Bridge to Future Learning Goals
"By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be."
- Mark Victor Hansen
"By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be."
- Mark Victor Hansen
Introduction
As the tracks along my educational path and journey as a learner in the Michigan State University Master of Arts in Education program begin to fade, I am once again reminded of some advice I was given many years ago: One of the best ways of accomplishing your goals is to always begin with the end in mind. In other words, if you know your destination, you work backwards and chart your course along the myriad paths on which you might need to travel to reach that waypoint in your life's journey.
The learning goals below are organized into three categories and are inextricably linked to my life's learning passions: youth sport coaching, education, and technology. In each of these categories I have highlighted the tools that will serve as my guides and help me reach my destination.
The learning goals below are organized into three categories and are inextricably linked to my life's learning passions: youth sport coaching, education, and technology. In each of these categories I have highlighted the tools that will serve as my guides and help me reach my destination.
Youth Sport Coaching Learning Goals
"The moment you stop trying to improve yourself is the moment that everyone else starts to pass you by." This was repeatedly said by my Junior Varsity (JV) basketball coach, Jeff Peterich, at Montgomery High School in the winter of 1985. As a youth sport coach my goal is to always ensure that I am providing the absolute best youth sport experience for my athletes, just like Coach Peterich and other youth sport coaches provided for me. A very large part of achieving that goal is making sure that I am always looking for avenues for improvement. Two very critical resources that will help me achieve my goal are the Michigan State University Summer Coaches' School and the United Soccer Coaches organizations. Each of these organization provide youth sport coaching seminars that dive into the technical, tactical and the psychological aspects of being a youth sport coaching. I have grown exponentially as a youth sport coach as a result of both of these organizations and they have aided me in becoming a better version of myself as a youth sport coach.
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Educator Learning Goals
My career as an educator of adults began at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) in the fall of 1999. What initially started out as a way to earn some additional income quickly developed into one of my life's passions. There are so many similarities between teaching and coaching. I quickly learned that there is no more rewarding feeling as an educator, and a human, than to have a transformational impact on the life of a learner and to aid them in achieving their educational and career goals. As part of my continued growth and learning as an educator there are two tools that I committed to using: Atomic Habits and seeking out new formal learning opportunities at either the graduate or doctorate level at Teachers College at Columbia University. The book Atomic Habits, by James Clear, is about fostering small positive actions on a daily basis, like reading a chapter from your favorite book, doing yoga, or learning a new skill.
The next tool that would like to use is another formal learning opportunity, but this time at Teachers College at Columbia University. I discovered Teachers College during the MAED EAD-861 Adult Learning course when we covered the topic of transformative learning theory. I was profoundly drawn to the work of Jack Mezirow on transformative learning theory because it reflected the outcomes I embrace as an educator. I would like to continue to explore not only the theoretical framework, but the operationalization of its core tenants in the adult learning context.
The next tool that would like to use is another formal learning opportunity, but this time at Teachers College at Columbia University. I discovered Teachers College during the MAED EAD-861 Adult Learning course when we covered the topic of transformative learning theory. I was profoundly drawn to the work of Jack Mezirow on transformative learning theory because it reflected the outcomes I embrace as an educator. I would like to continue to explore not only the theoretical framework, but the operationalization of its core tenants in the adult learning context.
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Technology Professional Learning Goals
As a technology educator I always stress to my learners the importance of real-world hands-on experience as the best and most effective way to learn new technologies. In fact, looking back across the technology landscape at the exponential rate of change, it is as if Moore's Law overlooked just how ephemeral knowledge in the technology space would become. The two tools that have aided me in becoming the technology professional, and that can continue to facilitate my growth as a technology professional, have been Micronics Training and Internetworking Experts (INE) technology training platforms. Each of these organizations offers training on the latest-and-greatest tools and technology and their courses, both in-person and online, are delivered by industry Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).
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Conclusion
As I look beyond my graduation from the Michigan State University MAED program, I am just as excited today as when I began the program back in the spring of 2018. As a result of the program, I can now see the myriad new paths and fresh tracks of continued learning opportunities and tools that lie ahead. I also continue to hear the words of Coach Russ Peterich as they continue to echo in corners of my mind. Those same words that I, to this day, credit for having made it this far in my life's educational journey. Always looking to improve, knowing that there is no such thing as perfection and that there is always room to grow into a better version of yourself. I want my legacy as a youth sport coach, an educator and a technology professional to be one that reflects my commitment to embracing change, growth and the atomic habits to follow these new learning paths and tracks. At the end of each journey my hope is that I can reach the next waypoint as an even better version of myself at sharing my life's passions and inspiring others.
The Michigan State University Summer Coaches' School image downloaded from: https://education.msu.edu/summer-coaches/
The United Soccer Coaches image downloaded from: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/
The Atomic Habits book image downloaded from: www.amazon.com
Teachers College image downloaded from: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/organization-and-leadership/adult-learning-and-leadership/degrees--requirements/adult-learning-and-leadership-edd/
The Micronics Training image downloaded from: https://micronicstraining.com/
The Internetworking Expert (INE) image downloaded from: https://www.ine.com
The United Soccer Coaches image downloaded from: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/
The Atomic Habits book image downloaded from: www.amazon.com
Teachers College image downloaded from: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/organization-and-leadership/adult-learning-and-leadership/degrees--requirements/adult-learning-and-leadership-edd/
The Micronics Training image downloaded from: https://micronicstraining.com/
The Internetworking Expert (INE) image downloaded from: https://www.ine.com