What+I+Learned+About

=** Comprehensive Exam of ** = =** Educational Technology Leadership ** =

**Lamar University**
In my quest to become an educational technology leader, I hope to be able to share my abilities and knowledge with those in the educational field, whether in the profession of teaching or leading others. While my resume is quite diversified in the abilities that I have acquired over the years, my strengths lie within the technology field and the knowledge that I have gained from the computer-based positions that I have held.

**Position and Leadership Goals**

**Position Goal**
My job position at Weatherford College is that of Web Designer. I have been employed with WC for a year and have found the information I have learned in the classes for this program beneficial in that particular role. Although I am not playing the role as professor for a class of high school graduates, I do find opportunities to instruct administrators, secretaries, and teachers about the college website. At this time, I’m not quite sure how my role will change after the completion of my M.Ed. degree, but I am looking forward to the possibilities. I have learned, after working for another community college as Graphics Manager for 16 years, not to be so focused in on a single career choice that you overlook what opportunities may appear on the horizon.

**Leadership Goal**
In my twenty-plus-year career, I have seen how technology has shifted and changed. Mimicking the ebb and flow of an ocean, some technology developments have taken a strong hold on our society and others have not. With the surging of the waves onto the educational arena, it not only has taken a strong hold, but flooded the gates like a tidal wave.

As our young 21st century students have begun their educational journey, our teachers have found they are immersed in a digital world and challenged to present new lesson materials revised and edited for the “Digital Natives” as Marc Prensky had predicted (2001). Today’s generation of instructors are now labeled as “Digital Immigrants” and now struggle in the student chair to learn the technology that is so eagerly accepted by their students. Many times, students are instructing the teachers on the classroom technology that surrounds them.

This challenge not only affects that K-12 grade levels, but also the higher education level with those similar “Digital Immigrants” struggling to comprehend this new educational technology. If students are taught the new technology in grade school levels, they sometimes find themselves facing a community college also struggling to upgrade to the new standards required of them by the state educational agencies. In essence, technology is affecting all levels of education and no matter what role you play, there will always be a need for technologist trained in the educational technology.

**Vision of Educational Technology**
In my twenty-plus-year career, I have seen how technology has shifted and changed. Mimicking the ebb and flow of an ocean, some technology developments have taken a strong hold on our society and others have not. With the surging of the waves onto the educational arena, it not only has taken a strong hold, but flooded the gates like a tidal wave.

As our young 21st century students have begun their educational journey, our teachers have found they are immersed in a digital world and challenged to present new lesson materials revised and edited for the “Digital Natives” as Marc Prensky had predicted (2001). Today’s generation of instructors are now labeled as “Digital Immigrants” and now struggle in the student chair to learn the technology that is so eagerly accepted by their students. Many times, students are instructing the teachers on the classroom technology that surrounds them.

This challenge not only affects that K-12 grade levels, but also the higher education level with those similar “Digital Immigrants” struggling to comprehend this new educational technology. If students are taught the new technology in grade school levels, they sometimes find themselves facing a community college also struggling to upgrade to the new standards required of them by the state educational agencies. In essence, technology is affecting all levels of education and no matter what role you play, there will always be a need for technologist trained in the educational technology.

As mentioned in the //2011 Horizon Report//, “The abundance of resources and relationships made easily accessible via the Internet is increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators in sense-making, coaching, and credentialing.” Our population is immersed in the technical gadgets of our century. Mobile devices of every kind is now available and flooding our markets with gadgets, such as the Kendall and iPad. Books, magazines, and other reading materials are now available to download to your electronic devices of choice. Libraries are considering changing their shelves of dusty periodicals into drawers of DVD’s or having the digital archived onto computer systems to be shared between several community libraries at one time and open twenty- four hours a day. No longer will you have to struggle to “get to the library before they close”!

With this digital emergence, the mass population is now expecting to learn, what they want to learn, and when they want to learn it. Companies are also struggling to “keep up” with the public demand as new versions of software and products seemingly repopulate the shelves every six months. It is now common to hear the frustrations of consumers and students alike when digital connections are not available or devices are no longer suitable for the higher version of technology data feeds.

Typical school desks with the storage bin underneath your seat to house your folders and various textbooks have now been replaced with laptop computers that are loaded with all the school software and programs needed during that academic year. Wire-bound calendars are now replaced with various electronic versions that can be downloaded to your iPad, computer or cell phone, to keep your schedule up-to-date on all your electronic tracking devices. Homework that is shared between a variety of personal devices now eliminate the old excuse of “the dog ate my homework.”

As with all changes and developments over the centuries, we are finding that we can never reverse the flood waters of advancement. As the //2011// //Horizon Report// also concurs, “These trends and challenges are a reflection of the impact of technology that is occurring in almost every aspect of our lives. They are indicative of the changing nature of the way we communicate, access information, connect with peers and colleagues, learn, and even socialize.”

**Self-Reflection**
Although the past eighteen months have seemingly flown past, the hours that I have invested into this program and the development of the skills as an Educational Technologist, have been forever etched upon my braincells. I believe I have worked harder for this degree than any other goal I have set for myself. I have learned a great deal about myself, the technology that has saturated our everyday living, my leadership skills, as well as my attitude towards it all.

**Myself**
In reflecting back to the beginning of my master’s program, it’s hard to believe that I have come so far in this journey. I remember so vividly a group of disgruntled college employees fed up with being overlooked for well-deserved advancements and opportunities, deciding to take a positive action to better our employment status. I had been searching for an interesting master’s degree that would cause financial ruin to my family or myself, as well as obtainable before I had turned 100 years old!

Although I lacked the professional skills as a teacher, I have had many opportunities to teach in one form or fashion in my career, and in my personal life. At one time, I did have aspirations to be an Art teacher in a school for the handicap or deaf. But alas, my career choices took me down a different life path leading to the title of Graphics Manager and supporting teachers in the college educational arena.

**My Attitudes**
I had my insecurities about beginning a master’s degree program, especially in a field that was somewhat unfamiliar to me, but found the reassurance of class subjects as //Multimedia Video// //Technology//, //Web Design//, and //Digital Graphics// – all subjects that I was accustomed to using in my daily work life – how hard could it be? Not being one to turn away from an opportunity to better myself or my career, I cautiously proceeded. As I completed the required information to be submitted online, my brain kept reviewing all the information that I had found at local universities and their master’s programs that were available. I kept coming back to the reasoning of “If you pursue a MFA at another university, you will be taking classes similar to that of your BFA, why do you want to study something you are already proficient at?” Only one logical conclusion made sense, ”I want to learn something new that will enable me to share what I’ve already learned.” I found all the cards were “stacked in my favor” and I had nothing to lose! Taking that first step into the dark unknown was inevitable and take it, I did.

**Technology & Leadership Skills**
I was pleased and surprised of how well I scored in the class work that I was assigned and thoroughly enjoyed the subject matter. Since I had no children in my home, I found learning about the school systems and how they function a completely new and fascinating subject. As I studied about the technology that is becoming more and more available for classrooms of all age groups, I was surprised to learn of the struggles within those very classrooms. As students embrace the technology, because they’ve known nothing else, teachers struggle to learn the new technology and “keep up” with the students that they are leading into the 21st century.

With this new discovery, I now know what role I may play in this rapidly advancing Educational Technology field. Embracing technology has always been easy for me, although I am one of the original “Digital Learners.” Prensky (2001) As I have taken on the responsibilities as Web Designer for a different community college, than I had originally worked at the beginning of this journey, I have found the knowledge I have gained from my studies has been readily available to share with my new colleagues. My newly learned knowledge of the educational field has been helpful to the college planning committees that I participate in that attempt to predict what might be needed for classroom instruction for these “Digital Natives.” Prensky (2001) As K-12 schools are attempting to update their classrooms into the 21st century technology, the colleges and universities are also struggling to provide those high-tech learning gadgets that new students will expect to be available in their higher education pursuits.

**REFERENCES**
Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., and Smythe, T. (2009). //The 2009 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition.// Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants: Part 1. //On the Horizon//, 9(5), 1-6. Prensky, M. (2005/2006). Listen to the natives. //Educational Leadership//, 63(4), 8-13.