Goal Reflection Essay

Original Goal Statement Prezi

I have always heard the phrase, “The more you learn, the more you discover how little you know.” I used to relate this idiom to space travel or exploring depths of the ocean. However, this saying has never been more true to my life than it is now, as I am about to graduate from the Master’s of Education Technology program (MAET) at Michigan State University. Upon applying for the program I wrote a goal statement that included what I wanted to work towards while completing my degree.

Two years later, I am now reflecting upon how my original goals have evolved. When I entered the program I wanted learn more about the types of technology that would help me teach students in my classroom. I thought that the classes and instructors would give me the keys to a treasure chest full of websites, programs, or tools that I could use in my own classroom. I knew that technology had the ability to excite and engage students and wanted to learn more about how I could integrate cutting edge equipment in my lessons.

"Knowing More About Knowing Less"

While I still want to motivate students to learn, my ideas and goals in terms of integrating technology into my classroom have evolved. My updated goal is to integrate technology in a way that opens up new possibilities for my students, which allow them to communicate with other students, professionals, and people around the world. I have already begun to change my way of teaching through techniques such as a flipped classroom, citizen science projects, and getting my students to share their ideas through blogs. However, I know this is just the beginning. The more that I transform my traditional classroom into a global one, the more I realize how far I truly have to go in order to reach this goal.

Another one of my original goals was to be a technology leader in my school. While I am still interested in being a leader, the MAET program has expanded my ideas about the type of leadership roles that I can fill. The program has helped me realize the plethora of education technology careers that are available outside of the traditional classroom. My future goals include increasing the network of people who may open doors to these possibilities.

The more I learn about education technology, the more I realize how much I still want to know and accomplish. I don’t exactly know how to transform my classroom into a global community of learners, or what the next step in my career path will be, but both are goals that I want to keep working toward. I am excited to graduate and begin working towards my updated goals, but part of me does not want the program to end. Although, I won’t miss having to meet weekly deadlines, I appreciate all the ways in which I have grown as a person and educator. After graduation, my goal is to pursue the never-ending quest to discover more about all the things that I have yet to know.