I remember developing the love for photography at a young age. I remember getting my first camera - it was black with hot pink and blue trim. You had to wind the film, by hand, once all the pictures had been taken. I would take pictures of anything, including a whole roll of my baby doll "modeling" on my grandmother's porch swing. When I finished a roll, my mom and I would drive to Arbor Drugs and fill out the envelope with our information, drop the roll of film inside, seal it, and then put it in the drop box.
The worst part was waiting the week or so to get the pictures back. Now granted my subjects did not move, so my pictures were often pretty clear. Picking up pictures taken by my mom on the other hand,
was like Christmas morning. You never really knew what the pictures would really look like until they were in your hand.
Bringing the future into focus...
Being a life long learner!
To say I have learned many things through the Masters in Educational Technology (MAET) program would be an understatement. This program has not only taught me how to learn with educational technology, but it has also taught me to teach with it. For me to think about the future, I first thought of what really stood out to me through all these classes. I found that there are a few ideas that have continued through the entire program. The first one is that I need to feel comfortable with the piece of technology before using it with an audience. I know as I continue to try out new pieces of educational technology that I need to explore it and know the insides and out. When I was in high school, I had teachers that "taught" things they did not know fully about simply because they were told to do so. It was not their passion so they did not care. I never want one of my students to feel that way about me. I want to know what I'm teaching and to be excited to share it with my students, so hopefully they will develop a passion for it too.
For me to stay current and up to date on different EdTech out there, I need to be proactive. I can not expect the new things just to land in my inbox. I know I need to search out these new things. This could be attending educational conferences, joining different online groups, or following different people’s blogs who are as excited about learning and teaching with technology. Even in the short time of being in the MAET program, I learned about so many new pieces of technology that I never knew existed. Doing this will not only help me as a learner, but as a teacher. I realize it will not be an easy task, but most worthwhile things take time and effort - like a great photograph.
Another goal for me to ensure I'm a lifelong learner is to continue using the technology I have already begun using. Even though I am not in the classroom, I have stayed close to many of my teacher friends. They have helped me a lot through this program with specific needs they see in their classroom for educational technology, so most of the work I have created is being used today. I hope to get a job in a school district or community college to continue sharing my knowledge and work with other educators on how to incorporate technology in their classroom in a purposeful way.
The camera is a great example of how technology changes over time. The look and internal pieces evolve, but the basic principle and use, stay the same. This is how I see myself being a lifelong learner. My look (obviously) and the types of educational technology I use will change, but my love for teaching and learning will stay the same.
I know that as time goes by some of these goals will change and shift, but I will be able to look back and see how much I have grown. This will be true for my work life as well as my family life. So I need to make sure to take a few pictures along the way!!
-Megan Weber
MEGAN WEBER
ELECTRONIC PORTFOLIO