Reflective Statement

I began my journey in the LDT program the Summer semester of 2022. I really had no idea how challenging getting my Master’s was going to be, I understood that earning a degree at this stage in my life would be much different as I had other obligations compared to my undergrad but balancing schoolwork and the hurdles that life threw at me wasn’t something I was fully prepared for.

I entered the program eager to learn and gain knowledge about something I was passionate about but earning my Master’s has become more than a pursuit of knowledge, it has become a necessity and driving force to create a better future for my family. Since the summer of 2022 I have taken 1-2 courses each semester while working full-time while managing all of expected and unexpected that life has thrown at me. Since starting my degree program I welcomed my youngest child, received an autism and ADHD diagnosis for my oldest child and navigated all the evaluations, therapies and needs that goes with it, bought and house and moved, stepped in to act as an interim supervisor at my job which turned into a permanent position and transitioned my special needs child to kindergarten. I am hopeful that this degree will help me to secure a position that provides me with the balance to produce meaningful work and also meet the needs of my family.

The maturity I have gained in the last few years while working on my degree has been granted to me from life experiences has allowed me to be more open to accept the knowledge I have been privileged to receive. Going into the program I thought that that I would learn some great design techniques and be introduced to some new educational tech and while that did happen I also experienced intellectual growth I hadn’t anticipated. I learned what it meant to facilitate learning opportunities and create safe learning environments, I realized the importance of safety and security in regards to data, I understood the importance of inclusion and diversity in the development of tech and how accepting different ways of learning can promote meaningful learning. I entered the program with a simmering passion and I am exiting with a burning desire to take my newfound knowledge and make a difference in the learning community.

“Having the devices and the software is not enough, if virtual instruction is going to be successful then it is necessary to rethink how the framework of instruction techniques needs to change to correspond with the teaching environment.”

The quote above is from the statement of purpose I wrote for my admittance to the LDT program, looking back on it my feelings are similar but I have a better understanding of the depth of this statement and most importantly how to go about making this a reality.

“Teaching is more than imparting knowledge; it is inspiring change. Learning is more than absorbing facts; it is acquiring understanding.” -William Arthur Ward