Running head: GROWTH ASSESSMENT 1

Growth Assessment: Becoming Technology-Minded to Inspire Digital Citizenship in an

Elementary School Setting

Ilia Willison

Azusa Pacific University

GROWTH ASSESSMENT 2

Growth Assessment: Becoming Technology-Minded to Inspire Digital Citizenship in an

Elementary School Setting

History of Coursework

Table 1 History of Coursework

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Personal Growth

Throughout my experiences within the Master of Arts in Education: Learning and

Technology with a California Multiple Subject Preliminary Teaching Credential, I have grown as

an educator and an adult individual. There has been experiences that have helped in guiding how

I approach my students, teaching methodologies, technology integration, and lifelong learning.

Personally, I have been able to build a stronger foundation in my faith and have had positive
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reinforcement in my ability to be an equitable educator through feedback and assignments that

pushed my abilities beyond what I had previously accomplished.

Recently, I have been able to focus on the importance of reflection and how to reflect on

my personal and professional growth. It has become a part of my daily routine and has helped me

to improve my emotional health by completing weekly teacher reflections (Smalley, 2019). In

addition, faith has become a large part of the growth and it was reinforced through the faith

integration discussions within the program. I have seen personal growth in my ability to discuss

how faith affects my teaching and why I believe in God through the reinforcement of engaging in

challenging conversations (Holder, 2019). The verse that drives my faith as a teacher is Matthew

19:14, “But Jesus said, ‘Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such

is the kingdom of Heaven’” (KJV).

Cognitively, I continue to be organized and use my abilities to work ahead of time in

order to create work that reflects the expectations. I have always strived to do my best and get

good grades, although the program has reinforced this personal drive through the GPA

requirements and expectations of the professors as we complete clinical practice as well as

additional courses. This is especially evident throughout this fall due to my position as a full-

time fourth-grade teacher, completing the CalTPA assessments, clinical practice, master and

credential courses. With all that is occurring in my life, it has increased the importance of

maintaining organization and attempting to complete assignments earlier than they are due.

Affectively, I have seen that my passion to teach is justified through what God has

planned for my life and where my personal gifts lie. In Essentials of Learning and Technology, I

was able to see how my calling as a teacher will drive my lifestyle and, in return, my lifestyle

will reflect in my teaching. The faith discussions and instruction given by Dr. Bacer built
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confidence in my beginnings as an educator and how I can create a foundation in learning

through technology by modeling a Christian worldview. This understanding has supported my

passion to use technology, teaching abilities, and spiritual growth (Bacer, 2018).

Professional Growth

Professionally, I have experienced support and guidance into the direction of providing

my students an equitable education through methods of the Universal Design for Learning

(UDL), depths of knowledge, technology, and assessment. I have grown as a professional since

beginning the Master of Arts in Education program and continue to grow in my ability to work

with administrators, faculty, staff, parents, and students. Professionally, I am able to reflect the

California Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs), reflecting my faith and ethics to provide

equitable educational opportunities, and I am able to use technology in my professional career as

a fourth-grade teacher.

The program has guided me to reflect the TPEs as a professional educator through being

held to those standards and being assessed according to them. I am able to be a professional in

the classroom and reflect the standards by which teachers in California are held to and are

mandated to exemplify in their teaching practices (Commission on Teacher Credentialing, 2013).

This has allowed me to earn a teaching position, through the evidence I have accumulated

throughout the teaching program at Azusa Pacific University. Now, I am able to apply those

expectations in my daily teaching practices and exemplify ethical and equitable teaching.

In addition, I have become an ethical educator with a focus on modeling my faith through

the support of the faith integration components of the program. These pieces to each module of

learning have allowed me to reflect on how my faith and ethical beliefs affect my teaching of

students from diverse backgrounds. Dr. Bacer in Essentials in Learning and Technology,
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emphasized the importance of applying ethical decision-making, faith, and technology to our

daily profession and using it to guide our professional code of conduct as an educator (2018). My

professional life is directly affected by my faith foundation through how I choose to interact with

others and take the time to help families who are a part of my classroom, using my abilities and

resources.

In the course, Art of Teaching I, I was able to gain important skills in terms of teaching

and the pedagogical strategies I use with my students of varying backgrounds (Bachrach &

Bradley, 2018). This was then reinforced with a deeper look into using technology to assist in

accessing student knowledge and abilities through integrating technology during instruction

(Bacer, 2018). Due to this, I have been able to secure a position as a fourth-grade teacher and

have been deemed a technology guru from my principal and coworkers. I have also been

inducted into a cohort of teachers in the Rialto Unified School District as the first cohort for

ViewSonic smart board technology. My role is to pilot this technology in my school and grade-

level and this is something I am very proud of as a first-year teacher and intern, as well as it is a

piece of my background that will allow me to remain within the district and support my career.

Overall, my professional abilities have been supported and have grown substantially

throughout the completion of the program. I have been able to use what I have learned in these

courses to be able to assist students, parents, and those in my school through technology

implementation. In addition to this, my faith has positively affected my professional life and this

was reinforced by the faith integration opportunities provided by APU. Finally, being held to the

standards of the TPEs has given me a clear idea of what my administrators are looking for in a

teacher and how to be a teaching professional.

Technical Growth
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I have always been interested in technology, due to growing up and using technology to

learn with Disney themed computer games for reading and mathematics as well as cassette tapes

to learn phonics. This has reinforced my interest and understanding of how gaming and learning

technology can be used within the classroom and that it is not just a pass-time activity for

students. The instruction received during my time in the master’s program has supported my love

for technology and my understanding of its educational qualities as well as using technology for

creating personal resource collections and engaging learners.

Throughout the program, I have been able to design a LiveBinder ePortfolio to support

my learning and growth as well as maintain a log of the content and resources being provided in

all of my coursework (Bacer, 2018). This allows me to continue using the information gained in

the M.A.Ed. program in my personal and professional life. It has also provided a digital location

to refer to and provide other educators with information so that they may have access to

important documents as well as websites for professional development or collaborative

opportunities. Incorporating a digital collection of resources into the program has given a clear

way of using technology to maintain organization.

In Special Topics in Technology, I was able to use learning technology, such as DeckToys,

to be able to create engaging technological learning opportunities that allow students to learn

over the internet with backwards design in a flipped classroom setting (Effinger, 2019). Within

my own classroom, I have implemented multiple means of technology in my lessons and it

becomes an instant piece of engagement for the students. This is due to my research in the

emerging trends in technology utilized within the classroom and how to inspire student learning,

no matter what their educational level or abilities might be (Holder, 2019). Some of the

supplemental technology used in my courses includes websites useful for presentations, note-
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taking, surveys, forums, collaboration, research, and educational gaming technology. Each of

these resources gained throughout the program will allow me to additionally grow in technology

through implementing and assessing the effectiveness of different modes of technology with my

personal group of learners.

The technological skills and resources that were gained through the Master of Arts in

Education: Learning and Technology have enhanced my teaching practice and given me

opportunities for helping others, in return. I am a part of a technology cohort for the Rialto

Unified School District and am constantly asked for assistance and advice on technology at my

school site. The program has required the collection of reputable resources and data to continue

to grow professionally in education. I also have been able to learn how to use technology on a

daily basis for organization as well as engaging my students in the learning process.

Life Long Learning Plan

In the course Emerging Trends in Technology, Professor Holder focused on the need to

becoming an L3, or a Life Long Learner (2019). I plan on continuing my education by clearing

my teaching credential, earning my CLAD certificate, working on my GATE certification

through my district, and eventually getting my administration credential. I also would like to

continue my education by participating in Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) and

collaborating with fellow educators. It is also important that I am able to stay up-to-date on

technological advances and application of technology within the classroom so that I may provide

an equitable educational environment for my students.

I continue to search for additional personal learning networks (PLNs) in my district and

through the internet in order to supplement my goal to be a life long learner. My current personal

learning networks consist of my grade-level team, school PLC team, the View Sonic smartboard
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cohort, my APU classmates, and a few personal learning networks online. I enjoy being a part of

networks that are active and engage in the same interests or grade-levels. One example is the We

Are Teachers page as well as the Not So Wimpy Fourth Grade Teachers group on Facebook.

These have been wonderful resources for me, as I have started my first year as a fourth-grade

teacher. I am able to ask fellow educators questions, advice, and share ideas with support from

teachers with varying experiences and years being an educator.

One of the most important pieces in the strive to be a life long learner is to stay updated

on new developments in the field of technology and teaching. I see many older educators and I

have observed their lack of interest in the new technology. I do not want to become like them

because it can cause a disengagement for the learners in the classroom. Ultimately, my plan for

continually learning throughout my life is to strive to engage in more educational opportunities

and professional development as well as stay updated on new technology and pedagogy.

Conclusion

Throughout my educational journey, I have been able to grow personally, professionally,

spiritually and technically by entering the Master of Arts in Education program and Azusa

Pacific University. I have not only learned about technology, as a whole, but the process of

implementation of technology within the classroom. This has allowed me to apply this

knowledge in my fourth-grade classroom as a first-year teacher. Understanding how technology

can impact a child’s education will continually motivate me to learn and apply technology to

learning every day.

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References

Bacer, K.. (2018). Essentials in Learning and Technology. Master of Arts in Education: Learning

and Technology. School of Education, Azusa Pacific University. Azusa, CA. Retrieved

from http://home.apu.edu.

Bachrach, T., Bradley, A.. (2018). Art of Teaching I. Multiple Subject Preliminary Teaching

Credential. School of Education, Azusa Pacific University. Azusa, CA. Retrieved from

http://canvas.apu.edu.

Commission on Teacher Credentialing (2013, March). California Teacher Performance

Expectations [PDF File]. Retrieved from https://www.ctc.ca.gov/docs/default-

source/educator-prep/tpa-files/tpes-full-version.pdf

Effinger, K.. (2019). Special Topics in Technology: Integration of Web Resources. Master of Arts

in Education: Learning and Technology. School of Education, Azusa Pacific University.

Azusa, CA. Retrieved from http://home.apu.edu.

Hernandez, K.. (2019). Digital Communications. Master of Arts in Education: Learning and

Technology. School of Education, Azusa Pacific University. Azusa, CA. Retrieved from

http://home.apu.edu.

Holder, T.. (2019). Emerging Trends in Technology. Master of Arts in Education: Learning and

Technology. School of Education, Azusa Pacific University. Azusa, CA. Retrieved from

http://canvas.apu.edu.

Smalley, N.. (2019). Clinical Practice 1. Multiple Subject Preliminary Teaching Credential.

School of Education, Azusa Pacific University. Azusa, CA. Retrieved from

http://canvas.apu.edu.