I am part of something. I used to joke to some of the other techs in my shop that I am an education reformer. After reading “The Meaning of Educational Technology,” I acquired a bit of background on the shift happening in education theory. In the past, the emphasis was on teaching and delivery; now the focus has moved to the needs of the learner.
I love the idea of learning. When I chose a career, I chose technology. I chose it because I had no idea what I wanted to do. I understood the pace of change would require regular learning. There is so much to learn that technology can be a very humbling profession. I learned there are no experts. You have to be able to work well alone and know where to go when you need help. The Internet was invented to share solutions to technology problems.
More recently, I have had the opportunity to work in IT for a school district that was having conversations about deeper learning, 21st century learning and project-based learning when I arrived. The spirit behind these talks stressed qualities that were already of value to me in my field. The district empowered the technology department to think about and add to the learning environment. I have been known to help rearrange classrooms and cover tables with dry erase paint to facilitate small group collaboration. That is not exactly high-tech, but it is exciting to see how moving things around can change the way a teacher delivers lessons. Maybe I am an education reformer.
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