Instructional technology is a term that didn't even exist when I started my professional career. In fact, it's a term I still was not familiar with when my career path veered away from journalism and led me into the world of education 10 years ago. Now, as program manager of iQ Academy Wisconsin, a virtual charter middle and high school based in Waukesha, WI, instructional technology isn't just something I do, it's all I do. Soon after I started at iQ, I realized that in order to effectively serve my school families, I am going to have to up my game and expand my knowledge base. That's what led me to the Instructional Technology masters program at Cardinal Stritch University and so far, it has been a perfect fit.
The most direct benefit so far has been the experience of taking an online class myself. It has really helped me relate to some of the challenges my students and families experience such as self-motivation, setting up a study area, staying on pace, communicating with instructors and dealing with technical issues.
The content of my current course falls into two categories; information that is interesting to me and information that is useful (or may become useful in the future) in my daily work. The Triumph of the Nerds documentary, the computer component research and the work we did looking inside the computer are all fascinating, but not necessarily directly related to what I do. On the other hand, I am certain that what I have learned about Linux, data security and virus protection will come in handy as I work with students and families in the virtual environment.
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