Degree Path

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

teachers and students on the transformation of technology and why it matters.

Building a Network

Prior to enrolling in Walden, the idea of establishing and maintaining an open network

with my academic advisor was highly encouraged by my enrollment advisor. Networking is a

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

career. Participation in a collaborative or shared learning group enables students to develop a

network of support…engaging them more fully in the academic life of the institution ​(Williams,

Zwolak, Dou, & Brewe, 2017)

 As a requirement for the doctoral program, it is essential that I attend a face-to-face

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.

The residency will provide an opportunity for me to expand my networking connections.

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

will be quite a challenge as it is a component to maintaining a solid network. Collecting a

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

keeping contact with the people I encounter.

At the residency, an important contact to search for is a supervisor that is an expert on

my proposed topic. Without the assistance and guidance of a knowledgeable supervisor, it is

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

personally. However, it will be my responsibility to persuade my prospective supervisor that it is

advantageous for him or her to have me on their research team.

Problem related to topic

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.

● What are the barriers to teachers’ use of technology?

 ● How can the mobile devices, such as the iPad, transform traditional instruction methods
in the K-12 schools?
● How is the digital learning space going to change schools and education?

To understand the barriers of teachers’ use of technology, change can occur in

education (primary K-12 schools) as traditional instruction methods transform into a digital

learning space incorporating mobile devices, such as the iPad.

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

(Ertmer, P. A., 2005).

Within Module 5 assignment, I envisioned designing a self-paced online module tailored

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

a crossroads as traditional methods and tools are changing as a result of advances in

technology and learning theory.

 Personal & Professional Goals

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

heights, discovering innovative technological solutions to technology related issues in public

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

Educational Technology, 1997). Related to my dissertation idea, I recognize a need for

personalize professional development in the area of technology for teachers and a tech club for

students to advance their tech skills and knowledge.

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

good balance between work, school, family, and friends.

Conclusion

As the demographic of learners grow and change, the needs of education must change

in order to support learning. As an educator, I realized that changes in education are

unavoidable and one must be willing to adapt. The advancement in technology devices and

tools is just one reason why change has to occur.

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

the gap between research and practice.

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

Kennedy, M. M. (1997).The connection between research and practice. Educational

Researcher, 27(7), 4-12.
Stigler, J., & Hiebert, J. (1999). The teaching gap: Best ideas from the world’s teachers for
improving education in the classroom. New York, NY: The Free Press.

Tracy, B. (2013). ​Time Mangement​. United States of America: American Mangement

Association. https://www.amanet.org/time_mgmnt_mini.pdf

President’s Panel on Educational Technology. (1997). ​Report to the President on the

use of technology to strengthen K–12 education in the United States​. Washington
DC:U.S. Government Printing Office.

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