Competency 4 – Think Critically and Reflectively

• Develops a personal vision of inclusive educational practice
• Describes the relationship between Educational Technology and the broader field of Education
• Critically evaluates theory and practice

Artifacts:
EDCI 660 A – Initial Reflective Essay
EDCI 660 B – Week 7-8 Summary and Reflection

At the very beginning, in my very first session, of the Purdue LD&T program, we (students) were asked to reflect on some poignant questions:  What is my career goal?  What do I want to accomplish in this MS program?  How can this program help me to achieve my career goal?  About halfway through the program, we were asked again to reflect on our initial statement, and add our current thoughts to the mix.

Develops a personal vision of inclusive educational practice

These, at the time, were very difficult questions (in both cases).  In my initial essay, I painted the picture of what I wanted to be and what I wanted to do with this degree.  Being a teacher by profession, this heavily included my educational practice, both for my music students and for my adult (teacher) learners.  Moving halfway through the program, writing my second reflection, I was able to expand more on what the program was doing for me, how it was affecting my job, and how the program was strengthening both my skills as an instructional designer, and my resolve to find a job that pays me to design instruction.

Describes the relationship between Educational Technology and the broader field of Education

Given my position in my school as the Technology Liaison to the District for my school, I have always understood the close relationship between Educational Technology and the larger and broader field of Education.  Reflecting in 660B, this relationship is clear.  The lens through which I have viewed this entire program has been focusing me on my desire to influence general Education with Educational Technology.  Even though they may be separate, each has their part to play in the ongoing education of the future leaders of the world.

Critically evaluates theory and practice

Part of the 660B Reflection was to describe how to put some of this into practice.  In the course (660B), I created a “Service Learning Project”, and in the reflection I described how and why I made the decisions that I did for that project.  While it was not an in-depth review of it, I felt that it was successful in evaluating the key decisions that were made.