When I first arrived at the orientation for the Educational Technology Masters Cohort program I felt as if I was beginning a new stage in my life. I had just completed my undergrad degree in Computer Science and figured I would plunge right into a Masters program. The Secondary Education department at CSUN has an excellent reputation and from talking to past cohort participants I was curious to see if this program would be a good fit for me. Knowing that success is dependent upon collaboration, I immediately initiated recruitment of my peers to join me in my educational quest and was able to convince two out of a possible six individuals to sign up. The faculty and staff involved with the program were equally energetic and enthusiastic about the program. Participating in the Education Technology Masters Cohort was one of the most gratifying, fascinating and enlightening experiences I have ever encountered in my life.

 

As an Information Technology professional, I usually solve behind the scene issues with servers and accessibility to applications. Rarely do I have an opportunity to use those very applications I support. The introductory courses offered in the Educational Technology program gave me the opportunity to witness the user experience with those applications I support. This experience was challenging and rewarding at the same time. For example on the first day of SED 618, Educational Multimedia, we were asked to create an online presentation introducing ourselves to the class. The educators in the class were well versed on the variety of online presentation tools such as Presi, SlideRocket, and Animoto just to name a few, while I resulted to a simple PowerPoint presentation, the only multimedia software I was familiar with. On the other hand in SED 619, Educational Website Development, some of the educator’s struggled while creating and uploading their personal websites. I was able to troubleshoot their account issues and solve many technical issues right on the spot. Other technical issues were solved by contacting the appropriate IT System Administrator responsible for the issue. This situation is often frustrating to the end-user as some are unfamiliar with the available resources to solve their particular issue. The Masters program has increased my sense of educational awareness and allowed me to further develop my technical aptitude.

 

My interest in Education was another factor contributing to enrollment in the Masters program. I was somewhat apprehensive when I learned the program was primarily geared for teachers but I quickly found that the social interaction with educators in the field was informative.  As we engaged in intellectual dialogue, I then understood I had enrolled in the right program. The discussions and classroom exercises were creative strategies in the development and reinforcement of my philosophical beliefs towards teaching and learning. Learning behaviors such as Blooms taxonomy provided theoretical concepts to substantiate our learning. The cognitive stages of mental development were introduced through the theories of Piaget. As a result of the material learned through the masters program I am well versed in the concepts of low order learning of conceptual knowledge as well as the development of meta-cognitive skills necessary for higher level thinking.

 

In conclusion, I would like to thank all the faculty, staff, peers and family members who contributed to my accomplishments and to the overall success of the program.  I wish to express my sincere gratitude towards the work that you perform. I have gained a greater respect for teachers and the struggles they face as they relinquish their lives for the benefit of educating our children. The skills and knowledge I have acquired throughout the program will permit me to promote the use of technology effectively. The social and cultural understanding of Education that I have attained will allow me to make sound ethical and moral decisions while performing in the field. The online experiences, collaboration efforts, and social interactions were a testament to the inspiration and commitment to excellence that the program provides. The personal and professional growth attained in the Educational Technology Masters Cohort program, has bestowed me with the necessary knowledge to be a proactive, productive and innovative educator in today’s technological society.