Dilys Gibbs-Harrison
As I look back at the end of my formal education, I am amazed at what I have accomplished these past years. In the movie “Letters to Juliet”, Sophie writes a reply letter to Claire, the original writer of 50 years ago with the phrase, what if. That is how I look at my life. You can always dream if you had more money, more time, or what if it turned out this way. What if? Would you really want it any differently?
Will I keep teaching? Yes! In what form? I don’t know. In the next couple months, I would like to explore my options. Even though the public school system is frustrating at times, there is no greater gift than educating our future with our tax dollars. I love teaching students the periodic table, mitosis and meiosis, and Newton’s laws either in person or through the computer. However, I would like to be in a school setting with more students who value an education and parents who support it.
I would also like to see if I could teach science AND technology. I would like to share what I have learned on my journey in the Master of Educational Technology degree. My goal is to help them be more creative and more successful in their pursuit of a technological career. It would give me much pleasure to encourage more females to enter the science and/or technology fields. Empowering females in these fields would lead to greater education of all sexes in the future.
Next year my teaching position is changing. I have no idea what I will be teaching in the school system. They are closing the alternative education school and combining it with the high school. It is reported that they will offer classes specifically for these alternative-type students. However, I do not know if I will be in the high school or middle school. I do know there is more technology available for class use at both of those schools. This is very exciting for me! I will be able use my blended learning websites, blogs, and other Web 2.0 tools to teach!
Future As A Learner Essay
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And Miles to Go Before I Sleep…..
By Dilys Gibbs-Harrison
I started this journey taking one educational technology course. Just one. I was naïve. I was scared going into uncharted territory. I knew how to do Microsoft Word, dabbled a little bit with PowerPoint and Excel, but I didn’t really know what was capable on the computer. This one course led me to want more. Why did creating a RSS page and following social networks lead me to want more? It was because I was learning! Learning! Educating oneself makes you feel good about yourself! What happens when you pass your knowledge onto someone else? It feels fantastic!
I have been frustrated with my school system’s lack of technology but it has made me more creative. I use an overhead projector to show YouTube videos, Discovery Education videos, and student videos. Frequently, I show the students what I created, what I discovered and how they can do it on their own time with their computers. Unfortunately, most of my student live in poverty. Still, introducing them to what is out there that they haven’t seen before opens their minds. There are no words to describe it! In the few times I have been able to use the computer lab, I have had students ask me how do I know how to do that. My Master of Arts in Educational Technology has taught me to do that!
I would also like to explore the other avenue of my career. My blood is Spartan green but also from my love of agriculture. I am a farmer. As I have explored career opportunities, agriculture has some of the greatest opportunities out there. I feel the general public is so out of touch with farmers. There is an incredible void out there that needs to be filled and educated. Can I, with my educational technology Master’s degree, help the agricultural community educate the general population about the husbandry, the safety, the environmental concerns that farmers worry about every minute of the day? I will explore what careers combine technology, agriculture, and education.
So you can see I will continue to ask questions and search for answers. What if I don’t look for other career opportunities? What if I teach science and technology? What if I continue to be a high school teacher? What if I continue my own education?
Miles to go before I sleep…………………………………………..
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