Atiya Razi

When I applied to the Masters in Educational Technology (MAET) program at Michigan State University (MSU), I wondered what I would achieve after completing this program. I had two master’s degrees (Biochemistry and Educational Psychology), I was an Ontario Certified Teacher and also a Michigan Certified Teacher. So what goals brought me to the MAET program? The answer was technology. I have a keen interest in exploring technology, but I was not yet proficient. My primary goal, as I wrote in my graduate school application, was to build success and confidence in my students by encouraging creative and innovative ways of learning by using technology. My other original goal was to address the needs of all the learners by differentiating instruction through technology. I was hoping that MAET would help me to achieve these goals.

At that time, my goals were invisible. I was not clear how exactly the MAET program would help me achieve these goals. Over the past two years, my beliefs and perceptions about the technology have changed. I am now consistently evaluating my teaching practices and beliefs about technology integration in my teaching. The ideas I’ve been exposed to in the MAET program have made me a more receptive, mindful, and motivated teacher. Instead of just considering the technological tools, I will look for what value these tools have in reaching my goals. I will look for how these tools help me to motivate and enhance my students' critical thinking, problem-solving skills and participate actively in their own learning process, and how I would use this tool to cater for the needs of all learners in my classroom, especially my students with special needs.  

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Continuing with the same vigor, passion and integrity, I see myself growing and advancing in my knowledge of innovative technologies as my goals continue to gain clarity. In addition to my original goals, supporting the success and confidence of my students by using technology, and using technology to differentiate my practice, I also want to improve and prove myself as a leader who can support other teachers in her professional learning network. I envision myself as a university professor teaching my students by keeping the Technology, Pedagogy, Content, and Knowledge (TPACK) relationship in mind. Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) tries to recognize the kind of knowledge necessary for teachers to integrate technology in their teaching while keeping the complex, multi-layered and situated nature of teacher knowledge. TPACK helped me to understand how to re-purpose technology to enhance the students’ learning experience. Now I feel I am better equipped to face the challenges of the constantly changing and evolving educational world. Most importantly, I now see myself continuing with my education and earning a doctorate in technology. At the end of the program, even my goals are visible but I still have to improve myself continuously so that I would be able to achieve my goals.