Masterin’ Education

April 5, 2009 in education
Tags: edtech, masters

I’ve been scrambling like mad over the last 2 weeks trying to put together the required components to an application to a Master of Education.  I finally got it all done and dropped it off last week, actually a few days before the deadline.  It took some time to get the various things done, ask for references and get transcripts ordered up from the 4 different universities that I’ve taken something or another at.  Add to that a phone call from my credit card company saying my card had been used in a WalMart outside Baltimore and had been subsequently cancelled which led to a few more phone calls to see if the transcripts had actually been sent before the card was canned, and it was a bit of a last minute runaround.

At any rate, all the transcripts are en route and the rest is done.  The program looks to be very innovative and interesting.  It’s the kind of thing that I think I’ve been building towards in the past few years.  I’ve wanted to start an MEd for a while and have researched a number of different options.  This one at UOIT is a brand new program, and from the information on the website, it looks to be just what I was hoping to find to further my studies.

Part of the application was to write a Statement of Interest which I’ve posted below here.  What do you think?  Think it’ll get me into the program?    I’m not sure of the timelines for notification of acceptances, but I’ll post thoughts here either way.  And if I’m successful and able to start, then I know there will be lots more to reflect on and post about.

Statement of Interest

For many reasons the time is right to undertake graduate studies in education.  As a practicing educator of 12 years, I’ve taught physics, environmental studies, astronomy, biology, grade 9 and 10 science as well as music and math.   As Science Department Head in a large secondary school, I led the implementation of several innovative programs including videoconferencing and a new senior Astronomy course.  In my current role as the Instructional Leadership Consultant, Science and Technology for the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, I am continuing to assist teachers to grow their practice.  All of these different roles have allowed me to grow professionally, as they have given me opportunities to learn about education in a variety of ways.  Now I feel that the time is right for me to expand that knowledge further and undertake a program of graduate studies. 

As a teacher of science, I’m very interested in how we approach learning within and beyond the classroom.  Science is best learned as a process, where students are engaged in authentic problem solving activities.  I have been interested in how teachers can best assist students achieving their learning goals. Pedagogical practices, learning styles and technology are all components of this.  Students are embedded in a technological world like never before, and one of the large questions is how to leverage that technology for the best outcome of student learning.  In my classroom teaching, I used many different technologies to engage students.  Videoconferencing was used on a regular basis to bring guest speakers to the class and to take the students on virtual field trips.  Senior students created content for delivering lessons to junior students via videoconferencing.  I was part of a pilot project with KPRDSB and Parks Canada in the development of educational outreach programs using videoconferencing with Pacific Rim National Park.  I have used SMARTboards and a variety of strategies to differentiate the learning for the students to their personal style.  Websites for student access to class resources have long been a staple of my teaching and I assisted in the implementation of websites for many teachers in my previous school. 

 I was part of the initial cadre of eLearning teachers in KRPDSB, using the eLearning Ontario Learning Management System and taught physics online for 2 semesters.  This started me down the path of thinking more seriously about how to best use the resources available for students in the most effective manner for their learning.  I have also become interested in studying about how students learn online and in what ways the online environment can be supported for the best results.

As a department head, and now as an Instructional Leadership Consultant, I am thinking about the broader issues in education, particularly when they relate to using technology.  I personally use technology to help me grow as a professional through Personal Learning Networks and using various online tools like Twitter, Ning Ustream & Adobe Connect.  I am interested in how technology can be used to benefit teachers, students, administrators and parents at all levels of the educational process. 

In attaining a MEd from UOIT, I envision increasing my leadership capacity as an educator in a flattening and changing world.  As an educator I worry that the systems we have in place are possibly starting to lose relevance for the students that they are designed to serve.  The rise of mobile technologies and the ubiquity of Internet access will continue to alter the educational landscape.  Education systems will require educators that are prepared to assist in adapting to the ever shifting conditions.  The program that is offered at UOIT is a superb fit for both where I am currently as a teacher and educational leader, and where I wish to go in the coming years.