The educational technology program at Loyola gave me the tools to be a better teacher and leader
During the summer of 2019, Meron Ogans completed the Master鈥檚 in Educational Technology program in the School of Education at 樱花动漫. Meron, originally from Ethiopia and currently residing
in Maryland, earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in economics from Morgan State University.
After deciding that she wanted to pursue teaching, she earned a teaching certificate
from the Alternative Certification for Effective Teachers (ACET) program at Montgomery
College to teach high school mathematics. Meron currently teaches mathematics for
grades 9-12 at John F. Kennedy High School in Montgomery County, Md.
Before pursuing the educational technology program at Loyola, Meron always used technology
to reinforce her lessons. 鈥淚 have always loved using technology in my classroom to
make learning more efficient and effective,鈥� explained Meron. She pursued the program
as a way of learning more tools and strategies for implementing technology in her
classroom.
During her time in the program, Meron was able to complete her internship at the school
where she worked, John F. Kennedy High School. For her internship, she focused on
the Google add-on program, Pear Deck. Pear Deck is used to make classroom presentations
engaging by allowing students to interact with their screens and respond to any prompt
using their devices. It鈥檚 a tool she was very excited about using in her classroom
as it gave her students a voice. 鈥淚t was a great fit as an internship topic because
I wanted to continue to implement it, while also helping my colleagues learn about
the program,鈥� said Meron. She went on to receive a grant to cover the cost of the
program for the department and help other teachers learn to use the program in their
classrooms.
Meron continues to help other teachers use Pear Deck and other technologies in their
classroom to better support their students. This upcoming school year, she is holding
a pre-service presentation for teachers to help them understand and utilize different
technology tools in their classrooms.
Meron explained the most valuable aspect of the educational technology program for
her was that it helped her assess the pros and cons of technology. The program gave
her the tools to choose appropriate technology for her students.
鈥淭丑别 educational technology program at Loyola has given me the skills and tools to become a better teacher by
helping my students and other teachers in my school use technology. I have also strengthened
my leadership skills and am now a leader and role model at my school,鈥� said Meron.