Monday, November 10, 2008

Statement of Professional Objectives

Jason Potsander
Statement of Professional Objectives
University of Alaska Southeast
July 27, 2008

"Computing is not about computers any more. It is about living." ~Nicholas Negroponte, founder and Chairman Emeritus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab and the One Laptop per Child association (OLPC)

Technology is increasingly being integrated into the personal and professional fabric of our lives. This technological bombardment occurs so constantly and consistently that it is nearly impossible to perform our activities of daily living without coming into contact or being facilitated by technology in some manner. Indeed, interfacing with various technologies is no longer a quaint novelty, but is often a prerequisite to achieving personal and professional success in today's rapidly changing world. As an elementary educator I believe it is my job to provide my students with a foundation of knowledge and skills that will enable them to be in a position to take advantage of any opportunities available to them throughout their lives.
Since earning my Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education with a K-12 Teaching English as a Second Language endorsement in 2001 from Goshen College, (Goshen, Indiana), I have accumulated over five years of experience teaching English in small group settings. Four of these years of teaching experience were performed within the very multilingual population of Anchorage, Alaska. Primarily focusing on oral language and literacy development, I have experienced first hand how the integration of technology across the curriculum can greatly enhance student engagement and motivation.

In accordance with the Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools, I recognize that in order for my students to reach their full educational potential I must provide opportunities for them to master the technological knowledge and skills that will help springboard them into future opportunities. As a culturally responsive educator, I also realize that technology is a great medium in which students can learn about the rich cultural and geological variety around the world while enhancing their own cultural identity.

With this in mind, I seek to equip my students with several key technological skills. For example, students need to become critical consumer-evaluators of media, Internet resources, and technology-related hardware. To initiate this evaluation process students would be taught to question "Is a technology-related device or activity beneficial or accurate?" along with asking "Is a technology-related device or activity technically possible or allowable?" These questions are two very different, but related evaluation tools which students might use to guide their technology use.
In a world where multimedia can saturate our senses, students require the technical knowledge and skill to utilize software as well as hardware creatively in order for their stories and ideas to be heard. Increasingly, technology-related multimedia resources and skills are becoming the preferred communicative medium for both personal and professional endeavors. Students must be adept at harnessing the power of both software and hardware resources in order to express and promote themselves as well as contribute to the global society in which we find ourselves.

With a Master's degree in Educational Technology, I believe that I can successfully impart to my students the technological knowledge and skills that this digital age will demand of them. By exploring and critically evaluating a vast array of technological resources and concepts I will be better equipped to engage my students in their own quests of creation, expression, and communication. I believe a Master's degree in Educational Technology will provide me with the resources and knowledge to more fully integrate technology across the curriculum in my own teaching practice as well as allow me to serve as a professional resource to my colleagues as we mutually strive to cultivate each of our student's highest learning potential.