Digital Journal #6
The End of my era as a graduate student
I can hardly believe my time at Grand Canyon University is coming to a close. This past year of grad school has been part of a longer, three-year pursuit of higher education that I never intended to pursue. Life has a way of throwing absolute curveballs when we least expect it, and after my Covid-divorce, I found myself with an opportunity to pivot my professional Graphic Design career and focus on a career that I could do that worked with my children’s school schedules. This led me down the path to becoming an elementary school librarian at 42 years old! I pursued a year of grad school to become a school librarian, but God had other plans and two years in, He offered a way for me to receive my credential for free, and the opportunity to teach my passion, Graphic Design.
I suddenly found myself in a middle school classroom, learning what it meant to be an educator for the first time, having to quickly get up to speed on the necessary educational technology tools to create formative assessments, build seating charts, create PBIS-informed rewards systems, manage my LMS, my SIS, and parent communication. The acronyms alone made my head spin! When I saw that receiving a Master’s Degree could help my position on the pay scale as a single mom, I jumped at the opportunity. Since I had 20 years of experience working in a tech-based industry and little desire to receive a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction as a Digital Art teacher, I found this very special Instructional Technology program through Grand Canyon University. I truly had no idea what I was getting myself into!
My Growth as a Professional
I hardly recognize the person I see what I think back to where I was only one short year ago. I was still struggling to find my footing as an educator, still learning the ropes of differentiation, accommodations, accessibility, and student relationship development. I know that I am an exponentially better educator as a direct result of the work I have completed in my year pursuing an Instructional Technology degree. I didn’t even understand what a Technology Coach was or that it was a role I could one day fill with the skills I would develop as a direct result of this program. The Lord knew exactly what He was doing, because as a result of my studies, I am now leading the charge on my campus to implement effective Digital Citizenship curriculum campus-wide for the 2026-27 academic year. I am also a member of the Campus Leadership Team and will be responsible for administering professional development sessions throughout the upcoming school year. Finally, I have been assigned the role of Electives Department Lead as a direct result of my efforts as a Technology Coach. With these recognitions come a lot of additional responsibilities, but I feel prepared for the new roles and excited for the challenges I will face in this new season as an educator.
The Future for My Technology Coaching
I have already shifted my attention to my future as a Technology Coach and change agent on my campus and within my district. I have started to develop tools that are needed specifically on my campus, including a year-long curriculum plan for weekly Digital Citizenship lessons for all Advisory classes. This aligns with ISTE-C Standard 4.1 Change Agent, as I help to create a shared vision, cultivate a supportive coaching culture, and recognize high-impact teaching. This also aligns with ISTE-C Standard 4.7 Digital Citizen Advocate, which is a sorely needed skill set on my middle school campus, where bullying and racial tension are daily issues.
I’ve also built a new website to increase parent communication for my Yearbook and Drama classrooms, which can be used as a guide to develop websites for other educators on campus. This aligns with ISTE-C Standard 4.2 Connected Learner, as I used to completely shy away from anything web-oriented, as I have spent 20 years as a print designer and didn’t like to bother with web design. I have chosen to “commit to continuous improvement” (ISTE 4.2.c) as an educator and that includes improving how I communicate with families and students.
I have also signed up for several relevant newsletters that are already serving me well by keeping me informed on all trends education technology, including Edutopia, Common Sense Education, Maneuvering the Middle, Canva for Education, and PBS LearningMedia. Signing up for newsletters and connecting to PLNS also aligns with ISTE-C Standard 4.2.b Participate in PLNs.
Finally, I am on the Instructional Leadership Team this year, which means I am committed to “designing quality professional learning” (ISTE 4.5.a). I am really looking forward to how I can support my fellow educators both during professional development opportunities as well as on a one-on-one basis, talking through the needs they see as issues in their classrooms. I also foresee opportunities to implement “effective tools for learning” (ISTE 4.3 Collaborator) as I continue to learn about new tools as they become available.
