As a teacher, I will always be learning. There are many different aspects of teaching about which I can educate myself, let alone the constant production of new research and new technology. However, this next stage of my learning will be different from what it has always been: I will no longer be enrolled in a school or university that guides my learning; I will guide my own learning. With the hopes of always providing my students with the best instruction I can, two of my three goals are to learn about new technology to integrate in my instruction and develop a good system for small group instruction. My third goal is to become a leader in educational technology in my school so that I can have a broader impact on students.
Technology Integration
Good technologies to integrate into my instruction will always be something I need to learn about and stay up-to-date with because technology is constantly changing. What is the best today may be overtaken by something else tomorrow. Edutopia, a website with articles, videos, and discussion groups, will be a great resource for me. I will need to use this website regularly to learn about all of the new ideas and technologies available for middle school mathematics instruction and elementary education instruction, should I choose to switch to a lower grade in the future. This is the first article I plan on reading: https://www.edutopia.org/article/effective-technology-use-math-class.
Small Group Instruction
I would like to educate myself about small group instruction in the middle school mathematics classroom. The school I work at does not provide math intervention as a class, so I need to provide it within my own classroom during regular instruction time. This can be quite a challenge. It is difficult to organize intervention within my fifty-three minute class periods while also trying to keep the rest of my students on task and appropriately challenged. I have found some methods that work, but I would like to develop an effective and efficient system for small group instruction so that I can provide my struggling students with intervention regularly. To do this, I will need to read about what other teachers have found to work and be beneficial to their struggling learners, as well as keeps the rest of the class on task and productive. The Internet will be a helpful tool for me as I research this topic. Maneuvering the Middle, an education blog, has some great resources for me to use. I plan to start by reading this article: https://www.maneuveringthemiddle.com/implementing-math-small-group-instruction/.
Educational Technology Leader
Lastly, I want to become a leader in educational technology within my school. This goal is similar to my first goal, but with a broader impact. The district that I work in has technology staff, but there is no technology staff directly in my building. I want to be a resource that my colleagues can rely on when it comes to integrating technology into their instruction and assessment. Learning about various technologies will play a big role in working towards this goal, but achieving this goal will require much more than that. I will need to learn how to promote educational technology to my colleagues. I will need to know how to adapt the technologies that I use to subject areas other than my own. Reading this article will be a good place to start: https://www.thetechedvocate.org/9-tips-education-leader-digital-age/. After that, my research through the Internet will need to continue in much more depth. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has standards for education leaders. I can use those standards to guide my learning.
Even though I am wrapping up my time as a formal student, I will always be a student in a way. These are my first three goals post-graduation, but there will surely be many more to come. I do think these three goals are logical next steps for me. I want to continue learning about educational technology, use it effectively in my own instruction, and promote it to my colleagues. The Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program at Michigan State University has set me up well to accomplish these goals. Providing small group intervention also has to be at the forefront of my learning, as this is the only way my students will receive intervention at my middle school. These three goals will help me provide my students and the students in my school with the best instructional practices and mediums for learning.