen Bacer Grade: B Key Learning: Discovering online resources that open the possibilities for telecollaborati ve global communicatio ns and working with the constructivism model of teaching in preparation for the GLP. Reflection: Learning how to work on a global learning project without a classroom has been a challenge. Now venturing out to create my own GLP I have had to get creative.

EDTC 524 Instructional Design & Development Term: Spring 1 2013 Dr. Bruce Simmerock Grade: A Key Learning: Working on the different sections of the BWD Unit Lesson was very interesting. It was challenging but I learned so much about the ins and outs of my lesson and learning more about copyright laws. Reflection: Each stage of the BWD challenged me to think outside the box, having the opportunity to create this unit lesson plan allowed me to see that I was capable of creating an effective and memorable lesson.

EDTC 573 Phil./Ethics & History of Ed. EDTC 523 - Ed. Appl.: Info. Design/Hyper media Term: Spring 2 2013 Prof. Laura Silva Grade: A Key Learning: Understandin g tht the design of my GLP webiste is just as important as the content and opening up my site to critique helped me to build an effective website. Reflection: Finalizing my GLP webiste made such a difference for me. I learned so much from my cadremates and professor's comments and assessment of the site. Term: Spring 2 2013 Prof. Valerie Suffren Grade: A Key Learning: Learning about the history of education reflecting on the conveniences that we currently have compared to years prior, learning how to write a philosophy of education based on what I would dream my classroom would be and finding importance in the steps taken in history to change the quality of education. Reflection: Thinking outside the box concerning my philosophy of education and constructing a model that I believe would be my ideal classroom.

EDTC 520 App. of TechSupport Curr. Tools Term: Summer 2 2013 Prof. Elizabeth Silver Grade: A Key Learning: Reviewing and understanding what a school district technological plan inlcudes and what it needs to be effective. I was able to create an implementati on plan to organize a flipped faculty meeting. Reflection: Working on my Intro. video on MovieMaker was not only applicable to my course, but I was able to apply it to my current job. Understandin g everything that is included in a district plan was insightful.

EDTC 515 Emerging Trends in Tech. Term: Summer 2 2013 Dr. Jim Brown Grade: A Key Learning: Connecting online tools to education, having the ability to demonstrate to children the dangers of online predators and learnig the usefullness of tablets in the classroom. Reflection: It was insightful to see how tablets and mobile phones are useful in the classroom. Knowing the importance of information literacy and how to share this information with students.

EDTC 526 Practicum in Ed. App. of Technology Term: Fall 1 2013 Dr. Kathleen Bacer Key Learning: Completing and submitting my final GLP with my key learning was unique to this course and program. Being able to gather all my key learning and create a growth assessment paper. Reflection: This final course has given me a time to reflect back to all the learning I had done throughout this program. It is nice to look back in order to look forward to the future. EDTC 572 Adv. Ed. Psychology Term: Fall 1 2013 Dr. Jim Brown Key Learning: Learning how to motivate and help parents and students to stay motivated and be succesfull in school. Reflection: Creating online tools to keep students learning was helpful because I was able to apply this to my own personal educational journey.