Courtney Eichhorn

Growing Today, Tomorrow, and Always

 

Future Learner Essay

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         One of the greatest aspects of education is that it is never complete.  While some may consider a master’s degree the “terminal” destination on their learning journey, I personally consider it the catalyst to more goals that I wish to accomplish.  I entered the Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program with both a vague and broad idea of what I desired to learn.  After digging deeper in some content and exposing myself to entirely novel experiences/material, I discovered my true passions and narrowed the scope of my focus.  I came away with a philosophy of education different than the view I acquired during my undergraduate career that directed me away from the more traditional and strict confinements of education to a greater understanding of differentiation for the means of promoting change in the modern era.  Therefore, I have now identified three subjects in which I will pursue greater knowledge and understanding within education beyond the conferment of my MAED degree: leadership, technology, and authentic learning for my students.

 

         First, I have come to realize that inquiry and observation contribute to reflective practice – a skill I polished within the MAED curriculum.  Good educators consistently evaluate themselves and their effectiveness, thus symbolizing the direct relationship between qualities of leadership and student achievement.   By nature, I am observant of others as models are often the best teachers (for adults and children alike).  I strive to participate in personal endeavors of inquiry through non-formal types of learning and by asking questions.  These two qualities also strengthened throughout my time at Michigan State University.  My purpose as a special education teacher lies in helping all educators, including myself, find ways to best provide a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to pupils with disabilities; therefore, working to achieve more roles in leadership positions related to special education is a future goal of mine.  Although I currently hold a couple small leadership roles within my school, I plan to continue to improve based upon my interactions with other school leaders, while also engaging in more institutionalized learning by achieving an Educational Specialist degree in Special Education Administration.  I wish to be a valuable resource and guide others in educating all students to their greatest potential. Being a leader (and being viewed as such) suggests teachers have the power to do just that.

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          One of the greatest challenges I have encountered in education thus far, is the increasing influence of technology in both teaching and learning.  As a result, the demand to stay afloat of new innovations and to incorporate greater amounts of technology into classroom instruction has elevated rapidly.  I became cognizant of the many negative impacts of technology in the classroom, while equally being humbled by the vast potential of utilizing technology for teaching students content, particularly those with learning difficulties.  Research has long shown the benefits of using assistive technology for special populations.  But, when I used assistive technology it was not technology in the sense that we have come to know.  For instance, a pencil with a specialized grip is considered an assistive technology (tool), although not electronic or web-based. The MAED program, though, encouraged me to utilize various types of technology for my own learning and it quickly became evident that the rewards I gained could be reaped by my own students.  I not only plan to utilize technology for my own personal professional development, but to also provide access for my students to the general education curriculum.  Graphic organizers and visual representations of material, for example, are critical pieces of instruction for students with many types of special needs.  I would like to explore more options for instruction using methods such as Pixton and Animoto. My hope is to broaden my skills and experiences with educational technologies in order to accommodate differences in learning styles.

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          Third, I would like to focus future efforts on enhancing authentic learning in my classroom to increase real-world application.  It often seems that when secondary students, such as my own, fall behind their grade-level peers in academic skills, that they have not only lost sight of education’s purpose and necessity for life, but are also receiving remediation through highly-scripted interventions.  Consequently, apathy dominates and motivation to learn lacks.  I completed a course in viewing learning positively during the MAED program.  The class and its content have inspired me more than ever to create meaningful learning opportunities for my students.  I hope to organize more community-based learning in which students foster literacy competencies through interaction with real audiences that provide authentic feedback.  In these situations, students will further practice reading and writing skills in ways that enable them to influence others.  My ideas include building partnerships with local elementary schools and nursing homes as well as giving my students a voice by having them develop book reviews for the local library and school library.  Writing to their principal about change that could occur within the school building is also amongst many other possibilities.  Connectedness to the outside world along with relevance are truly significant components of effective education programs.  If I can help my students see that education and schooling link them to pieces far outside themselves, I hope to decrease the existence of more artificial academic environments.

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           Seemingly my true learning phase has now commenced.  I have acquired new skills through the MAED program that I will and have applied to my classroom practice; however, continuing to seek leadership opportunities, further building knowledge of technology, and fostering authentic learning experiences will serve to make me a better educator tomorrow than I was today.

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