Running head: THE FINAL PRODUCT 1

The Final Product

Jennifer A. van Boxtel

Azusa Pacific University

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The Final Product

History of Coursework

Table 1

History of Coursework

Course Term Professor Reflection

EDUC 511 Fall 1 Prof. K. Copyright laws

Essentials in 2017 Hernandez APA
Learning &
Technology

EDTC 527 Fall 1 Prof. Barry Created and developed an educational

Special Topics 2017 Bettege website
Educational
Technology

EDTC 517 Fall 2 Prof. J. Performed ​various forms of online

Digital 2017 Bruzzese collaboration & creating web pages
Communications

EDUC 548 Spring 1 Prof. T. Developed & Presented a “Ted Talk” style
Emerging Trends 2018 Holder research project through Google Drive &
in Technology YouTube

EDUC 526 Spring 2 Prof. K. Designed a business e-portfolio complete

Capstone 2018 Hernandez with resume
Experience in
Learning &
Technology

Personal Growth

A quote from Aristotle states, “The roots of education is bitter, but the fruit is sweet”

(n.d.). My educational journey started with insecurity over returning to “school” after so many

years of being a stay at home mom. The “roots” or educational journey that I undertook was a
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difficult process, but the journey proved to be a fruitful and worthwhile undertaking. I became a

committed student and teacher and I embraced both academic and teaching challenges with a

positive mindset and outlook. Over the course of the last few year as I progresses through my

credential and graduate coursework, my personal growth has been earmarked by my

commitment to succeed and secondly, by embracing challenges with a positive attitude. My

personal commitment to succeed and trying to maintain a positive mindset throughout my

coursework and teaching career proved to be characteristics that would enable me to complete

my educational goals and extend my personal growth.

Commitment: I returned to school to solely complete my teaching credential in Special

Education. It was a difficult undertaking, but I made my decision and I was committed to

succeeding. I struggled with keeping a healthy balance between my job as a mother and my

desire to have a career and financial independence. It was difficult arranging school and sports

schedules for my own children in addition to lesson plans and mentor visits at the school. I was

exhausted, and I often questioned if I made the right choice--this journey is not only difficult for

me, but for my family. I made a decision to becoming a special education teacher and that

commitment was a constant reminder when school, work became difficult. Life is never easy and

change is often difficult but, I persevered with my career commitment.

Embracing Challenges with a positive attitude: During the last few months of my

credential courses, I contemplated completing my Masters in Education. I thought it would be a

positive professional move as well as further extending the breadth and scope of my education.

The entrance into the MA program with an emphasis in technology sounded straight-forward,

and I moved forward with the additional five courses. The use of technology in the courses was
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difficult. I struggled with the technical aspects of many projects and I spent countless hours

figuring out the coursework. I was discontent and disheartened at my lack of exposure, but I

would force myself to look at the positive. I was learning new techniques and technologies that I

could use at school and home. I embraced the challenges with a positive spin or outlook and it

helped me to persevere with my goals.

Being committed to my educational goals regardless of the many challenges and hurdles

along the way, developed my personal growth as an individual. I continually kept focused on my

goals and the tasks at hand-even though there were many adjustments along the way. With a

positive attitude and mindset, I embraced the challenges one by one. My personal growth over

the course of the last three years is in the area of goal commitment and positively embracing

challenges which I proved by staying the course, completing my Special Education Credential

and my Master’s in Education.

Professional Growth

William Arthur Ward is quoted to have said, “​I​f you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If

you can dream it, you can become it” (n.d.)​. That quote resonates with me because I was a

stay-at-home mother of three, but I dreamed about having a career. I found a full-time job

working as an instructional aide for students with disabilities. Once I started working, I knew

that I wanted to be a special education teacher. The onset of my graduate courses and

transitioning from an aide to a teacher were difficult. I was frightened by the idea of writing an

IEP (Individualized Educational Program) and running a meeting. However, as I continued to

work and attend graduate school at night, I grew confident in the academic coursework and

implementing various teaching techniques. My professional growth from an instructional aide to

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a fully credentialed special education teacher was the foundation of a successful and confident

transition and my academic coursework provided the essential framework. My professional

development has been characterized by my increased knowledge and understanding of special

education and secondly, by my confidence through work experience.

Increased knowledge: As an instructional aide, I would assist students in the classroom,

monitor and collect data on their academic progress and behaviors. I didn’t know how to write

smart IEP goals, much less, write an entire IEP and hold the meeting. The IEP process and all the

legal vernacular was overwhelming and confusing. At the time, I was seeking academic

knowledge from my special education courses at school. I needed the special education

knowledge to write IEP goals, understand special education laws but the process was difficult,

tedious and unfamiliar. As I progressed through the courses, I was able to use my educational

background from my college courses to put the whole process and “individualized” terminology

into play. The IEP writing process started to become transparent, goals were successfully written

and all the legal vernacular, time frames and terminology started to make sense. I used my

academic coursework/knowledge to provide the foundational framework as I transitioned from

an aide to teacher.

Confidence: Working within my field of study allowed for hands-on experience and

professional training of writing of legally sound IEP’s. The successful hands-on experience, and

positive student/teacher relationships led to a paid internship and full time teaching position.

Through my internship, I was given the opportunity to work under an experienced special

education teacher that knew the laws and wrote exemplar IEP’s that followed the letter of the

law. The workload was intense, but the experience was incomparable. I was given the
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opportunity to write and hold IEP’s that covered the full experience of the IEP process.

Moreover, I was able to formally assess students, work with both the psychologist, speech

therapist and occupational therapist based on the IEP. My internship was an exceptional learning

experience and due to my performance, I was offered a full time teaching position the following

year. Therefore, my teaching experience provided the confidence in my professional abilities.

Three years ago, I started a new job as an instructional aide in a special education

environment. Today, I am a credentialed special education teacher. My professional growth has

been in my increased understanding of special education and increased confidence in my

abilities within the teaching profession.

Technological Growth

Vivenne Harr an activist for Make a Stand Foundation once stated, “Technology connects

us. Technology unites us. Technology amplifies our power” (Harr, 2015), I fully believe that

technology has become interwoven into education and the classroom. Before I started my

credential and master courses, my technology entailed writing and sending emails and searching

the web. Little did I know that technology had moved beyond information gathering and sending

emails. Educational technology has dramatically changed not only the classroom dynamics but it

has developed applications that allow students to collaborate both in the classroom and

worldwide. My technological growth is marked by my increased usage and understanding of

online collaboration and creation of assessments and worksheets in the classroom.

Online collaboration through resources such as Google Docs, Slides, Forms and

Spreadsheets allows not only the teacher to view students work, but allows online, real-time

collaboration between students and teachers. As a graduate student, I have collaborated with
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other special education teachers and professionals to develop lesson plans, share information and

present materials in a variety of ways. One of the most important aspects on the online

collaboration is that it takes place in real-time. Learning and understanding how to use online

collaboration as an integral resource was paramount to my technological growth as an educator.

Moreover, crafting and creating documents and presentations using a variety of resources with a

collaborative element create an engaging foundation or framework to the course of study. I have

learned to develop a variety of online collaborative projects and resources to use in my

classroom that both engage and educate students through collaboration and demonstration.

As a teacher, I was familiar with buying worksheets and using curriculum from my

school or Teachers Pay Teachers account; but, after taking graduate technology courses, I have

learned to develop and create my own by using the app Google Forms. Forms is another

application that has the ability to develop and formulate worksheets, exit tickets, assessments for

any subject or material. I have developed lessons that entail online assessment that I can send to

an entire class, individually, or as a small group. Google Forms is easy to use and can

automatically create a spreadsheet based on the information or data in the worksheet. As a

teacher, I have learned to use Google Forms to create quizzes, assessments, essays and exit

tickets and it has proven to be a successful tool and resource in the classroom.

As both a graduate student and a credentialed teacher in a K-12 school site, I have not

only learned how to collaborate online and share information and resources with my students,

but I have developed worksheets, exit tickets, and surveys that have advanced my ability and

performance in the classroom.

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Lifelong Learning Plan

As a teacher I believe it is important to keep abreast of technology both in the classroom

and at home. Technology is ever-present in the classroom and the world around us. Both

computers and cellular phones are used as tools within the classroom. Technology changes very

quickly and the best way to be informed is to be central to the changes and moves with the times.

In order to prepare for the technological changes of the future, I have adopted a life-long

learning plan. Learning is a continual process and technology is an area that requires a

commitment to change because inevitably change will occur. Technology changes very quickly

and the best way to be informed is to be central to the changes and move with the times. With a

life-long learning plan or agenda, a continuum of information and technology will become a part

of my long-standing goal.

Conclusion

Throughout the course of the last three years, I have grown both professionally and

personally. I had a personal commitment to attain my goal of becoming a teacher, and I

embraced the challenges along the way. Due to my personal commitments, I was able to focus on

my academics and obtain information/knowledge that was crucial to special education and the

teaching profession. Moreover, my professional, hands-on work experience accompanied with

the academic knowledge proved to be a valid resource because I was offered a full-time teaching

position. Last but not least, technology has proven to be a vital and necessary resource to my

teaching profession. Not only do I collaborate and share information with colleagues on various

projects, but my students and I collaborate online through Google Docs. I also use technology on

a daily basis by creating lesson plans and worksheets for my classroom. An educational
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investment in technology has proven to be well worth the time and money. All in all, my

personal, professional and technological growth over the course of the last three years has

provided the opportunity to attain my goals and advance my career.

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References

Aristotle. (nd). Retrieved from ​https://www.brainyquote.com/

Harr, V. (2015). Retrieved from ​https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/technology

William Arthur Ward Quotes. (n.d.). ​Quotes.net.​ Retrieved April 5, 2018, from

https://www.quotes.net/quote/6643​.