Ian D. Jones
Science Strong and Tech Savvy
Not Complying with Comfort
I graduated from the University of Michigan - Flint in 2006 and considered returning for a Master’s of Science in Biology, but for many reasons, decided that the MAET program was my best option. I completed approximately 12 credits more than I needed to for my Biology requirements, simply because I loved it. UMFlint offers so many classes, some are even available when I am done with school and off for the summer. I am interested in refining my Michigan plant identification knowledge, so I think Michigan Spring Flora or Forest Vegetation Identification would serve me best. I use this type of information and teach to my Environmental Systems and Societies class all about identification and local ecosystems.
Finally, I believe that teaching myself a new skill will be good for my overall psyche. I have often wished that I had learned to play an instrument as a child. I think that it would be fun to play for my children and family, as a stress reliever and especially to bring into the classroom. One of my favorite YouTube videos to show my students is during our Photosynthesis unit. I am not a great singer, but I would love to create some fun songs to remember difficult biological concepts. I have already purchased a beginners guitar on Craigslist and have began to research videos and books that others have used and liked to start the process.
One important thing to remember when setting plans for the future is to make sure they are realistic and obtainable. I believe I have really brought up some things that will be fun for me and I will continue to be excited to pursue. I think I can establish a new level of comfort for myself, remembering to enjoy the satisfaction, but not to become stagnant.
Future Goals:
Very few people know what the future holds for themselves. We can have hopes, wishes and fantasies, often developing them into goals. I find myself sometimes afraid to dream… what if they don’t come true, what if they they make me feel uncomfortable. I am someone that frequently finds myself settled into a rut. This rut feels safe, consistent and known, but I feel like I need to step beyond this “comfort zone” and explore my inner thoughts and aspirations. I am proud to be “officially” completing this part of my educational career, obtaining a Master’s Degree. As I extend beyond this milestone, I actually can think of some things I have wanted to do, but have not felt like I could devote the proper amount of time to it. These things will not only expand my own knowledge of content and technology, but will allow for me to express some of those inner visions I have seen for myself, but have pushed away. I would like to share the things I have learned in my program to create a Google-based training session to submit to my district wide professional development, of which other teachers can sign up to hear my presentations. My Bachelor’s degree is based in Biology, my passion. I would love to take a spring class at the University of Michigan - Flint. Something simple like a Spring Flora field course or something similar. Maybe the thing I am most excited about is teaching myself to play the guitar.
Google is becoming more deeply involved in the fabric of an educational technologists lab coat. During my time in the MAET program, I have seen YouTube explode as a useful educational tool, schools use Google Apps for Education to give staff and students school based accounts that run seamlessly and ChromeBooks becoming easy to use, affordable, durable replacements for the common school laptop. As my school prepared to transition from a classic Microsoft email system to school based GMail (we already used the Google Drive function), I was sent with a few other staff members to 2013 MiGoogle Educational Summit at Brighton High School. There I picked morning and afternoon sessions including Paperless classrooms, Google Drawings and using Youtube to flip your classroom. The idea of becoming a Google Certified Teacher was presented to me and became an interesting idea. I could become one of these teachers that were sharing the things they do every day in class with other educations that are brave enough to try new things. The last 2 years, my district has requested staff members to put together proposals to help train others within the system. I would like to do this. I am a huge user of Google Drive and its apps and I would like to share these with others.