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Final Reflection Paper

Nearing the end of West Georgia's educational specialist degree in instructional technology, it is now time to reflect upon what I have learned throughout the program and where I now reside in terms of both my professional and personal goals.  The course work within the program has granted me many opportunities to expand my knowledge of both technology and pedagogy. I found the curriculum to be diverse and relevant to my professional goals. Also, there were many choices in the curriculum which allowed me to tailor the program to my specific wants and needs.  For me, this was a curriculum filled with courses designed to help me develop the skills I require to work in the distance education field of education. 

Technology Strengths Revisited
Already having a strong technology background, there did exist a feeling that I would not be challenged within this program.  However, throughout the program I learned a great deal about how to apply the technological skills I possessed towards educational goals. Designing interactive websites, collaborating with my peers via Google Docs, and building an online course module, were all extremely valuable to my goal of working the distance education field.  
I was also reminded that technology related skills are not something that one can acquire and have those same skills be relevant in a year.  Technologies are constantly advancing and the applications that are used today will most likely be obsolete in a small amount time.  If you become stagnant in your desire to explore emerging trends and technology applications, then you will quickly find yourself playing catch-up.  The program did a good job of introducing many new computing technologies that no doubt will play a role in the future of distance education. 

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Technology Weaknesses Revisited
At the beginning of the program, a weakness I noticed in myself was my peer-tutoring abilities.  I can say that I have improved upon this deficiency.  Throughout the program, I have given a lot of thought on how best to instruct others concerning the use of technology resources. Assignments I have done involving video tutorials that guide users step-by-step through programs have helped me a great deal.  The art of breaking apart a task into its individual components for instruction purposes is a beneficial skill for anyone working in education.  These skills are also a necessity when designing coursework in an online environment.  Instructions need to be written clearly because you will often lack the immediate question and answer sessions that occur in a traditional face-to-face setting. 
I weakness I still see within myself is the lack of technology integration within my math and science classes.  While much improved, I have not done as much as I am able.  Throughout this program I have learned of many applicable tools and ideas that I could implement within the classroom. However, for whatever reason, I have not done so.  However, I look forward to being finished with this program, in that I will be able to divert more of my energy into my work.   

Technology Opportunities Revisited
I still believe that opportunities involving distance education will continue to grow.  Virtual secondary schools are still growing along with online college degree programs.  I was extremely pleased that this program had a component that involved distance education course design.  As a result of this, I feel qualified to work in any one of these emerging markets. 
Even in these dire economic times, I still hold to the belief that technology will eventually permeate into every aspect of the classroom.  Since starting this program, two products have emerged that I believe will be a part of all classrooms in the future.  Amazon's Kindle, an e-reader that could easily replace texts, and Apple's iPad, a unique device that could possibly replace laptops, both represent a revolution in personal computing.  These type devices, I believe, will make their way into student hands in the near future. This makes the technology literacy of educators a must have in the coming decades.  For me, I will be taking from the instructional technology program, a renewed sense of curiosity concerning the latest technologies and applications.  This mindset is essential to our profession, as it is we who will be looked to for answers concerning the implications of these technologies on education.     

         
Technology Threats Revisited
A threat I have begun to overcome since starting the program, concerns the fear that people have of change.  Often, the integration of technology within the classroom is blocked by those who lack the skills and knowledge for proper implementation.  I have begun to work with several colleagues on how to use the technology we have available to create more engaging and meaningful lessons.  This process is helped by several of the applications that I have learned about during this program's coursework.  Currently, I have set up the video conferencing within my classroom to collaborate with other teachers and students throughout our school.  I hope to expand this effort to other schools in our system, which will allow students to work with classrooms outside of their own areas. 
Our school system has recently begun using Google Sites and Google Docs for teachers and students.  These are applications that I have become familiar with due to the instruction within this program.  This familiarity has allowed me to offer assistance to my fellow teachers and become a proponent of this type of technology integration. 

        
Technology Goals Revisited
When I began the program my goals were numerous.  I wanted to increase my knowledge of web design and Internet based applications that could aid in my classroom instruction.  I also wanted to enhance my knowledge of technologies related to distance education.  My ultimate goal was to leave the program ready to begin working in an online environment armed with the tools and knowledge needed to successful facilitate student learning in this type of environment. 
The goals that I had set for myself were well met throughout the program.  Courses in web design, distance education, and Internet tools allowed me to hone the skills which I will need to be successful in my endeavors.  Besides the technical proficiencies that were acquired, I learned how to modify and design lessons suited to the virtual environment.  I have become equipped with techniques and strategies that will promote higher order thinking skills, student collaboration, and higher levels of technological literacy.  
Though not one of my original goals, I feel that I am also prepared to take on the role of a technology coordinator working for a school system.  The program did an excellent job of introducing me to the fundamental principles involved in facilitating change.  I feel I could be an excellent benefit to system administrators looking for the best ways to implement new technologies and programs for students or teachers within the current systems.  At the start of the program, I had no idea that I might want to one day be involved in this type of administrative work.  However, now I believe that I could perform this type of work well.  This type of position would allow me to help prepare learners for futures that will no doubt involve technology.
There are some items that I did not get a chance to explore as much as I would have liked.  For instance, open source software solutions, like the Moodle learning environment, were a topic in which I hoped to learn a bit more.  However, I do feel that I have the skills I need to learn about these things independently.