A lot of my inspiration for my professional goal statement has come from the admission essay I wrote for admission into the University of Kentiucky in Curriculum and Instruction as a doctoral student. When I first wrote this application essay, I meant to reflect on my eight years of education experience, both in elementary classes and the University of Cincinnati, and express my ideas regarding what I might bring to my university experience When I attended that university, I learned so much in such a short span of time - within six months, I had already challenged my ideas of what it meant to be a part of American medical education. Since my experience lies mostly outside the structure of American education and its institutions, I framed my experience in a Saudi education system into my new frame of education. Over the course of my growth, I have learned that I need to broaden my notions about curriculum and pedagogies, particularly when applying technology to the teaching of younger students. With that in mind, this professional goal statement will guide me through the next stages of research and education I need to take.
In the first year of my program, my focus has been to get all of my requirements and sequence courses out of the way before starting on a semester-wide structure. However, I wish to focus my elective courses on implementing technology in the classroom. Technology and its role in education has expanded greatly in the past few years - for the past three quarters, I have focused my research on the effects of technology on math lessons for elementary school students. Technology has been shown to provide students with visual assistance in mathematical concepts; software encourages students to participate by providing exciting visuals and animation (Yushau et al., 2005). Edwards (2001) emphasizes the source of eminent creativity to be visual thinking, and not oral comprehension.
In order to apply technology into mathematics, there are several barriers that teachers must overcome. First, there seems to be a lack of knowledge and skills regarding how to implement technology, lack of time to learn these technologies, limited access to material and resources or participation in professional development (Bennison & Goos, 2010; Hixon & Buckenmeyer, 2009). Furthermore, other barriers exist for learners applying technology, including the difficulty of changing students' perceptions of technology and learning and their ability to keep the material engaging (Hew & Brush, 2006; Wachira & Keengwe, 2010).
With these things in mind, my goals include examining the effects of technology and tablet technology, such as the iPad, on creativity in elementary-level math students. Currently, there is little study on the subject of connecting technology-based creativity with mathematics - I seek to fill that gap in education study. Furthermore, I want to know how to connect creativity with technology; my focus is on tablets like the iPad, learning how to properly use it to improve the intellectual ability and mathematical achievement of learners.
My research questions will be refined and shaped further as my study continues. I expect to more deeply study the impacts of technology on the creativity of young learners. My goals are to improve both the level of creativity in the mathematics study of young learners but to further the field of study of mathematics education research. It is my utmost hope that my goals will permit me to contribute significantly to the field of education research, and fulfill my desire to become a noted professional in the field of curriculum and instruction.
References
Bennison, A., and Goos, M. (2010). Learning to Teach Mathematics with Technology: A Survey of Professional Development Needs, Experiences and Impacts. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 22(1), 31-56
Edwards, S.M. (2001). The Technology Paradox: Efficiency Versus Creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 13(2), 221–228
Hew, K.F. and Brush, T. (2006). Integrating technology into K- 12 teaching and learning: current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research. Educational Technology Research and Development, 55(3), 223–252
Hixon, E., and Buckenmeyer, J. (2009). Revisiting Technology Integration in Schools: Implications for Professional Development. Computers in The Schools, 26(2), 130-146
Wachira, P., and Keengwe, J. (2010). Technology Integration Barriers: Urban School Mathematics Teachers Perspectives. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 20(1), 17-25
Yushau, B., Mji, A., & Wessels, D. C. J. (2005). The role of technology in fostering creativity in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Pythagoras, 33(2), 12–22
