Ed Tech Statement

EDUC 511
Kimi Van Spronsen
Fall 2013


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Throughout the previous years education has made tremendous bounds
both in the fields of academic content and in technology development. In order to
effectively educate students of the next generations teachers need to continue to
grow and adapt to the changing educational world. The definition of what makes
an effective educator has changed drastically in the past years. There is a higher
level of expectation for the educator to not only be able to accurately
communicate the information to students but also develop higher order thinking
in a students understanding throughout the process. In order to be an effective
educator you must go above and beyond being a simple conduit of information,
instead the teacher becomes a facilitator who is leading students on a journey of
discovery. Effective educators create a learning environment for students to test
their own boundaries of understanding and to create and analyze information in
new ways.
As I strive to become a more effective educator one of the greatest
inspirations throughout my career as a teacher and before has been my mom.
She is not only a rock solid follower of Christ but she has also effectively been
not only a teacher but also an administrator for over twenty-eight years. One of
the reasons I look up to her so much is by the wake that she leaves behind her.
Anyone who comes into contact with her both in the education world or outside of
it are consistently touched and impressed by her handling of difficult situations.
She doesnt avoid the problem but rather faces it straight on but in such a way
that makes all parties feel engaged and an active participant in its resolution. Her
teachers and staff trust her decisions and look to her for creative solutions and
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teaching strategies. My mom also stays on top of the ever-changing wave of
education, continually seeking out the best way to assist students in learning.
She understands that weather it is a good thing or not education and technology
and intricately connected and seeks out ways to link the two in a positive
manner. To me my mother is an effective educator, someone who can
continually learn and grow and inspire those around her to do the same.
One piece of being an effective teacher is finding accurate and meaningful
ways to measure student success. How you determine when a student has
attained mastery of the subject is critical for moving students through higher
levels of thinking. To measure student success effectively you must gauge the
learning in a multitude of ways. Students not only learn in different ways they
also can demonstrate their understanding in a myriad of different mediums.
Although standardized testing is the overarching measure of student success,
both informal and formal assessment play a key role in gauging the
comprehension of the student. To measure success teachers must diversify their
assessment methods to include assessments that range across the board both in
medium and display different levels of higher order thinking beyond rote
memorization.
I will not be an effective teacher if I do not keep my faith on the front lines
of my life and my work. How I see Christ and understand Him as my Lord and
Savior changes how I react to my students in different situations. I need to strive
to live a life that is overflowing with the love of Christ, to give forgiveness and
show grace in the same way that Christ has forgiven me. Faith not only changes
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my interactions with students but it changes my overall focus in the classroom.
Students are unique children of God; He has plans for every one of them and I
have been gifted with the opportunity to be a part of the picture for a minor
moment. This opportunity to impact a childs life can be either small or big but it
carries tremendous weight, God is molding the lives of the next generation and I
am but a small piece of the overall puzzle.
In the coming years and decades technology is going to be a piece of
teaching of learning weather we approve of it or not. However I am of the belief
that technology when used effectively has the ability to enrich and expand the
learning process. Technology on the very basic level gives students access to a
plethora of information that was not previously available. They also have the
ability to connect and collaborate with not only their peers across the hall but with
students in countries around the world. Our world is no longer confined to the
people who live in our cities rather our interactions and communication must be
done on a global scale. Technology also provides student with a way in which to
communicate and develop their ideas that corresponds to the technological
advancement of our society.
As I move through this Masters Program I want to discover and learn
effective ways for utilizing technology in the classroom and throughout the
learning process. I want to go beyond just replacing different aspects of the
curriculum and instead use technology to enrich the curriculum and its goals for
the students. Another goal for me this year as I move through this degree is to try
and understand how technology affects the learning process and the
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psychological differences that are present in the next generations learning styles
and brain processing functions. I want to learn about the possibility of taking a
math classroom completely paperless. Seek out what types of apps are best for
this and how to implement a fully technologically engaged classroom where
technology is not the focus but rather the avenue through which students learn.
On a personal level I have always been interested in creating and implementing
technology. I have seen the reaction of students in the classroom when it is used
effectively and I have been impressed with its capabilities. I also believe that if
we want to continue to be effective educators we have to realize that the
education world is changing, we can either fight it every step of the way or we
can jump on board and endeavor to use the change to its fullest potential.