Goals STatement
Statement of Purpose:
During my five years in education, I have learned that one tool, more than anything else, helps to spark student interest and allows them to truly take ownership of their learning: technology. It is for this reason that I wish to become a 21st Century Technology Integration Specialist.
For the past five years, I’ve been working with low income, at-risk student populations. Technology is useful for all students, but I find that technology can offer disadvantaged students an even greater boost to their learning. When I bring technology into the classroom, students with gaps in their knowledge and skills due to years in disadvantaged schools suddenly have an even playing field on which to operate. I have seen students who struggle to read, for example, suddenly find a topic more accessible when sitting in front of a computer instead of a textbook. Technology engages them and, in my experience, allows for significant growth in student learning. Additionally, many of my students don’t have access to these tools in their homes and so I feel I have a special responsibility to make sure they are well versed in using them before they go off to college and the working world.
Not only will this knowledge help me to be a better educator, but it will allow me to pass on the most effective learning tools to other educators as well. As a teacher who often integrates technology into my own classroom, I have a great deal of informal experience teaching other teachers how to use various Web 2.0 tools in their classrooms to better the learning experiences of their students. As I complete my studies at NIU, I feel I am now equipped to formally build staff development programs and help other educators integrate the latest instructional technology into their curricula to improve student learning outcomes.
Short-Term Goals (1-2 years):
Long-Term Goals:
During my five years in education, I have learned that one tool, more than anything else, helps to spark student interest and allows them to truly take ownership of their learning: technology. It is for this reason that I wish to become a 21st Century Technology Integration Specialist.
For the past five years, I’ve been working with low income, at-risk student populations. Technology is useful for all students, but I find that technology can offer disadvantaged students an even greater boost to their learning. When I bring technology into the classroom, students with gaps in their knowledge and skills due to years in disadvantaged schools suddenly have an even playing field on which to operate. I have seen students who struggle to read, for example, suddenly find a topic more accessible when sitting in front of a computer instead of a textbook. Technology engages them and, in my experience, allows for significant growth in student learning. Additionally, many of my students don’t have access to these tools in their homes and so I feel I have a special responsibility to make sure they are well versed in using them before they go off to college and the working world.
Not only will this knowledge help me to be a better educator, but it will allow me to pass on the most effective learning tools to other educators as well. As a teacher who often integrates technology into my own classroom, I have a great deal of informal experience teaching other teachers how to use various Web 2.0 tools in their classrooms to better the learning experiences of their students. As I complete my studies at NIU, I feel I am now equipped to formally build staff development programs and help other educators integrate the latest instructional technology into their curricula to improve student learning outcomes.
Short-Term Goals (1-2 years):
- To become a technology integration specialist for a school or district.
- To assist with the successful implementation of a school-wide 1:1 computing program.
- To teach staff and students how to effectively utilize Google Apps for Education in order to maximize student learning outcomes.
- To assist in the creation of a school-wide technology plan.
- To assist in software and materials selection and evaluation.
- To assist educators with the identification of and proper use of technology to enhance student learning outcomes in their classrooms.
- To assist educators with the utilization of Learning Management Systems to implement assessments.
Long-Term Goals:
- To continually learn and master new classroom tools and technologies to better my own classroom instruction and the instruction of others.
- To present a workshop at the Illinois Computing Educators (ICE) Workshop.
- To shape long-term technology plans for a school or district.