MSET Portfolio

MSET Philosophy

Tammy Block
Master of Science in Educational Technology

Education is a passion of mine. Although my bachelor's degree included technology education, I have learned that that academic discipline has evolved beyond imagination during my nearly two decades in education. I actually had NO desire to pursue a master's degree until an opportunity to extend my networking knowledge provided me with a heightened interest in the MSET program at Dakota State University. I eventually learned that this interest paralleled my daily responsibilities and expectations as a life-long learner. As a new teacher nearly twenty years ago, I incorporated activities such as mock trials to enhance the content of my Business Law classes. Activities like that are simply a minute percentage of the enhancements that technology can provide for students both today and in the future.

As the technology coordinator and network administrator, I am the means by which these educational opportunities can occur. I ensure that each teacher has a Tablet PC or laptop. I ensure that each classroom has an interactive board (Promethean or SMART). I ensure the availability of hardware and software that can make a huge impact in our classrooms. I am also afforded the benefit of witnessing the excitement for learning evident in the classrooms as both the teachers and students utilize technology daily.

Gaining knowledge about new strategies that excite and increase student learning through technology is one reason I decided to enroll in the MSET program. Although my primary responsibility is managing our network, I’m very interested in learning integration ideas and techniques. As the technology coordinator I am always searching for new tools and strategies that will enable our classroom teachers to enhance learning opportunities. The MSET program has increased my understanding of how to incorporate technology in the classroom; this will benefit and strengthen my teaching, technology leadership, ability to collaborate, and ultimately my technical career.

I am very excited about the opportunities that technology is providing education and even more excited about what it will do in the future. Preparing teachers and sharing my knowledge will provide learning opportunities for our students that will better prepare them for a global environment. One of my favorite quotes is a statement of the evolution of technology in education, "Technology will not replace teachers, but teachers who use technology will replace those who do not."