Running

head: ASSESSING MY GROWTH 1

ASSESSING MY GROWTH

Gabriela Ceja-Garcia

Azusa Pacific University

 ASSESSING MY GROWTH
Azusa Pacific University Key Learnings/Reflections
Course History
EDTC 511 Dr. Bacer
Foundations in Educational Technology
Fall I, 2017
EDTC 527 Professor Bettger
Special Topics in Educational Technology
Fall I, 2017
EDTC 517 Professor Hernandez
Digital Communications
Fall II, 2017
EDTC 518 Professor McMillian
Global Learning Cross Cultural Classroom
Fall II, 2017
EDTC 521 Professor Temple
Digital Imagery/Learning Environments
Spring I, 2018
EDTC 523 Professor Price
Informational Design/Hypermedia
Spring I, 2018
EDTC 520 Professor Silver
Managing Technology-Supported Curriculum
Spring II,2018
EDTC 524 Dr. Wilson
Instructional Design and Development
Spring II,2018
EDTC 515 Professor Holder
Emerging Trends in Technology
Summer I, 2018
EDTC 524 Dr. Bacer
Practicum in Educational
Applications of Technology
Summer I, 2018
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● I learned the many uses of Adobe Acrobat such as editing a PDF, commenting, and hyperlinking.
● I learned the importance of teaching as early as in the primary grades how and the importance of citing
sources properly.
● I learned the purpose of Personal Learning Networks and how to utilize it for my professional learning
growth
as an educator.
● I learned how to create a website that helped me become comfortable with blogging and use social media to
share my educational ideas and strategies.
● I learned many uses of Google applications such as Google forms, surveys, quizzes, spreadsheets, and
grade-book.
● I expanded my learning on website building and created a website and blog that can used for classroom
learning and for my GLP in later courses.
● I learned the importance and continuation of teaching the 9 Elements of Digital Citizens
● In this course we began our focus on our GLP and put specific thoughts on what I want my GLP to mean to
students, the participants, and me.
● I learned how to use a camera to enhance the learning of my students. I learned there is rule of thirds when
capturing an image
● I learned green screen projects and how to take videos that will be used for future references in my classroom
and not just a one-time deal.
● I learned how to build my GLP to be visually appealing and easy to navigate for any participants.
● This course also taught me how to determine the important information needed and how to logically format
the matter. I am also able to determine other websites usability.
● I learned how to create and run a professional development for utilizing technology.
● I learned how to understand a district technology plan and how to edit and create one for a district.
● I learned in this course the importance of a backward plan unit and how to create one using my
GLP
● I learned how to make sure students learn skills and understand them with meaning in order to autonomously
use them throughout their lives.
• I learned how Project Based Learning reaches and engages all students and helps build life-long skills.
• I learned that there are free on-line courses offered called
MOOC that I will continue to pursue as a life-long learner.
• In this course my connection to God has grown immensely.
• I learned about my growth in areas of Personal,
Professional, Technological, and how I will continue my educational growth.
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Personal Growth

The Master of Arts in Educational Technology (EDTC) program has helped me

grow personally in many ways. As you grow older, growing personally can be challenging. I

have grown spiritually, cognitively, and developed a growth mindset.

One area that has been significant has been my spiritual growth. I am a woman of faith

and believe in the Almighty. I attend mass on Sunday at a Catholic Church.

However, in this program I have been able to connect myself with so many other people that

interpret the same verse read differently than I do. Through the forums in each course, we

have shared deeper and intimate thoughts about our lives in the past and the present. I have

learned and been able to give support to a single mom and to a teacher who was struggling

with a choice of changing jobs. In return, many have been there for me during my new

journey, a demanding new position teaching a combo class, and much more. This has led me

to see the greater meaning of love and the endless ways it is demonstrated. I have grown to not

only respect other’s spiritual views, but to also look deeper into mine.

Another personal growth area during the EDTC program has been my cognitive skills.

My attention to detail and organize my thoughts has meant I have been able to accomplish

goals that I have set out to complete. This cognitive growth has also helped me to become a

much more effective educator, colleague, mother, and wife. Cognitively growing as an

educator this year has helped me to have a successful year being a first time 2nd and 3rd grade

combo teacher.

Certain things cannot be taught, for example how to teach two grades at one time. I have

learned this through experience. Personally, if given another combination class next year
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or in the future years I will have the experience and will be able to handle this demanding

position.

I have always been one to lack confidence in technology. I have also lacked in

confidence as a mother. The courses I have taken at Azusa Pacific University (APU), have

given my confidence in those two areas a level of boost I had not had in quite some time. I am

able to hold discussions and defend the importance of teaching students the Nine Elements of

Digital Citizenship. I have also been an influential example to my grown children about

continuing to be a lifelong learner.

Of course, one must not forget the friendships and comaradie built during this journey.

In a past post from a past course, a cadre-mate transcribed how he/she felt a deeper sense of

closeness to us on the forums then if we were to have been in a face-to- face classroom setting.

We all agreed that we do not stay after class and talk about our personal life, our personal

goals, or our personal achievements in a regular college course setting. Writing our thoughts

and ideas has brought us closer not only with God but with each other.

Growing as an educator starts by growing personally and being open-minded.

This carries on to other areas of growth.

Professional Growth

Courses that I have taken at APU have helped in my professional growth. The EDTC

program has provided me with skills and knowledge that I was seeking to be considered for

opportunities in my profession that I may not have been considered for otherwise. I have

grown professionally in my instruction and as a school leader leading professional

developments.
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Technology is shaping the future of education and the EDTC program has helped me

gain knowledge and skills that I need to ensure that my students are college and/or career

ready. In his online article 3 Questions to Tackle when Growing and Developing

Professionally, John Conen (2018) states that “one of the best ways we can model the idea of

agency is to show students, colleagues, parents, and community members that we are

continually working on ourselves professionally” (para 2). Having this growth development

from the EDTC courses is an evident growth that can be seen in my classroom and school

setting.

Certainly before my education at APU, I would not have the skills to create and lead a

professional development to present to other educators and administrators at my district. Mike

Ribble (2015) in his book Digital Citizenship in Schools, states “Before technology leaders

begin to integrate digital citizenship into their school, faculty and staff should understand the

aspects and professional development activities covering the various areas of digital

citizenships should be provided” (p. 81). I am confident with this skill I have developed; I am

able to lead such a professional development for my district.

A proud moment overcomes me knowing that I am not just an educator that waits for

something to change, but I am an educator that is able to makes changes for educators,

students, and the community.

Technological Growth

I have to admit that I was that teacher when the word technology was mentioned at a

professional development or staff meeting I cringed. I now proudly say that my technology

skills have increased and it is evident in my own work as well as my student’s work. I am able

to create and launch a website, use technology to support learning, and

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use a blogging platform to share and obtain new ideas in education.

One of my biggest accomplishments is building a website to showcase my Global

Learning Project (GLP). Not only did I create my own GLP website, Militaries Around the

World (Garcia, 2018), I also participated in various GLP’s where I became, along with my

students, global learners and global citizens.

With my new skills learned throughout the EDTC program, I have been able to utilize

technology to support my students’ learning instead of just using technology as a center for

small groups. I learned to create visual reports and taught my young students the use of a

green screen. This acquired new skill made learning meaningful and visually engaging.

I have also used my classroom website as a platform for student blogging. As Will

Richardson (2010), mentioned “The most obvious implementation is first to use Weblogs as a

place to post homework assignments and relevant class links” (p.45). Now, parents read their

children’s success on my classroom website weekly, written by the students. Also, I am able to

utilize blogging to share and gain valuable information to and from other educators.

In the end, this journey has given me an array of developed skills needed to ensure

that I am a 21st-century educator and able to provide my students with those same skills

needed in our world today and in the future.

Life-long Learning Plan

A life-long learner is a person that continues to change and evolve as time changes

and evolves. As an educator, I believe that we should never stop learning. Not only does

curriculum shift from year to year but also our students’ learning styles and
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needs. I intend to continue my learning in many ways by enrolling in Massive Online Open

Courses, ISTE Conferences, Professional Developments, and continue to develop my own

Personal Learning Networks.

I am always researching on how I can improve my instruction and how to keep

updated with the latest technology trends. To ensure that I continue to grow as an educator I

will attend professional developments offered by my district. In addition, I will attend

conferences that are in my areas of interest. I will also continue my personal learning

networks as they are a key source of the what, where, how and why’s in education. I will

continue to advocate for technology integration in classrooms and keep myself updated with

ISTE standards. Most importantly I will ensure that I continue to search for Global Learning

Projects that will lead me in the direction of a global life-long learner.

So as long as I continue as a life-long learner, I am guaranteeing that my

students continue on a similar path.

Conclusion

Soon I will earn a professional degree that will represent my accomplishments of an

educator, a leader, and an innovator of technology. Throughout this journey, I have met

people that have inspired me through their faith in God and who have shared their similar

passions in education. I believe I have inspired them as well. This is not the end of my

journey, but the beginning of many more to come.

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References

Conen, J. (2018, February 12). 3 questions to tackle when growing and developing

professionally. Retrieved from https://www.teacher.org/daily/growing- developing-

professionally/

Garcia, G. (2018, January). Militaries around the world. Retrieved from

https://militariesaroundth.wixsite.com/mysite

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for

classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA.

Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know.

Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.