!

!
Running!head:!GROWTH!ASSESSMENT! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!1!

Growth Assessment

Andrea (Andi) K. Bates

Azusa Pacific University

! !
!
!
GROWTH!ASSESSMENT! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!2!
!
!
GROWTH!ASSESSMENT! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!3!

Personal Growth

Working on my Master of Arts in Educational Technology (EDTC) at Azusa Pacific University

(APU) has been a life changing opportunity. I have always been the type of person who loves to learn,

especially when I am passionate about the subject. The EDTC program brought out my passion and

exposed me to so many other areas that I was unaware that I could grown in. Because of this program, I

have grown in numerous areas of my life. The many ways I have grown include but are not limited to:

spiritually, socially, and academically.

And the child grew and became strong in spirit Luke 1:80 (New International Version). APU

has helped my spiritual life flourish over the past year. I have become stronger in the spirit because of my

time at APU. In every single one of my classes, my personal walk with the Lord was a priority just as

much as the educational content was. Because of the daily reminders to focus my life on Christ, I was

able to have peace throughout the program. Not only was I brought peace, I was challenged to grow my

relationship with Christ. This has been my favorite aspect of the program.

Throughout this program, I have made life long friends with other classmates and my professors.

When I read the following verse, it reminds me of my experience at APU with all of my colleagues. We

ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing

more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing 2 Thess. 1:3 (New

International Version). I am thankful for the classmates that I have gone throughout the program with. I

have gotten to know so many different people and have learned a lot from each and every one of them.

We have been there for each other and challenged each other throughout the whole EDTC program. The

support I have received from them, helped keep me pushing.

During the EDTC program I learned about the significance of technology being used in

education. There are so many tools that I can now add to my tool box to use inside of my classroom. A

skilled I learned that I find most valuable is the importance of time management. According to Khan and

Nashrulla (2015), Time management plays a vital role in improving students academic performance and

achievements (p. 66). Taking online classes gives you the freedom of working when it fits best in your
!
!
GROWTH!ASSESSMENT! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!4!

schedule. However, that also means that you need to be responsible and manage your time wisely. I can

boldly say that I have become stronger at managing my time more wisely because of this program.

Overall, the EDTC program boosted my confidence and made me a stronger person. I have grown

and matured in so many. I have come to realize and am able to say with confidence, that I can do anything

with Christ by my side. The EDTC program at APU has changed my life for the better.

Professional Growth

Since attending the EDTC program at APU, my growth as a professional has boosted

tremendously. Before the program I felt stagnate in my career. It began to feel monotonous and I didn't

feel I was growing at all. I felt as if I had flat lined. However, after joining the program, I have grown

leaps and bounds in my professional life. I now have many other colleagues coming to me asking for

advice or help when it comes to using technology inside of their classroom. As a result of this program, I

have grown my knowledge of new software and applications (apps) as well as learning how and why to

implement technology throughout education.

Throughout the EDTC program I have learned about many software and apps that are available to

benefit students educationally. One software that I have used a great deal since learning it is Adobe

Acrobat. This tool is extremely helpful when creating documents that I use for teaching. Another tool that

I now use everyday is Google Drive. The various applications inside of this tool make it very easy and

convenient to be able to access my work wherever I go. I have also learned various different media tools

such as infographics, screen recording, and green screen. The list can go on and on for how many

different software programs and apps that I have been introduced to.

The EDTC program has also taught me the significance of technology in education as well as

how to implement it into my classroom. According to DePasquale, McNamara, and Murphy (2003),

Children can see firsthand the purposeful use of technology and benefit from the exposure (p. 3). Our

world is becoming more and more dependent on technology. I have learned that it is important to teach

students how to use it. I also learned that technology is a tool to be used to enhance student learning, not

to replace the teacher.

!
!
GROWTH!ASSESSMENT! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!5!

Everything I have learned in the program has helped me build better relationships at work as well

as given me the confidence to handle more responsibility when it comes to teaching other colleagues. I

have now stepped up into a role as a mentor to some teachers who need assistance with using technology

to enhance education. Because of this program, I have the confidence and the ability to advance in my

career.

I am so proud of myself for being able to expand my education while working full time. I have

been able to implement things that I have learned inside of my own classroom immediately. I have seen

such a difference in the way I teach and the way my classroom is run. Achieving my Masters will

continue to help me advance in my career. I truly believe that this program has impacted my career in a

tremendous and positive way.

Technical Growth

Being as the EDTC program at APU is based around educational technology, my knowledge of

technology has expanded greatly. I have been exposed to numerous different types of technology, so

much that I probably couldn't even count. As a result of this program, I have grown my knowledge of new

software and applications (apps) as well as learning how and why to implement the specific technology

throughout education.

Throughout the EDTC program I have learned about many software and apps that are available to

benefit students educationally. One software that I have used a great deal since learning it is Adobe

Acrobat. This tool is extremely helpful when creating documents that I use for teaching. I am able to

create my own documents and make them look professional. I have also learned through this app how to

edit existing documents in order to tweak them to my specific needs. During the EDTC program I also

learned how to comment, sign, and send a document to be reviewed all through using Adobe Acrobat.

This is definitely a software that I will continue to use past the EDTC program.

Another tool that I now use everyday is Google Drive. The various applications inside of this tool

make it very easy and convenient to be able to access my work wherever I go. I also love Google Forms,

which allows you to create a survey and even can be used as a tool to assess students digitally. My
!
!
GROWTH!ASSESSMENT! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!6!

favorite aspect of Google Drive is its ability to share your work with others. Google Drive allows you to

invite others to edit your document. The special thing about this is that all editors can access the

document, edit it, and see each other work live without having to send revisions back and forth to each

other. I used this app numerous times throughout the whole program in order to collaborate with my

peers. Another bonus to Google Drive is said best by Gonzales (2015), its paperless and its free (p. 2).

Some other educational technology tools that I have learned include but are not limited to:

infographics, screen recording, green screen, creating websites, online bookmarks, and online

presentations. The list can go on and on for how many different software programs and apps that I have

been introduced to. The EDTC program at APU exposed me to many different types of educational

technology including software and apps. I was given numerous opportunities to try and implement

various different types of educational technology. There were so many that it was hard for me to pick a

few of my favorite.

Life Long Learning Plan

Learning was not always something that I have enjoyed to do. However, once I entered college

and I was able to focus and study on the thing that I loved, I really began to enjoy learning. One reason I

entered the EDTC program at APU was so that I could continue to learn about education. Now that the

program is nearing an end it is time for me to think of what is next for me. How can I become a life long

learner? I will make sure I am a life long learner by setting many goals for myself. The following is a list

of goals I have set for myself.

-teach at a title one public school

-read and research about current education at least once a week

-check Twitter educational pages

-attend professional development conferences

-take online classes through Coursea

-stay connected with other educations (i.e. EdModo)

-write and reflect daily

!
!
GROWTH!ASSESSMENT! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!7!

I have set these goals for myself in order to make sure that I am constantly becoming a life long

learner. In life, I never want to stop growing. By setting a plan for myself, I will make sure that I am

continuing on my path of life long learning.

Conclusion

Throughout the EDTC program at APU, I have grown in all aspects of my life, personally,

professionally, and technologically. I have grown in ways that I never thought were possible. I am truly

proud of my accomplishment. Attending this program was truly incredible and I will be forever grateful

for the opportunity.

!
!
GROWTH!ASSESSMENT! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!8!

References
!
DePasquale, R. McNamara, E. & Murphy, K. (2003) Meaningful Connections Using Technology in

Primary Classrooms. Beyond the Journal Young Children on the Web. Retrieved from

http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200311/techinprimaryclassrooms.pdf

Gonzales, J. (2015, September 25). What's So Great About Google Drive? [Web log post]. Retrieved

from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/google-drive-for-students/.

Khan, M. S. & Nasrullah, S. (2015). The Impact of Time Management on the Students Academic

Achievements. Journal of Literature, Languages and Linguistics, vol. 15. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Muhammad_Saqib_Khan/publication/313768789_The_Imp

act_of_Time_Management_on_the_Students%27_Academic_Achievements/links/58a56bceaca27

206d985dedc/The-Impact-of-Time-Management-on-the-Students-Academic-Achievements.pdf