GOOD EDUCATORS NEVER STOP LEARNING
By Antonio Aguillon
Are you ever going to stop learning new stuff? Are you ever going to stop going back to school? Are you ever going to stop allocating so much for learning new things? These are some of the questions I get asked a lot by family members and friends. The answer to these questions I do not know. But when I look back at what I’ve done in the past, it seems pretty clear I have a tendency to always take on a new learning challenge. I might take a break and focus on recreational activities like photography, and music for a while, however, I eventually set my mind on a new long term learning goal. Everytime I finish an educational goal I seem to fall right into another one. I never seem to be satisfied with not learning anything anymore. So here I am approaching the end of my master’s program at Michigan State University. I know, I need a break, but I haven’t even finish and I am already thinking about the next learning adventure.
I am blessed to have multiple ways to continue learning after I finish school. One of the ways I will continue to learn is through my employer. Grand Rapids Community College offers many professional development opportunities through a “Staff Development” program. In fact, employees are required to have a minimum of 20 hours of professional development per year. The topics offered by the Staff Development program range from personal growth classes such as healthy eating habits, wellness exercise options, and personal finance to more specific and advance topics such as Office 2013, Cross Cultural Communications, and Learning styles.
Another way I plan on continuing my education is by focusing on obtaining job specific certifications such as a Teaching Certification, the Microsoft Certified Professional certification (MCP), and the Project Management Professional certification (PMP). The Teaching Certification will help me reach my goal of teaching an online class. The MCP and PMP will make me a better candidate for some of the job openings at the college. Once I have obtained my certifications, I also plan on finding an online class I can teach. Teaching an online class will allow me to utilize all the skills I learned in the MAET program. Finally, I will capitalize on a number of resources I learned about while in the MAET program. I can tap on the Personal Learning Networks (PLN) for future learning for instance. I can create and publish content to MERLOT. And I can utilize Open Educational Resources (OERs) to help me along the way. .
The future never looked better and brighter. Through employer offered professional development opportunities, professional certifications, and open educational resources I will never run out of things to learn. The vast number of opportunities for learning will keep me busy for years to come. If I get tired of tapping into these wonderful resources. I can always go back to school and obtain my PHd. Although going back to school for additional formal education is not in my immediate future plans, my track record shows that I would most like be craving the educational environment at some point or another.
Read my Synthesis.