So What,

Who Cares?

What is the point of earning a masters degree in Educational Technology? First, I want to say that I care! This journey has een in!alua le and I"m so grateful to ha!e een gi!en the opportunity to learn the s#ills and find the resources that this program has taught me$ In today"s changing and technologically e!ol!ing world, a teacher must e willing to learn and #eep themsel!es a reast of the changes is e%isting and emerging technology$ In my field of special education, I define a strong teacher in many ways$ We are constantly adapting the curriculum we ha!e to meet the needs of our di!erse students$ We are capa le of learning and de!eloping our #nowledge of technology in today"s changing and e!ol!ing world$ I great teacher a solutely must de!elop s#ills to #eep up with e%isting and emerging technology$ Especially in my field , Special Education, it"s essential for teachers to properly and effecti!ely differentiate their instruction, and include all students, meeting them &where they are,' and addressing their learning style(s)$ *ssessing what types of learners your classroom is populated with, and then ser!ing their indi!idual learning stye, (e%+ !isual, naturalistic, auditory, and #inesthetic ) to enrich learning for them personally, is an effecti!e and powerful tool that teachers need to implement for proper student success$ I elie!e that eing a teacher is such an ama,ing lessing and I feel such a strong ond with my students$ -ne student who is !er al, got e%cited a out a particular triumph he e%perienced, and without thin#ing, said to me, &.om! I did it!'$ I could not ha!e een more fulfilled at that moment, as I was /uite aware how close this student felt to me too$ (I ne!er told

his mom that he said it, ut it warmed my heart just the same)$ 0indness, respect and genuineness are wonderful traits for all people to stri!e demonstrate$ 1ut for teachers, they are a solutely essential$ Fairness and also professionalism are two attri utes that teachers should also model for their students$ They learn from not just what we teach them !ia curricular steps, ut also from our own eha!ior$ 2ow we treat them ecomes their inner !oice, and this is a !ery serious responsi ility$ I ha!e enjoyed all of my training+ achelors degree, credential courses, and my master"s wor#, especially the Capstone project$ This part of my life has ta#en so much dedication and perse!erance, and I am feeling a solutely ju ilant to e at the end of this long journey$ I am e%cited to e a le to e%ercise again on the wee#ends and not e stuc# in the li rary$ I will say, howe!er, that I always go ac# and peruse through old assignments, te%t, and other resources that I"!e een introduced to through this program$ I made an *nimoto just for fun! I want to e%pand on my teacher"s log, and I lo!e searching for apps that would e useful for my students in reaching their goals$ .y life has had it"s twists and turns, triumphs and failures, ut all of these e%periences ha!e led me to the &here and now$' I"m grateful for all of the lessons I"!e learned and #now I will e a etter teacher, mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend ecause of them$ I ha!e learned patience and compassion$ I"!e learned to e /uic# thin#ing and fle%i le$ *nd, than#fully, as a Christian, I ha!e genuine lo!e for my rethern, and I don"t appro!e of people creating discord in others" li!es$ I"m comforta le in ser!ing other people and not putting myself first$ I just feel I"m called to do that, and my heart and head agree$ Technology, for some of my students, means the difference etween ha!ing a literal !oice, or ha!ing to remain silent, unheard, and frustrated$ I ha!e already seen progress with one

of my sweet #ids who had no **C or communication de!ice e%cept a small plastic sheet with a couple of !elcroed icons on it when he came to me$ 3ou should see him now! 2e ta#es off icons to ma#e three word sentences, pulls them off inder, and hands them to me using eye contact! I"m so proud of him$ I created him a template on a &4oTal# 5' and recorded a !oice that is a le to &say' all of his preferred items, including &please' &I want' &than# you' and & rea#time$' 2is parents are thrilled and ha!e told me that his eha!iors ha!e changed and calmed down ecause of his de!eloping and impro!ing use of the communication de!ices$ This is all done through technology$ I admit, I used to e a it afraid of technology and would gi!e up if I got frustrated$ I ne!er thought I"d e ma#ing i.o!ies and dropping in trac#s! 6ow, I a solutely lo!e it$ I"m so impressed y the storage of important wor#s that we can upload to 7i!e1inder, and ha!ing the a ility to create a we site on my own$ I also feel that this program is so eautifully tailored to our own indi!iduality, as was apparent the last night of class when watching our final Capstone !ideos$ Than# you, *89, for e!erything! 3ou are the est$ *nd I #now, 3-9 care, too!