Md6assgnsaitot 1
Md6assgnsaitot 1
Md6assgnsaitot 1
Tami Saito
Walden University
EDPD 8002
Introduction
The degree path I have selected is PhD in Education in the area of Educational
Technology and Design. My commitment towards pursuing the path of educational technology
was established during my MA degree while in Learning Design and Technology (LTEC)
program. Technology is continuing to evolve, grow and reshape our world. In the Department of
Education (DOE) change happens consistently, which challenges teachers and causes a shift in
thinking. As technology drastically changes, teachers can no longer hold onto how students
were taught in the past. Although my passion is being a classroom teacher, I foresee myself
stepping into the role of the school’s technology coordinator and later transitioning to an
educational technology director. As an agent for positive change, I want to educate both the
Building a Network
Prior to enrolling in Walden, the idea of establishing and maintaining an open network
method of communication. This is imperative as the academic advisor has connections inside
and outside the institution that can be invaluable. Networking with professors, fellow colleagues,
committee members and advisors is also crucial to the advancement of my education and
network of support…engaging them more fully in the academic life of the institution (Williams,
residency held in Phoenix, Arizona this June. The purpose of the residency is to provide
significant time for sustained participation and continuous interaction with peers, faculty
members and the community of scholars to acquire knowledge and skills that will assist me
throughout my program.
With the right mindset, I must be willing to step outside of my comfort zone of speaking to
people from all different types of professions. As a visual learner, remembering people names
person’s business card or writing their information down in a notebook will be needed.
Developing a list of contacts and making personal connections with people can advance and
identify opportunities that can further my education and career. I will need to be proactive in
virtually impossible to conduct a proper research. In search for a supervisor, I am looking for
someone who can support me through all stages of my work both technically as well as
For a discussion post, a purpose statement was written based upon questions related to
technology. These questions are the basis in which I want to focus my research on.
education (primary K-12 schools) as traditional instruction methods transform into a digital
Research has shown that teachers’ attitudes towards technology influence their
acceptance of the usefulness of technology and its integration into teaching (Huang & Liaw,
2005). Despite the differences in resources and abilities from school to school it is possible to
integrate technology in ways that can impact engagement and learning for all students.
Furthermore, given that these skills are unlikely to be used unless they fit with teachers’ existing
pedagogical beliefs, it is imperative that educators increase their understanding of and ability to
address teacher beliefs, as part of their efforts to increase teachers’ technology skills and uses
for educators at a specific school to assist in identifying what professional development courses
or training is needed that aligns with the administrator’s vision. Technology needs to be
connected to learning outcomes and the idea that student knowledge, skills and experiences will
be enhanced. Without proper training that is relevant and links to those concepts and outcomes,
teachers may be reluctant to move forward with technology integration. Education is currently at
Earning a PhD in the field of Educational Technology and Design, will allow me to
advance in my career and become an advocate for positive change in the Department of
Education (DOE) school system. As a PhD student, I wish to challenge and push myself to new
education and learning challenges grounded in theory and research. It is my hope that my
research helps the education system and that it helps me to grow and prepare for the next
phase of my career.
A question I ask, “How can teachers view technology devices as a way to enhance a
student’s learning rather than as an assessment tool?” This summer, I would like to follow up
with my administrator on the proposal to allow me to assist the school as a technology coach,
as our school shift towards 1 to 1 computer integration. As schools continue to acquire more
and better hardware and software, the benefit to students increasingly will depend on the skill
with which some three million teachers are able to use these new tools (President’s Panel on
personalize professional development in the area of technology for teachers and a tech club for
To achieve the goals set, I will refer to the SMART method: Specific, Measurable,
Attainable, Realistic, and Time-related. The success of earing a PhD takes years of dedication
and can feel daunting at times. Recognizing and setting reasonable goals will allow me to
manage my time effectively while achieving my goals. There is the same 24 hours in every day,
how I make use of those hours depends on effective time management. Following the 80/20
principle, (Pareto principle) teaches a person to focus on what is really important. The idea of
prime time is found that 20 percent of effort accounts for 80 percent of your results and your
best efforts occur in 20 percent of the day (Tracy, 2013). It will be my responsibility to find a
Conclusion
As the demographic of learners grow and change, the needs of education must change
unavoidable and one must be willing to adapt. The advancement in technology devices and
The book by Stigler and Hiebert (1999) helped me to discover methods to improve my
craft as a teacher and the role that research plays. Teachers often feel that research does not
factor into their decision-making process, as questions they have are not all answered or
consider their constraints (Kennedy, 1997). A PhD degree is my chance to bring contributions to
the world of knowledge with an original and interesting research paper. By completing a PhD
degree, I plan to improve my own proficiency in technology education so that I can help bridge
References
Ertmer, P. A. (2005). Teacher pedagogical beliefs: The final frontier in our quest for technology
integration? Educational Technology Research and Development, 53( 4), 25–39.
doi:10.1007/BF02504683
Huang, H. M., & Liaw, S. S. (2005). Exploring users’ attitudes and intentions toward
the Web as a survey tool. Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 21, no. 5, pp.729-
74
Williams, E., Zwolak, J., Dou, R., & Brewe, E. (2017, January 13). Engagement, integration,
involvement: supporting academic performance and developing a classroom social
network. Retrieved from https://arxiv.org/pdf/1706.04121.pdf