After the shock of his stringent rules and procedures and his passion for research and detail, I realized that I could learn a great deal from this man. Dr. Baylen set high standards for my coursework and taught me the importance of technology as a tool for learning. He also prepared me for the rigor of graduate level coursework. In an attempt to meet his standards, I realized my strengths and weaknesses, and immediately made a plan to address both. Thus began the process of turning this neophyte into an educational technologist, an instructional developer, and a facilitator of learning.
The Educational Technology concentration in the Curriculum and Instruction program is designed to provide students with a theoretical foundation and the practical skills required to implement and to support technology programs in a variety of settings from pre-school through adult education. In so doing, Dr. Baylen stretched me intellectually as well as professionally. Just as I thought I had reached the “bar”, the “bar” went higher. His modeling techniques and his insistence on my being an independent thinker and community player were probably the most useful aspects of his instructional method. Even though the course was online, and the program was a distance learning program, Dr. Baylen was anything but distant. He was accessible via email, discussion boards, telephone, and office hours.
Dr. Baylen’s willingness to continually learn and to take risks in the learning process was infectious. In the face-to-face course meetings that we had, it was obvious that he was saturated in the world of technology, research, and learning. Throughout the course and the semester I also became saturated in technology, research, and learning. At first, I thought he was asking too much in too little time. But as I progressed through the program, I realized that graduate studies are just that, too much in too little time. And when working with technology learning must be continuous, or one will be left behind.
The last course I took at FGCU prior to the Capstone was Tools and Processes with Dr. Baylen. As Introduction to Educational Technology was the perfect beginning course for the program, Tools and Processes was the perfect culminating course. The tools and skills that I put in my toolbox in the fall of 2003, the theoretical foundation, and other technology skills I gained through the next six semesters got a workout in this last course as I learned to be an instructional designer. During the fall of 2003, I did not fully understand all that was involved in being an instructional designer even though Dr. Baylen would talk about it, have me read about it, and model it for me throughout the course. After finishing Tools and Processes in the fall of 2005, however, I was able to confidently use these tools in a systematic way to design effective instruction for students and adults.
Dr. Baylen was instrumental in my successfully completing my masters’ degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a major concentration in technology. But more than that, he refined my abilities and filled my technology toolbox allowing me to apply what I learned throughout the program to my work at Moore Haven Junior-Senior High School. I can truly say that I achieved the goals of the program in that I can
- Provide leadership in applying information technology to a variety of educational systems.
- Provide in-service education and basic technical support to teachers who wish to use technology.
- Assist in curriculum development that integrates technology as a tool for learning.
- Design and implement courses in computer applications, literacy, and programming.
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