My parents often told me that “knowledge is the key to success,” and I had the honor to live and go through my own academic development, which occurred in two different sections of the American continent. Because of my parents' dedication to the success of other learners and for their love of teaching, I always knew that someday I would be an educator, but first I wanted to work in the professional world. After working for a couple of years with my first degree, a B.S. in Food Industry Management from MSU, I was able to gather experience and information that would prove to be more valuable in the classroom than in the boardroom. I obtained my second degree, a B.A. in education also from MSU, and all of my previous knowledge, experience, and ideas were easy to apply in the classroom. I always found a comfort in school, studies, and mental engagement, maybe because both of my parents were distinguished educators and thinkers. So making the decision to go back to school, wasn’t a decision at all. This was a fascinating experience, all my ideas, theories, and modifications to academic practices were given a fertile proper ground to develop strong roots, and grow like bamboo. As I mentioned earlier, I love knowledge and what can be done with it, this is why obtaining a Ph.D. would be the perfect way to follow in my parents footsteps.

 

 I have had the opportunity to work in different schools, and in all of these environments I have encountered the same issues, from inner city charter schools (New City Academy & Shabazz Academy), a rural city public school, (Ralya Elementary) to a university (MSU HEP), and a suburban public school (Grand Ledge Public School). These issues in combination with my pre-education work experience have driven all my visions, my ideas, theories, and modifications to academic practices. Regardless of the school I worked in or the position I had, I was always the resident technology resource person, a role that I enjoyed every time it was requested, therefore, choosing the MAET program was an easy decision. Learners of the 21st century are redefining what education looks like, from the materials used in school to the classrooms and schools themselves, and educators are struggling to keep up in the 21st century.

 

 Have you ever encountered a situation, and felt right at home in the middle of its development, like jumping in a lagoon beneath a waterfall with the optimum temperature? That was the MAET program and my first class, CEP 810 Teaching for Understanding with Technology with Creigh McMichael. We covered many topics as I created my Personal Growth Plan, but the one that caught my attention was Virtual Learning Environments (VLE). I picked this topic as we looked at using technology to make a difference in education. I had an opportunity to share some of my thoughts and beliefs, and now in the completion of my masters more now than in the beginning, I feel that it is paramount for teachers to understand how Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) can help provide a dynamic approach at instruction. Few schools use VLE to their maximum potential or at all, and as a future technology coach I will be able to aid teachers on the different types and different ways to improve their ability to reach students. Many aspects add up to create VLE’s that help develop student knowledge like multi-tenancy and cloud-based applications. These have proven to be valuable tools in a world where technology applications like Evernote and Comic Life are used for Project Based Learning (PBL). During this process of learning and educating, I’ve learned that flexibility also supports productivity and, through cloud computing, VLE’s provide collaborative opportunities anywhere there is a computer with an Internet connection, and most are readily customizable. These types of social interactions are necessary in order to increase higher mental functions. Thanks to this amazing program, I can explore the areas between VLE’s and physical classrooms in order to teach and promote computational, technological manipulation, problem solving, and critical and logical thinking skills.

 

 The proverbial waters of knowledge were falling on me, and it was time for CEP 812 Applying Educational Technology to Issues of Practice, with Sara Beauchamp-Hicks and Melissa White, to drench me again. Amongst the topics of technology application, identification, implementation, and evaluation in schools, I was able to participate in an investigation about "Innovation, and How it is a Learning Ethic of the 21st Century". During our look at post-modernism, globalization, neoliberalism, society and learning, and its relationship to school and classroom design and scheduling, I was able to tune into another aspect of educational technology that seemed very lacking in schools, school and classroom innovation. I discovered that it all started with innovation, which comes from the creation of an active support system, criticisms, failures, success, collaboration, transparency, debating and discussing ideas, change agents, the use of new technology, involvement from everyone through collaboration, freedom to think, prototype, and pioneering. I was able to understand clearly that students do not need to learn in prescribed spaces, they need to be free to learn wherever the knowledge takes them. While working in groups, while on a trip, while doing a project or learning while talking with friends are all informal events that people cite as meaningful learning experiences, therefore schools need to start accommodating these activities and not just focus on the formal spaces. For example, school corridors take up much space that could be used for more educational reasons. Schools are arranged around common space corridors that are not necessary. If you do have corridors why not make them informal learning spaces as well. A straight shot double loaded corridor is obsolete yet many new schools are planned around these. Also, Traditional school libraries can become academic laboratories where they serve the function of a library and a classroom laboratory. The use of libraries should be more of a learning commons able to support a variety of student activities as they learn to access, evaluate, and use information. Also, a 21st century library cannot be the same as those of old. It must be modified to a space that can be central or distributed, used formally or informally, and one that can stimulate a spirit of inquiry in students. Schools need to do a better job of working with natural light. By using skylights, and orienting the placement of windows for better sunlight utilization, Schools can be provided with ample light to produce a great experience in a functional space. Classrooms are no longer lecture halls or corrals and teachers are no longer the only source of knowledge. It is not enough to do away with the dry-erase boards. There are times when lecture is the right approach but now there are so many other approaches that center on the student; while the rest of the world works in teams to solve problems, we don’t. Educators need to be visually and aurally connected because collaboration is a vital skill that will only improve us, while isolation of classrooms will not push us forward. I’ve learned that this is as true for the learner as it is for the educator, and in my future I will make sure that educators have more opportunity for growth through courses, professional developments, and workshops hosted face to face or through distance learning where they can work as individuals and/or in collaborative research while they are mentored and receive peer observation.

 

 I have to be honest, I hit some white water with CEP 822 Approaches to Educational Research, but professor E. David Wong and his staff where the best life preservers. In this class of alternative methods of educational research, I engaged in a research problem, regarding school and classroom layout innovation. Initially, what I understood regarding school design layout was a scattered idea of what is considered part of the evolution in education. I was not aware of the lack of depth or breadth pertaining to school layout design, or the fact that other countries had done much more work towards the development and implementation of these ideas. One aspect of this topic that surprised me, and I have found to be worth diving more into, is the establishment of a single body that will work to transform the schools one by one. What does this mean? It means that we would be able to establish a set of proven changes based on data that can be implemented in a large scale. This way we could break down school layout design into, learning environments (design influenced by the use of tech work, collaboration work, and creativity work in classrooms, libraries, hallways, labs, lounges, and offices), and the physical environment (building infrastructure to do with the improvements and creation of pathways, public areas, outdoor spaces, lighting, and views). Together these make an effective definition of school layout design. Obviously, this would be collaboration between the educators and architects that have present in mind 21st century education, and students. After completing this research project, what I found as a constant theme and occurrence, was how the different studies on institutions and programs had input and information from multiple sources locally and abroad. Again, this particular occurrence is what I feel has pushed and evolved my specific view on education. I also discovered several things that modified my understanding of school layout design. First, most of the materials written about this topic are not by educators but by architects, who are consulting with educators; second, more research needs to be done on the existing schools that are pioneering this topic; third, the topic of school layout design needs to be standardized and under one umbrella.

 

 With two classes to go at the end of my masters' completion, I reached calmer waters and smooth sailing as I enjoyed and ponder what I learned in my previous classes. This allowed me to dive deep into CEP 800 Psychology of Learning in School and Other Settings. I was able to access a more creative me in order to fully immerse myself in the assignments, particularly the Powerful Audio Experience and Digital Story Telling. As my creative side took over as I worked on my audio experiences project, I could see much clearer now how technology bends to the wish of the educator, I realized that as long as we know what we want to do, there will always be the technology to help us do it. During my time in educational technology, I have done many videos and interviews, some to do with technology and some not. I covered the topic of school and classroom layout, and I discovered that the topic of school classroom layout is not just an educational one, it is also an architectural one. And thus far, most questions and answers have come from the side of architecture. This is one of the topics that is not covered in education very well, may it be because it would take a lot of money to make the changes required, and educational funding could be...well better handled. Or because people are dismissive, ignoring, and not aware of how large of an impact school layout design presents. Overall, when it came to the technology I used, I have to say, if I did not have a history with my Garage Band and toying around with music, this assignment would have been a tough one, but in reality I realized that I am a fast learner when it comes to technology. In the end, this assignment gave me an optimistic view at how technology can help find common ground between individuals in different places with different backgrounds in order to find more areas in common regarding academic areas that need further study, like school layout design.

 

 After this amazing trip through mostly comfortable unfamiliar waters, I’ve reach the ocean of opportunities I’ve been looking for. This Capstone has allowed me to take a look back at my whole masters' development, and it has solidified in me the kind of technology leader I want to be. With the Goal Reflection Essay, I was able to look back at the reasons, visions, and decisions that led me to the MAET program. In addition, writing the Future as a Learner Essay propelled me to think more as a learner and a educator, with a solid knowledge on how to utilize technology in education. Lastly, this Synthesis Essay has focused my discoveries through my academic year into the direction that I truly find amazing. The MAET program unified my own personal beliefs and opinions about education and technology with academic research, and this union of ideas and beliefs has propelled me to be a better learner and a more aware educator. I am not the first one to get wet, and now join the many educators that are currently navigating through the changes, modifications, and adjustments that are occurring in schools.