Reflections
This page is dedicated to my reflections on the Master of Arts in Educational Technology program at Michigan State University. In the goals reflection essay, I identify my initial and final goals in the MAET Program. I discuss how my initial goal has largely stayed the same despite several unexpected changes in my life, given my unwavering dedication to improving the livelihoods of individuals in underserved communities around the world. In the future goals reflection essay, I share how the MAET Program has inspired me to create three educational technology solutions to empower families going through challenging, life-altering transitions. Finally, in the synthesis essay, I detail what the program has meant to me, highlight some key learnings, and convey my excitement for continuing to apply what I have learned in the program to my professional life.
Goals Reflection Essay:
My path to and through the MA in Educational Technology program at Michigan State has been an unusual and exciting one. In 2012, I was settled in my role in the finance organization at Intel Corporation for 5 years and had started thinking about my life legacy. Never too early for that as tomorrow is never guaranteed! For the prior decade, I had chosen to front load my earning capacity so that I could have more flexibility to pursue my passions for travel, social entrepreneurship, and education later in life. At that point, my projections supported me taking off on a round the world trip followed by a stint in the Peace Corps or MBAs without Borders within a few years’ time. Still, I was uneasy about leaving a rock solid job and coworkers I had grown to love. So, when I learned about Intel’s Tuition for Teaching program, an amazing benefit that offers tuition reimbursement for employees, retirees, and career switchers pursuing studies in education, I jumped on it... Read more
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Future Goals Essay:
I have one future learning goal that trumps all the rest – to learn by doing. My mission is to help those in crisis by creating meaningful content that can improve their decision making ability under stress and uncertainty. The work I have done in the MAET program has inspired me to create a number of educational technology solutions to empower families going through challenging, life-altering transitions. I am currently exploring three different initiatives in this space, which include the creation and design of the following educational resources... Read more
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Synthesis Essay:
The most common reaction I get when I share that I am pursuing a MA in educational technology is “Educational technology? What’s that?” Though the Association for Educational Communications and Technology defines educational technology as "the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources," my response is typically reduced to “I’m learning about how to use different technologies to maximize students’ learning.” That satisfies most people, but others want to know what kind of technology. “Oh, like white boards and iPads?” they might ask. That’s when I usually try to take the conversation to a theoretical level and explain how it’s not just about the latest and greatest technology, but choosing which methods are going to maximize what the students learn. I like to remind people that a pencil and paper can be thought of as a type of technology. Used together pencil and paper allow for a systematic way of communicating and recording ideas, after all... Read more
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