The Forever Student
I dropped out of college in 1999. I went back in 2004. I have not stopped going to college for a single semester since then. When asked when I will be done with school I always give the next landmark.
None of these actually answer the question, but they make the questioner feel like I did. I started my Masters in Education Technology (MAET) the summer after I finished my student teaching. I have to admit, that I was taking the classes less for the experience and more for the money. My wife and I were relocating from Michigan to New Orleans and the Financial Aid helped pay for the move. From there I switched my focus from Educational Technology to actual internet programming with a post-bachelor certification from Tulane University. It was there that I learned the alphabet soup of programming languages (HTML, XML, PHP, ASP, SQL, etc).
After completing my certification I stepped completely away from technology to focus on literacy education with a Masters in Teaching and Curriculum (MATC) from MSU. I took these classes to focus on the biggest area of need I ran into as a classroom teacher, the low reading levels of my students. How to teach content to students reading/writing several grade levels behind. It wasn't until moving back to Michigan that I found myself back in the Ed Tech program. I was drawn in by the Summer Hybrid program.
I have always wanted to do a study abroad program. As a teacher I thought I might be able to do a summer abroad, but once I started working for Talent Development Secondary (http://www.talentdevelopmentsecondary.com/) and that job being year round work, I didn't think I was going to be able to actually go overseas. I settled for two weeks the summer of 2011 on MSU's campus (I had never had the dorm experience either) doing a hybrid program: eight hrs a day for two weeks on campus and one month online. It was one of the best educational experiences I have ever had. I made me think about teaching differently. From the way the lessons were broken up, to the integration of technology into the sessions, and finally to the different methods of assessment. I am following that experience up with another summer away from home.
In fact, as I write this I don't have a home. My wife and I are in the process of moving yet again and we took the interim between homes as an excuse to go traveling. I have to spend three weeks this summer in Baltimore for training sessions (both as presenter and participant). In between . . . I am on the road virtually commuting to work as well as to my final online classes for both the MATC and MAET. Just to give you, the reader, an idea of what I am talking about
Looking back and telling this story has got me thinking about how my experience with the MAET can be broken up into three sections: the original Ed Tech Certification the summer of 2007, the Hybrid Program during the summer of 2011, and finally a hodgepodge of miscellaneous classes that were brought into the program from my other Masters (Teaching and Curriculum). Those final classes were chosen strategically, based on my experience working with at-risk student. Within those class I developed a database that pulled together student achievement data, with attendance data, behavior referrals, and any interventions done by the school to help the student get back on track.
- "I'll be done with my Bachelors next semester."
- "This is my student teaching year, so I'll be real teacher next year."
- "I am almost done with my Internet Program Certification."
- "One more year for my Masters."
None of these actually answer the question, but they make the questioner feel like I did. I started my Masters in Education Technology (MAET) the summer after I finished my student teaching. I have to admit, that I was taking the classes less for the experience and more for the money. My wife and I were relocating from Michigan to New Orleans and the Financial Aid helped pay for the move. From there I switched my focus from Educational Technology to actual internet programming with a post-bachelor certification from Tulane University. It was there that I learned the alphabet soup of programming languages (HTML, XML, PHP, ASP, SQL, etc).
After completing my certification I stepped completely away from technology to focus on literacy education with a Masters in Teaching and Curriculum (MATC) from MSU. I took these classes to focus on the biggest area of need I ran into as a classroom teacher, the low reading levels of my students. How to teach content to students reading/writing several grade levels behind. It wasn't until moving back to Michigan that I found myself back in the Ed Tech program. I was drawn in by the Summer Hybrid program.
I have always wanted to do a study abroad program. As a teacher I thought I might be able to do a summer abroad, but once I started working for Talent Development Secondary (http://www.talentdevelopmentsecondary.com/) and that job being year round work, I didn't think I was going to be able to actually go overseas. I settled for two weeks the summer of 2011 on MSU's campus (I had never had the dorm experience either) doing a hybrid program: eight hrs a day for two weeks on campus and one month online. It was one of the best educational experiences I have ever had. I made me think about teaching differently. From the way the lessons were broken up, to the integration of technology into the sessions, and finally to the different methods of assessment. I am following that experience up with another summer away from home.
In fact, as I write this I don't have a home. My wife and I are in the process of moving yet again and we took the interim between homes as an excuse to go traveling. I have to spend three weeks this summer in Baltimore for training sessions (both as presenter and participant). In between . . . I am on the road virtually commuting to work as well as to my final online classes for both the MATC and MAET. Just to give you, the reader, an idea of what I am talking about
- One week in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts.
- One week in Baltimore (Training Cycle 1)
- One week traveling up the coast (DC, NYC, Boston) with my brother
- One week in Baltimore (Training Cycle 2)
- One week in ?????? (I have no idea)
- One week in Baltimore (Training Cycle 3)
Looking back and telling this story has got me thinking about how my experience with the MAET can be broken up into three sections: the original Ed Tech Certification the summer of 2007, the Hybrid Program during the summer of 2011, and finally a hodgepodge of miscellaneous classes that were brought into the program from my other Masters (Teaching and Curriculum). Those final classes were chosen strategically, based on my experience working with at-risk student. Within those class I developed a database that pulled together student achievement data, with attendance data, behavior referrals, and any interventions done by the school to help the student get back on track.