Ronda's Adventures in Techno-land
A Goal Statement Reflection
Written By: Ronda Brown
As Alice in Wonderland fell down a rabbit hole into a new world of fantasy, I have been introduced to the world of technology in a similar fashion. My adventure has its ups and downs as any good story should. As I review my initial goal statement for admittance into the portal of MAET at MSU, I have become quite aware of things I have learned, how my views have changed, and what still holds true.
In my personal goal statement I addressed 3 major concepts that would lead me to success in the MSU MAET program. Those items consisted of knowing who I am currently, what has brought me to this point, and recognizing who I want to be. As I reflect upon this journey I can see that “who I am currently” has changed and I did not adjust my life accordingly in order to maximize my success in all areas of my life. I also lost focus as to who I want to be. What I wanted to take away from this program was minimally explored and achieved. I still desire to be an excellent student, highly effective educator, and tech savvy Spartan. They say that only through failure can you really understand success. The failure makes you hungry for what you really desire as long as you don’t let the failure consume you. I wouldn’t say that I am a failure, but I do feel as though this is the first time I have not met and exceeded my own personal goals for myself. Going through this has refueled my fire to go harder after what I desire to accomplish.
I have learned that something has got to give. I was told some years back by my cooperating teacher during my student teaching that I was burning the candle at both ends. Meaning that I was trying to do too much and therefore not able to do everything well. This advice rings in my ears now. I needed to let some of my responsibilities go, so that I could manage my life better. Not only was I highly involved in my work’s extracurricular activities, but I also volunteered in my church, attended all family gatherings good and bad, tried to maintain a social life, and had to deal with an expected health issue. My plate was full and overflowing and I didn’t take the time to trim the fat.
Some key concepts from my goal statement still ring true to me. I am still in agreement with what an effective teacher is and how technology should be incorporated into the classroom to enhance the educational experience. I will use my Google Reader and netvibes to bring that information to me. I continue to feel as though I have only scratched the surface of becoming a more proficient teacher using technology. However, now I am more aware of what is available and how to stay updated with the new trends. I stated that this program would be a stepping stone in my life to help me reach my goals of growing educationally and professionally, becoming a more effective teacher, and developing tech savvy skills to enhance the educational experience. Being in the Masters of Arts for Educational Technology at Michigan State University has been that and so much more.
