Reflecting back to one of my EdTech courses from Indiana University Purdue University of Indianapolis in 2004, I recalled an assignment from my professor asking us to find an image that represented how we view the world of technology. Although this image was taken in 2005, I find the belief I have for technology is still the same 15 years later. I knew then what I know now that one of my best “YES” in my learning journey is the permission to select a Masters’ degree program that will challenge my mind to never give up on learning. I knew in the journey of selecting a program that was best for my professional and personal growth was to select a program that was not comfortable for me. I knew if I was going to be a difference maker in education, I was going to have to push the envelope and test the waters with various technology tools that was going to be coming down the pipe.
My oh my how relevant this view is today in regards to technology. I’m so thankful to have found this assignment through the many flash drives that saved all of the files of my coursework. Y’all when I was doing my coursework for my Masters’ in Educational Technology, Google Drive didn’t exist yet so I couldn’t save files on the cloud. I saved all my work on a flash drive. That was such a novelty technology at this time. Previously, I had graduated from Ball State University for my Bachelors’ degree… I saved all my work on a zip drive. I am so dating myself in sharing these different saving mechanisms. I’m so thankful to have been on the journey to see how the saving of our creative work has evolved over time.
I share this reflection below as an encouragement that it’s okay to dig back up your early creative work and reflect on how your views have shaped the way you look at the world. I’m so thankful that my views of the world have evolved. I’ve gained maturity in how I can embrace the world and the constant changes in technology. I love the enhancement of technology that has shaped the way our lives have shifted. I love how technology has evolved so that we can connect in ways that we weren’t able to connect in previous years.
This picture represents how I feel about the world of technology. The winding path indicates that technology is a never ending process. It will continue to get longer and longer. There is no way of seeing the end to technology because the new inventions in technology are growing at a very fast pace. The crooked path signifies for me that the road to technology is not always going to be straight and perfect. In life when we are working toward a goal and desiring to achieve a goal, there will always be a block in the road that stops us from trying to achieve that goal. Just like the picture, the trees, plants, and rocks around the path represent how things may get in the way of us trying to achieve our goals. But if we are determined to learn how to use the technology and or achieve a goal, we will not let the rocks, plants, and trees get in our way. It may steer us off the path but if we are focused, we will see how technology is so beneficial in our life. New technology is not meant to scare us away or make us feel incompetent. Technology of the present and of the future is here to help us.
This image for me represents what technology means to me. Since I love to integrate technology in my classroom, I have to learn how to use it and figure out the best technology programs that will benefit my students and myself. There may be times where I get too excited about a new software/hardware that has been introduce to me as a teacher and I want to jump on the bandwagon and test it out on the students and realize that this software/hardware is not going to meet the needs of my students. This is where the road to technology may be crooked because it may work for one person but it may not be beneficial for another person. There will always be new technology coming our way; it is my job as a teacher to find the software/hardware that is the most beneficial for my students. Before I introduce the software/hardware, I need to teach myself how to use it. The road to success is not perfect therefore; the road to the future of technology is not going to be a straight path. I am planning on adapting this philosophy and be more enthusiastic about the technology inventions of the future. It will help me to embrace the change in technology and see that not all technology programs are going to be perfect. There will definitely be advantages and disadvantages to new software and/or hardware that come our way.
To enhance this image, I used Adobe Photo Element software to crop this picture that was originally a picture surrounded by a ton of trees. I also lighten/soften up the picture so the picture can be clearer. I also used a tool of textures to give the picture more definition. I had a text box within the picture and a tool of noisy background to emphasize the title. The colors for the text and borders came from remembering the construction signs which are usually orange and yellow. When an area is under construction it is a warning that something is not working right and we need to fix it.This to me represents technology at times when I try to use some sort of technology in my classroom and it doesn’t work.
Although my reflection of this technology image is about the application into my classroom yet how relevant is this image in how our lives had to pivot in the midst of the global pandemic. Truly, I believe that we all rise together as a human race to shift for a better tomorrow during the year 2020. Here we go 2021.. what do you have for us? We are ready to make a ruckus to create indispensable humans for the next generation. Let’s do this 2021! Let’s be the change to connect human races together. Let’s make this an unforgettable year filled with hope in the world for a change where peace, joy, and love is the language spoken all around the world.
