To excel and be successful as an Instructional Technology Specialist in the field of education I must develop and become an expert in three specific skills: planning, problem solving and researching. I need to acquire and develop traits to become a planner, a problem solver and a researcher. It is very important to have these three skills and traits because I need to be able to design, manage and evaluate resources for all of my courses and projects. It is also my responsibility as an Instructional Technology Specialist to make sure the instructional tools will improve the students learning experiences within the classroom and online.

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     As an Instructional Assistant (with a Bachelor's in Disability Services and a concentration in Deaf Studies) at DePaul School for Hearing and Speech, I was given the opportunity to teach a computer class to students using new computers, new printers and a new TechnoKids Curriculum. At first I thought I was using all this new technology effectively in the classroom. However, it soon became apparent that I wasn't given sufficient information on how to implement ans use the new curriculum with the new computer properly. Thus, my decision to enroll in the Instructional Technology Master's Program at Duquesne University was the best approach for me to increase my knowledge of using technology and to learn how to implement it in the classroom in the most accurate way.

 

     I am extremely lucky to be given the opportunity to teach in an oral school for the deaf that has a sufficient amount of resources that I have access to on a daily basis. I am currently teaching technology and it is sometimes a challenging job because I often have to find ways for students with hearing losses to utilize the technology tools in content areas. Students with hearing losses, ranging from mild to profound, often use their eyes to visualize and grasp concepts of what is being taught in the classroom before they are trained to use their ears to hear.

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     I am grateful for what I have learned in all of the courses I have taken because it has made me aware of all the different technology resources available that I previously did not know about. To keep myself current, I plan on reviewing information from professional journals and several technology websites. I have taught myself to have patience when troubleshooting and finding solutions to my many technological questions and dilemmas. The best way for me to continue my education and to grow with technology is to learn a little bit every day, one day at a time. Learning how to troubleshoot various technological scenarios will continue to promote my growth as an Instructional Technology Specialist.

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     My instruction and professional development at Duquesne University has provided a strong foundation in my development for my career as an Instructional Technology Specialist. This foundation along with the detailed instruction in the PDE Standards helped me expand my knowledge in using technology in my lesson planning. By incorporating technology into my daily lessons, my ability as a teacher for communicating my knowledge has expanded. By providing the right technology to the students helps them to succeed and helps reshape their future and ours.