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“Learning never exhausts the mind.”
Leonardo Da Vinci
REFLECTION
My academic and professional journey has consistently centered on coming full circle. While my academic pursuits appear disjointed, each academic pathway has circled back and benefited me as I continued my journey.
When I exited high school, I pursued a degree in graphic design, studying color theory, typography, and multimedia applications. After completing two years of coursework in one year, I switched majors to professional writing. While I loved and enjoyed art and graphic design, writing had consistently been my creative outlet and my strongest method of communication. In the professional writing program, I studied business writing, essay writing, science writing, and medical writing. These technical writing courses built my writing, research, and critical thinking skills. I became a more confident writer, directly impacting my doctorate program success. Three years after completing my undergraduate degree, I decided to pursue my graduate degree and enrolled in the University of North Texas library science program. My choice of the University of North Texas is another coming full circle moment. I fell in love with this university when I was thirteen and knew I would one day graduate from UNT.
I grew up as a teacher’s kid. My mother taught preschool my whole childhood and into adulthood. I was always drawn to the field. Every pathway I have journeyed down has circled back to education, forming my professional growth and outlook. I began my career as a math and social studies teacher. After taking time off to be home with my family, I returned to the classroom as a special education teacher. The year I returned was the 2019-2020 school year. That year, my experiences helped guide me on which doctoral program I would apply to.
At the time of my search for a doctoral program, the field of education experienced a massive shift in instructional approaches and expectations with the shutdown due to COVID-19. That shift impacted my instructional practices as a special education teacher. On my campus, I found myself acting as a technology specialist for my department. I explored the learning management systems used in our district and how to include assistive technology accommodations in digital lessons. While my campus primarily used Canvas, my team and I found SeeSaw more effective at providing differentiated learning opportunities. I learned to create interactive digital classrooms using Google Slides and my Bitmoji. Through these experiences, it became apparent that my peers and I needed to prepare for online and hybrid instruction.
When I applied to the learning technologies program, I was working as a special education teacher. I was also applying for school librarian roles during this same time frame. In August of 2021, not only did I begin my journey as a doctoral student, but I also began my journey as a school librarian. As a school librarian, I have learned more about the importance of all forms of digital literacy and the newly emerging literacy, AI literacy.
My experiences during the pandemic helped shape my interests. At the outset of the program, I was interested in Universal Design for Learning and assistive technology. As I progressed through the program, I learned more about how to integrate technology into the classroom, learning theories, multimedia theories, and what technologies exist. My focus shifted from supporting special education technology inclusion to preparing educators to integrate technology into the classroom effectively. I have continually tapped into my knowledge as a school librarian. For example, during my graduate program, I studied the effect storytelling has on cognitive processes. As a school librarian, I have used the soundscape application Novel Effect to create fuller reading experiences for my students.
Courses like Emerging Technologies, Theory of Media Systems, and Theory of Instructional Technology have directly contributed to my growth as an information media specialist. While other courses like Scaling Methods, Quantitative Analysis, and Systems Analysis further developed my critical thinking and research skills. Within all of my courses, I have been allowed creative freedom to choose topics that align with my professional and academic goals. Some of the projects that came from my coursework include creating professional development, addressing the digital divide, utilizing augmented reality applications, and exploring new technologies like artificial intelligence.
When my dissertation topic came into focus, it was as if all the pieces clicked into place. All the various pathways I have been on throughout my adult life have led to this unifying moment. While my initial focus was special education technology integration, I decided to focus more on the new emerging field of AI in education. Viewing AI integration into education through the lens of a school librarian gives me a unique perspective on assessing effectiveness, concerns, and attitudes towards this new technology.
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