Course Reflections
Well this is the end. EDTECH 522 was the last class I needed to submit my portfolio, and in a week's time, I begin the portfolio class. In the program, the EDTECH portfolio serves as a culminating activity, but honestly, for me, this class served that purpose.
I used the opportunity to begin creating my "Multimedia for Educators" course. This is something I intend on completing an offering to various undergraduate/graduate education programs. It's a subject that goes right to my core. The most wonderful thing, for me, about the program was not what I learned, but the people I met during my journey. There are a lot of hard working people teaching our children. A number of them are taking part in this program, but truly, this type of curriculum should be mandatory for any student entering the educational workforce. The fact that Educational Technology exists as a special degree only buttresses my point. Something that is so rudimentary to education today should not be offered as a special course, it should be, at the bare minimum, introduced in the core curriculum for educators, and it should be done so in depth and not with a glossing over of various topics.
Technology and computers are amazing tools. They should be utilized to their fullest. Based on my discussions with my peers during my time in the program, I do not believe this is happening. Someday soon, in my opinion, online programs such as this one will outnumber their brick and mortar alternatives. The economics of online alternatives dictate that this will be so. Not only will online education lower the cost to the university, but those savings can be passed on to future students. Imagine emerging with a 4 year degree without a raft of student loans. The possibilities are endless.
This new paradigm will require teachers who are completely comfortable with online media. They are going to need to know how to create their own video lessons rather than aggregating the instruction of others. The skills required are fairly simple, but it amazed me how few of my instructors actually did this during the program. This needs to change. There are many free programs available for educators to use to create content. I believe it is fear and know-how rather than cost that is resulting in this lack of progress. The solution is obvious. Provide the know-how and they will overcome their fear.
In my mind, the true measure of education is the level of growth that one experiences while partaking in a program. The last two years, for me, have been a growth spurt. My eyes and mind have been opened to a completely new group of writers and thinkers who I would have never encountered had I made the decision to simply pursue an IT Master's Degree program. The whole experience has presented me with fresh concepts and opportunities, which I will pursue in the future.
