It’s hard to believe that my time in the Master of Arts in Education program has come to a close so quickly. My experiences in the program have led me to reflect on what I have learned as well as what I will continue to learn in the future. While I have learned a great deal throughout the program, the most important thing I will take from the program is the importance of continuously learning. While I am new to the educational field, I have taken inspiration from my classmates who are experienced educators yet still felt a need to further their education through the masters program. Therefore, I have established goals to continuously enhance my education in order to accomplish my current and future professional goals.

 

I have had such a tremendous experience attaining my masters that I have given serious thought to furthering my education by pursuing a PhD in Education. I have been fortunate to come across professors in the program that have encouraged me to attain a PhD. While I have set a goal of attaining a PhD, I have decided to put that pursuit on hold until I establish myself as an educator. I would first like to get established as a high school teacher and then pursue a career in administration. I joined this program because I was interested in helping young people through education. Therefore, it is important for me to accomplish that goal before pursuing a PhD, which I know will require immense concentration as well as time. 

 

Once I have established myself as an educator, I will continue my education by relying on the resources that the school, district, and other professional organizations provide. I will continuously seek knowledge to make sure that I am giving my students the best education possible. Even though my formal education will come to a halt for the time being, it is important that I seek other avenues for continuing my education. As a new teacher, I will seek more experienced teachers in my school in order to gain from their knowledge and expertise. The Masters program has shown me that far too often teachers live in isolation even though their greatest resources tend to be each other. I will also rely on the district and professional organizations to stay current with issues in education in hopes of working together to implement solutions. My experience at Michigan State has taught me that the best manner in which to continue my education outside of a school setting is to collaborate with other educators in order to share ideas, stories, problems, solutions, and strategies. By focusing on these resources, I will be able to further my education outside of the traditional school setting.

 

My concentration in the Masters program has focused on post-secondary leadership; however, the program has been instrumental in showing me the benefits of using technology in the classroom, which I will incorporate with my future students. I will use technologies in my classroom that I have been privy too such as Wiki pages, website creation, and blended learning (online and classroom learning) in my classroom. I also plan to use technology to create websites for the parents of my students in order to keep them informed about grades, homework, and disciplinary issues. Parents have different circumstances and can often be pressed for time; therefore, it’s important for me to make opportunities for their involvement as easy as possible and technology is a medium that allows them to have access when it is suitable for them. I will continue to learn about new and relevant technologies in the future in order to enhance my student’s academic experience. In a world that is ever dependent on the use of technology in the workplace, it is important to make sure that students are prepared to use technology to their advantage.

 

As I look back on my journey, I can’t help but feel a great sense of accomplishment for what I have been able to achieve at Michigan State University. However, I now know more than ever that my completion of the program is only the beginning for me as a learner. Learning for all educators should be a life long journey to seek new solutions for the ever-changing landscape in education. My mission in life is to help children achieve to their academic potential and this goal is only feasible if I accept my responsibility as a life-long learner. Albert Einstein once said, “once you stop learning, you start dying.” Therefore, I will always be a life-long learner because I realize that the quest to acquire knowledge is always just beginning.