Karla Vale Home Learn More Inspiration Standards About the Author |
About the Author
I was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. As far back as I can remember my parents instilled in me the message of 'with hard work anything and everything is possible'. I knew I wanted to be a teacher from a very young age. I believed in the message my parents gave me and was the first person in my family to graduate college. I received an Associates of Arts Degree from Diablo Community College, and a Bachelors of Arts Degree from Cal State East Bay along with my teaching credential.
After nine years of teaching, I was starting to feel like I was out of touch with what was new and happening in education. I decided the solution was going back to school and began my journey in receiving a Master's Degree in Education through Touro University.
I am currently a third grade teacher in a dual-immersion school where I share my love of the Spanish language to third grade students, and ensures that all of her students feel loved and appreciated!
After nine years of teaching, I was starting to feel like I was out of touch with what was new and happening in education. I decided the solution was going back to school and began my journey in receiving a Master's Degree in Education through Touro University.
I am currently a third grade teacher in a dual-immersion school where I share my love of the Spanish language to third grade students, and ensures that all of her students feel loved and appreciated!
Reflections on my Touro Innovative Learning Program Journey
My time in the Innovative Learning Program has been great, better than I thought. I was expecting a lot of work and a huge learning curve for me. I have never been that "straight A" student, I have always thought of myself as a slow learner! I still do and I am okay with that! I enjoy learning very much. I enrolled in the program because I was missing being a student. I wanted to LEARN again!
Well, the program not only met my expectations, but it exceeded them. There was a lot of work and I did learn a ton! However, I did encounter something that really caught me by surprise. I was not expecting the amount of support and genuine care from Dr. Pam Redmond and every single professor I had. It's not that I just assumed they were mean and harsh people; I just was not expecting it because I just felt they did not have to be that way towards me. I had this mentality of 'they are the teachers and I am the student; I had to get the work done and if I didn't I just was not ready for a Master's program'. Dr. Redmond from the very beginning was but a text message or a phone call away. The amount of grace and support from the professors just blew me away, really! They all have this philosophy of "learning is messy(hence my blog title!), just try it". All of them just wanted us to try something new. They were not expecting perfection or a grand performance, they just wanted evidence that we were trying something new! It took me a while to get use to this treatment. For some reason I was waiting for someone to tell me that maybe I was not cut out for this. And that could not be further than what I experienced, and I am so thankful for that. As I mentioned, I experienced genuine care and support the whole way through from everyone that works at Touro University. I could not believe how an online program could feel so personal.
I am proud of my work and time spent at Touro. It is a great school with right philosophy on education!
Well, the program not only met my expectations, but it exceeded them. There was a lot of work and I did learn a ton! However, I did encounter something that really caught me by surprise. I was not expecting the amount of support and genuine care from Dr. Pam Redmond and every single professor I had. It's not that I just assumed they were mean and harsh people; I just was not expecting it because I just felt they did not have to be that way towards me. I had this mentality of 'they are the teachers and I am the student; I had to get the work done and if I didn't I just was not ready for a Master's program'. Dr. Redmond from the very beginning was but a text message or a phone call away. The amount of grace and support from the professors just blew me away, really! They all have this philosophy of "learning is messy(hence my blog title!), just try it". All of them just wanted us to try something new. They were not expecting perfection or a grand performance, they just wanted evidence that we were trying something new! It took me a while to get use to this treatment. For some reason I was waiting for someone to tell me that maybe I was not cut out for this. And that could not be further than what I experienced, and I am so thankful for that. As I mentioned, I experienced genuine care and support the whole way through from everyone that works at Touro University. I could not believe how an online program could feel so personal.
I am proud of my work and time spent at Touro. It is a great school with right philosophy on education!
Lasting Learning from the Innovative Learning program
The knowledge I have gained from going through this program has changed me as a person; not only professionally but me as a person. As I mentioned above the example that the professors at Touro displayed was definitely one I am and will continue to model to my students as well.
I have also learned that my learning should not depend if I am enrolled in a course, it lays in my hands. I have to get out there and continue to try new things and get messy! It is vital that I model my learning to my students. I would like to ask myself one question on a regular basis, "What have I failed at lately?". If my answer is nothing, I know now that I should be alarmed.
I have also learned that my learning should not depend if I am enrolled in a course, it lays in my hands. I have to get out there and continue to try new things and get messy! It is vital that I model my learning to my students. I would like to ask myself one question on a regular basis, "What have I failed at lately?". If my answer is nothing, I know now that I should be alarmed.
TPACK Reflection
TPACK and I am still in complete agreement with Mr.Punya Mishra, a professor at Michigan State University, in regards to how fast technology is changing and how quickly we get information now. It can totally feel like trying to drink water from a fire hose spewing out water at full force.
I love how he makes it clear that technology has a very important role in teaching but he also acknowledges the human, the teacher, behind that technology. Teachers need to think and decide what technology tool would work best for the students' learning. Technology is not the center of everything, it shares the center with pedagogy and content!
I found this really neat TPACK in 2-minutes video on YouTube that I feel does a great job of explaining TPACK.
Throughout this past year, there are many things that have changed me as a teacher. I would say that TPACK is definitely in my top three. It has changed the way I think about my teaching. I use to be very intimidated by technology. Truthfully, I still feel intimidated but having gone through everything I have this year I have learned that no one is truly an ‘expert’. People who know more about technology are just people who have ‘played’ more with it. Technology is for all! Which leads me to see just how important it is to teach technology skills to all students -that was another major lesson I learned!
I am so thankful for everything I have learned, especially TPACK!