Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.

My Past, Present and Future Teaching Goals By: Nevin Kamal I enjoy learning and stretching myself outside my comfort zone, so I decided to pursue my education and complete the Graduate Certificate in Educational Technology through MSU. Once I started the certificate program, I got hooked. I was excited about learning new things that I can actually apply in my classroom. I was surprised with the abundance of free web tools that teachers could use to develop their teaching. During the certificate program, I designed lessons and projects that I was able to use with my students. When I earned my graduate certificate in May 2010, it was very clear to me that I needed to continue this path and apply for the masters program. In Fall 2011, I had to develop a professional goal statement as part of my application to the Master of Arts in Educational Technology at MSU. I spent some time trying to come up with a perfect goal statement. Finally, I realized that there should not be a perfect goal statement because teachers serve different needs and settings and, thus, tailor their goal statements to fit their educational contexts and beliefs. As a teacher, I know that each year, I develop professionally and personally. Therefore, my primary aim was to develop my teaching skills by gaining more insights into teaching and learning theories. I realized that this was a very general goal, but I believed in it. Additionally, I wanted to compliment my teaching with a wide range of varied technologies to accommodate students needs and to help them in their work in future. When I look back at my original educational goals that I submitted to get accepted in the MAET masters program at MSU, I find that my goals have not changed. My primary objective was to become aware of educational technologies and be able to use the in my classroom with ease and comfort to attend to different students needs and abilities. My role as an ESL teacher has made me realize the importance of using technology to further engage students in learning. I love being in class everyday and in order to enjoy my job, I need to find effective ways to engage students. Bearing this in mind, technology, for me, is just a tool that has helped me achieve my goal. As I read my initial goal statement and as I reflect on my learning experience through the masters program, I am proud of what I have achieved and accomplished. This program has given me insights and helped me to create my first professional teaching portfolio to develop an online presence, and to showcase my teaching philosophy, resume, and my work. This program has given me the opportunity to develop a web page to showcase my student work and share it with my fellow teachers, students and parents which, in my opinion, is an effective way to connect with the community. I have been working hard to achieve the goals that I have set for myself. When I reflect on my past goals, a new goal has appeared for me. I would like to take a leadership position in instructional technology because I believe that my experience and training at MSU has prepared me for the new challenge.