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ASSESSING MY GROWTH
Gabriela Ceja-Garcia
Personal Growth
grow personally in many ways. As you grow older, growing personally can be challenging. I
One area that has been significant has been my spiritual growth. I am a woman of faith
However, in this program I have been able to connect myself with so many other people that
interpret the same verse read differently than I do. Through the forums in each course, we
have shared deeper and intimate thoughts about our lives in the past and the present. I have
learned and been able to give support to a single mom and to a teacher who was struggling
with a choice of changing jobs. In return, many have been there for me during my new
journey, a demanding new position teaching a combo class, and much more. This has led me
to see the greater meaning of love and the endless ways it is demonstrated. I have grown to not
only respect other’s spiritual views, but to also look deeper into mine.
Another personal growth area during the EDTC program has been my cognitive skills.
My attention to detail and organize my thoughts has meant I have been able to accomplish
goals that I have set out to complete. This cognitive growth has also helped me to become a
much more effective educator, colleague, mother, and wife. Cognitively growing as an
educator this year has helped me to have a successful year being a first time 2nd and 3rd grade
combo teacher.
Certain things cannot be taught, for example how to teach two grades at one time. I have
learned this through experience. Personally, if given another combination class next year
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or in the future years I will have the experience and will be able to handle this demanding
position.
I have always been one to lack confidence in technology. I have also lacked in
confidence as a mother. The courses I have taken at Azusa Pacific University (APU), have
given my confidence in those two areas a level of boost I had not had in quite some time. I am
able to hold discussions and defend the importance of teaching students the Nine Elements of
Digital Citizenship. I have also been an influential example to my grown children about
Of course, one must not forget the friendships and comaradie built during this journey.
In a past post from a past course, a cadre-mate transcribed how he/she felt a deeper sense of
closeness to us on the forums then if we were to have been in a face-to- face classroom setting.
We all agreed that we do not stay after class and talk about our personal life, our personal
goals, or our personal achievements in a regular college course setting. Writing our thoughts
and ideas has brought us closer not only with God but with each other.
Professional Growth
Courses that I have taken at APU have helped in my professional growth. The EDTC
program has provided me with skills and knowledge that I was seeking to be considered for
opportunities in my profession that I may not have been considered for otherwise. I have
developments.
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Technology is shaping the future of education and the EDTC program has helped me
gain knowledge and skills that I need to ensure that my students are college and/or career
ready. In his online article 3 Questions to Tackle when Growing and Developing
Professionally, John Conen (2018) states that “one of the best ways we can model the idea of
agency is to show students, colleagues, parents, and community members that we are
continually working on ourselves professionally” (para 2). Having this growth development
from the EDTC courses is an evident growth that can be seen in my classroom and school
setting.
Certainly before my education at APU, I would not have the skills to create and lead a
Ribble (2015) in his book Digital Citizenship in Schools, states “Before technology leaders
begin to integrate digital citizenship into their school, faculty and staff should understand the
aspects and professional development activities covering the various areas of digital
citizenships should be provided” (p. 81). I am confident with this skill I have developed; I am
A proud moment overcomes me knowing that I am not just an educator that waits for
something to change, but I am an educator that is able to makes changes for educators,
Technological Growth
I have to admit that I was that teacher when the word technology was mentioned at a
professional development or staff meeting I cringed. I now proudly say that my technology
skills have increased and it is evident in my own work as well as my student’s work. I am able
Learning Project (GLP). Not only did I create my own GLP website, Militaries Around the
World (Garcia, 2018), I also participated in various GLP’s where I became, along with my
With my new skills learned throughout the EDTC program, I have been able to utilize
technology to support my students’ learning instead of just using technology as a center for
small groups. I learned to create visual reports and taught my young students the use of a
green screen. This acquired new skill made learning meaningful and visually engaging.
I have also used my classroom website as a platform for student blogging. As Will
Richardson (2010), mentioned “The most obvious implementation is first to use Weblogs as a
place to post homework assignments and relevant class links” (p.45). Now, parents read their
children’s success on my classroom website weekly, written by the students. Also, I am able to
utilize blogging to share and gain valuable information to and from other educators.
In the end, this journey has given me an array of developed skills needed to ensure
that I am a 21st-century educator and able to provide my students with those same skills
A life-long learner is a person that continues to change and evolve as time changes
and evolves. As an educator, I believe that we should never stop learning. Not only does
curriculum shift from year to year but also our students’ learning styles and
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needs. I intend to continue my learning in many ways by enrolling in Massive Online Open
updated with the latest technology trends. To ensure that I continue to grow as an educator I
conferences that are in my areas of interest. I will also continue my personal learning
networks as they are a key source of the what, where, how and why’s in education. I will
continue to advocate for technology integration in classrooms and keep myself updated with
ISTE standards. Most importantly I will ensure that I continue to search for Global Learning
Conclusion
educator, a leader, and an innovator of technology. Throughout this journey, I have met
people that have inspired me through their faith in God and who have shared their similar
passions in education. I believe I have inspired them as well. This is not the end of my
References
Conen, J. (2018, February 12). 3 questions to tackle when growing and developing
professionally/
https://militariesaroundth.wixsite.com/mysite
Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for
Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know.