"Study the Past if You Would Define the Future"-Confucius
By: Holly Dahl
When I first applied to Michigan State University’s Master of Arts in Education program we were asked to write a goal statement. At first I found it difficult to articulate my goals as a future educator, especially since I did not have a full time teaching position at the time. However, once I got started, I found it difficult to stop setting goals for myself as an educator, because how do you write just a few goals to encompass all of your ideas relating to differentiated instruction, integrating technology, or the importance of being a lifelong learner. I do not think we should only have one over-arching goal for our entire educational career, but that we need to constantly reflect, adapt, and possibly change our goals throughout our careers.
I submitted my goal statement to MSU in May 2009 and looking back on my goals I realize how much the MAED program has helped me to achieve those goals. One of the goals that stand out to me is the need to keep current in the ever changing world of technology. The MAED program has made me aware of different tools and technological resources so I can become comfortable and fluent with the technology, and also able to teach my students how to use it. Each day my students asked me questions about nature, the world, or politics and if I didn’t know the answer I would quickly go to the internet and look it up. However, I realized I wasn’t doing them any favors by finding the answer for them, but decided my response would be “Look it up!” It wasn’t a lazy response, but more of an authentic response for them to become accountable for their learning and practice using the resources around them to find answers. I am fortunate enough to teach in a district that has SMARTboards in every room to create interactive lessons and encourages teachers to use current technology with their teaching.
Another goal I included in my statement was how I wanted to differentiate my literacy instruction to better all of my students. Even though I will not be teaching literacy, I still believe it is the foundation to learning in all subject areas. The MAED program helped me to better differentiate my instruction for all literacy learners by making me be aware of various ways people learn to read or write. Through in-depth discussions with classmates and professors, and scholarly articles about differentiation and literacy instruction, I feel I have made improvements to meet the needs and abilities of all of my students.
Even though I still find these goals important and valid, some of them have changed. For example, I wrote about how I wanted to be a member of a literacy curriculum committee. I realize now that being part of a curriculum board requires a lot of knowledge of curriculum and seems to be very controversial no matter what district you teach in. I believe my efforts would be best concentrated on my true passion of teaching students to love learning through authentic lessons, while integrating state standards.
The MAED program has helped me grow academically, personally, and professionally and the ultimate beneficiaries are my students.
I submitted my goal statement to MSU in May 2009 and looking back on my goals I realize how much the MAED program has helped me to achieve those goals. One of the goals that stand out to me is the need to keep current in the ever changing world of technology. The MAED program has made me aware of different tools and technological resources so I can become comfortable and fluent with the technology, and also able to teach my students how to use it. Each day my students asked me questions about nature, the world, or politics and if I didn’t know the answer I would quickly go to the internet and look it up. However, I realized I wasn’t doing them any favors by finding the answer for them, but decided my response would be “Look it up!” It wasn’t a lazy response, but more of an authentic response for them to become accountable for their learning and practice using the resources around them to find answers. I am fortunate enough to teach in a district that has SMARTboards in every room to create interactive lessons and encourages teachers to use current technology with their teaching.
Another goal I included in my statement was how I wanted to differentiate my literacy instruction to better all of my students. Even though I will not be teaching literacy, I still believe it is the foundation to learning in all subject areas. The MAED program helped me to better differentiate my instruction for all literacy learners by making me be aware of various ways people learn to read or write. Through in-depth discussions with classmates and professors, and scholarly articles about differentiation and literacy instruction, I feel I have made improvements to meet the needs and abilities of all of my students.
Even though I still find these goals important and valid, some of them have changed. For example, I wrote about how I wanted to be a member of a literacy curriculum committee. I realize now that being part of a curriculum board requires a lot of knowledge of curriculum and seems to be very controversial no matter what district you teach in. I believe my efforts would be best concentrated on my true passion of teaching students to love learning through authentic lessons, while integrating state standards.
The MAED program has helped me grow academically, personally, and professionally and the ultimate beneficiaries are my students.