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December 8, 2015

Dear Educational Technology Staff,

     My professional goal of pursuing a Master's in Education Technology began when I realized that technology integration in the classroom is no longer an option, but an expectation.  It is no secret that students are driven by technology and are constantly connected to some kind of social media. Students have become technology savvy, but are not necessarily using their devices for educational purposes.  Our challenge is to encourage and motivate students to become technology experts in creating presentations, sharing information, and collaborating with others through effective web 2.0 tools. It took a while for me to accept that times are changing and students’ learning styles are changing with it.  I’m proud to be part of the Los Fresnos Consolidated School District because it has been ranked as one of the top achieving districts in Texas.  They provide teachers with professional development opportunities to ensure that we are trained and prepared to offer our students a quality education. As I reflected on all the trainings we have been provided, I came to the realization that many of the workshops were targeting technology integration and applications.  Although I felt like I had the necessary and basic technology knowledge to work with computers and latest technology devices, the truth was that I lacked a lot of skills and understanding of how to actually integrate technology into lessons. I had to accept that I really didn’t know much of how to incorporate specific web based applications and tools into my lessons.  Therefore, I felt the necessity to return to graduate school to take technology courses and eventually earn a MTT certificate or a Master in Education Technology.  It wasn’t until the summer of 2011 that I received an email from the University of Texas at Brownsville offering a grant towards a MTT Certificate through the MSTTPA Go! Program directed by Dr. Janice Butler.  I took advantage of this opportunity and decided to apply for the grant.  A few days later I received a notification that my grant was approved and I immediately contacted Dr. Butler.  This marked the beginning of my journey towards fulfilling my goal.  However, I needed to find the time and resources (money) to fulfill my goal.

     My experience with the program began when I took advantage of the MSTTPA Go!! Program that was directed by Dr. Janice Butler.  She sent out an email to our school district seeking participants for the program and offering a grant.  I immediately filled out my application and was quickly accepted and contacted by Dr. Butler via email. Once I began taking courses, my perception of technology changed drastically.  I never realized how many different web 2.0 tools and web based applications there were available such as wikis, Wordle, Wallwisher, Flickr, and more.  My desire to learn more about these tools definitely grew.  In fact, I immediately exposed my students to many of these tools to see how well they responded.  In a matter of days, many teachers already asking about the tools that their students learned from my students.  At that point, I made it a personal commitment to serve as a technology advocate in my campus and to train teachers to use different available applications.  By the end of the school year, I was able to see how much impact technology has on students’ education.  My students were always looking forward to using new web tools to create, share, and collaborate with each other as they worked on projects.  One of their favorite tools to use was Edmodo because we were always able to communicate with each other and they were able to view videos, complete quizzes, and even participate in polls whenever we had to vote for something.  Furthermore, my grade level colleagues, who were reluctant to give technology a try, finally became interested as they saw how my students were engaged in their learning.  I was so excited that they finally understood the positive impact of technology that I offered to teach them how to incorporate he different web tools in their lessons.  In the spring of 2013, I successfully completed my program of study and earned my MTT Certificate. Everything that I learned through this program I put into practice in my classroom. Now that I was becoming their technology mentor, I felt the responsibility and urge to continue to learn more by earning a Master in Education Technology.  In the fall of 2014, I contacted Dr. Butler seek her guidance in registering and getting my program of study approved.  It’s been a challenging journey, but a very rewarding one, too.  Now, that I on my final semester of earning a Master in Technology Education, I feel confident about my technology skills because I’ve been able to design and develop an instructional unit to solve a human performance problem.  Students who have taken my course have mastered the objective of learning more about inherited traits and learned behavior.  My finished product serves as evidence that I am able to create an effective web-based by analyzing a problem situation and target audience implement effective instructional strategies.  I selected appropriate media to meet the needs of all students.  Analyzing the results of formative and summative evaluations allowed me to make the necessary revisions to improve its quality and effectiveness.

     My journey towards a Master in Education Technology has taught me many lessons.  First of all, I learned that if we expect students to be successful in school and the real world, we need to equip them with the best and latest technology education.  In order to accomplish this, we need to provide students with instruction that is relevant and meaningful to students.  Schools must also take part in closing education opportunity gaps that still exists today.  By stating this, I mean that students should be provided with the technology devices and tools that private schools offer their students.  All students should be provided with the same quality education.  We live in a world where everything is run by some kind of technology device or application.  Therefore, students need to be exposed to these sources and be provided with learning opportunities.  This new generation is already using different media. It’s our job to teach them how to use it wisely.  The best way to enhance students’ critical thinking skills and creativity is by giving them the tools to express themselves through multimedia.  I also learned that we can’t always use the same technologies because they are always changing.  As I reviewed some of my early works, I realized that some web 2.0 tools are no longer in existence.  For example, Wallwisher, an online post-it wall where notes, videos, and other information can be posted is now called Padlet.  SlideRocket, a presentation online tool is no longer available so my presentation is no longer able to be viewed.  However, there are always new and better tools available that can be used just the same. The key is to ensure that all students are given the opportunity to experience the benefits of the vast uses of technology. Students will become empowered with knowledge that will ensure them a brighter future in today’s world of technology.

     My future goal is to continue to encourage and motivate teachers to use technology in their classroom.  My vision for Educational Technology is for it to be used consistently in and outside of the classrooms.  I would like for my campus to have flipped classrooms where students will be able to have their own tools to access web applications to share their work, complete tasks, and work collaboratively on projects.  In addition, providing students with web-based instruction in an asynchronously or synchronously manner may benefit some students as well. I want to share my experiences and the positive results that I’ve had throughout my career as a graduate student.  The ultimate goal is to help form a community where parents, students, teachers, and administrators are all onboard with the implementation of a technology education initiative.  As for me, I plan to continue learning more about this field by attending conferences and taking an active part in my school district by providing face-to-face trainings, as well as, by creating instructional videos. 

     In conclusion, I’ve learned the importance of continuous learning and staying up-to-date with the latest technologies and applications. Although I haven’t decided if I will be pursuing a doctorate degree, I am going to implement all that I learned in my classroom to help my students strive and succeed.   I’m pleased with the amount of knowledge and skills that I’ve mastered and feel confident that I have the tools to make a difference in my students’ education.  The professors here at UTB, or now UTRGV, have influenced me immensely. I truly believe that this organization has some of the most dedicated, well-prepared, and passionate instructors that impact many students’ lives.  The quality of education I received has definitely surpassed my expectations.  For this, I would like to thank the Department of Education. Thank you for commitment and dedication towards my learning experiences and success.

Sincerely,

Ruth Garza