POST 6: Section 6: Getting an IDT Position and Succeeding At It

ETEC 561 Post 6: Section 6: Getting an IDT Position and Succeeding At It

This section of your textbook focuses on jobs in the profession of instructional design and technology: lessons and tips on how to get one and organizations that can support the job search and continued learning in the IDT field. Many of you already have a job in the field or in a related field; however, based on this week’s readings, you’ll reflect on where you are, where you want to go, and what you need to learn or do to get there.

Begin your post for this week with some background: what is your current job, what program are you enrolled in, what brings you to that program, and what do you expect when you graduate (change jobs? obtain a promotion?).

My current job is that of being a graduate assistant for Dr. Julia Ballenger & Dr. Madeline Justice in the Educational Leadership Department. The program I am enrolled in at Texas A & M University-Commerce is the Master of Science program in Educational Technology and Leadership (ETLD).  I have a love for students and seeing that they obtain the best in their education possible. I want to be able to integrate technology, new or old, into the classroom so that every student will improve on an individual basis. Then I’d love to develop curriculum, and train others (teachers and administrators) to implement everything I’ve designed. I plan to graduate in the summer of 2014 and pray that a job as a Manager of Educational Technology and Integration will be forth coming. I am considering furthering my education with a second masters then pursue a doctorate degree.   

Next, describe the kind of work that you want to do and the type of organization or institution in which you want to work. Use the WorkMatrix^TM in the chapter titled “Getting a Job in Business and Industry” to help organize your thoughts. Do you most desire first, second, third, or fourth level service? Or would you rather design or develop instruction? What features of work are important to you? What economic sector do you want to work in?

The kind of work I am most interested in is technology design/development integration. The education field is the institution I want to work in. After completing the WorkMatrix^TM, my desire is 2^nd or 3^rd level service, designing then developing in order of importance. I want to be in close proximity of my work because I am not a big fan of traffic stress, so the geographic feature is very important to me. The economic sector that I want to be and stay involved in is education. The benefits include helping students, teachers, administrators, and who can forget the weekends, holidays, and summers off. I am a lifelong learner and I want to promote and leave that legacy. 

Based on these intentions, explain what you need to learn. What skills and qualifications do you need? Will you obtain the skills you need in the required courses in your program? What electives might you need to take to help you develop skills specific to your aspirations?

Since my interest in Instruction Technology Integration is so prevalent, my job would be the application of technologies to improve human performance learning so I must stay updated with the intersection of technology and education. The main skills and qualifications are in knowing strategic methods to identify what should be taught and how to teach it. I need to be up on instructional systems design. The key would be in knowing how instruction is designed, developed, and implemented. Skills valuable when working with faculty and staff would be knowing how to negotiate well, knowing how to deal with difficult participants, and definitely knowing how to integrate technology into the curriculum. To top off everything previously said it would be smart having effective research skills, knowing the content and presentation of courses, being a consultant as one works with worthwhile research, and finally be able to review papers for scholarly publications and conferences. The electives I’m taking for my masters will be Instructional Design and Development (Design), Issues in Educational Technology and Technological Change (Implementation), and Technology and Inquiry Based Instructional Methods (Design). I have an elective that I took last summer entitled Leading Effective Schools. These are the classes I know will help me achieve the skills necessary to begin my journey into Educational Technology.  

Finally, what organizations would best support your continued learning after you graduate? Do you think you would benefit from joining those organizations before graduating? Explain why or why not?

   After reading chapter 28 in our textbook, there are many professional organizations that support education. Currently I am a member of the National Society for Leadership and Success at TAMUC. There are three organizations I would like to join right away because I believe they will best support my field the best.  The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is a professional association of thousands of educators and others whose activities are directed toward improving instruction through technology. It provides an international forum for the exchange and dissemination of ideas for its members and for target audiences; it is the national and international spokesperson for the improvement of instruction; and, it is the most recognized association of information concerning a wide range of instructional and educational technology. I would get more benefits by joining AECT.

Ø  Professional and Staff Development and Connections

Ø  Publications and Resources

Ø  An Open Content Portal, developed by interns and operated by the Graduate Student Assembly, provides a resource by which educational technology scholars and researchers can share how they teach and what they teach in their courses

Ø  Awards and scholarships are available through the Educational Communication and Technology Foundation

Ø  Mentoring opportunities can be arranged

Ø  Members qualify for a discount on Geico automobile insurance  

Next I would like to be part of The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE®). It is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving learning and teaching by advancing the effective use of technology in PK–12 and teacher education. ISTE membership is a powerful and meaningful way for educators to connect with peers, to gather in a variety of forums to share the challenges and excitement of teaching, and to be part of a community that leads the transformation of education. As a member, I would get the following benefits:

Ø  Learning & Leading with Technology magazine

Ø  ISTE's member communities and special interest groups (SIGs)

Ø  Members-only resources

Ø  NETS resources

Ø  ISTE journals: JRTE, JDLTE, and JCT

Ø  ISTE books discount (30% off)

Ø  ISTE webinars discount (60% off)

Ø  ISTE’s annual conference and exposition registration discount

By attending ISTE's annual conferences, it allows me to enter more than 200 concurrent spotlight and

lecture sessions, 300+ poster, student showcase, and global collaboration stations, themed networking

lounges.

The final group would be the American Educational Research Association (AERA). It is a national research society that strives to advance knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. The benefits include:

Ø  Within the AERA community of education researchers, members belong to one or more of the 12 divisions and over 160 special interest groups (SIGS),

Ø  Graduate student members also enjoy ongoing communication and support provided by the Graduate Student Council (GSC),  

Ø  In addition, the Organization of Institutional Affiliates (OIA) provides a forum for academic institutions, departments, non-university-based research institutions, and professional associations to share information about federal education research issues, people, and events, as well as to be engaged in shaping policy with regard to significant research issues.