About Me

“Hi, I’m AJ Sisneros. I am an 8 year veteran science teacher at a low-income high school in Sacramento, California. Over the last couple of years, I’ve been participating in the iMET program at Sac State. I recorded a video of my reflection on my time in the program and what it’s brought to my life. The transcript is below.” - Spring 2021

Transcript

At the start of 2019, I was in a personal, creative, and professional rut. I needed some changes in my life when I came across the Master’s in Educational Technology (iMET) program at California State University, Sacramento. As a technophile and educator, the goals of the program resonated with me. I work at a low-income school in Sacramento, and I was struggling knowing how to implement the few choices of technology I had available. I wanted to learn as much as I could about supplementing learning with technology so I could bring it back to my classroom. Through this program, I was able to further develop skills I already had, learn some new skills, and see paths ahead of me that I didn’t even realize I might want to take.

Coming into the program, I thought that I would gain more knowledge on how to use technology. As previously mentioned, I am a bit of a technophile, so I already knew how to use a lot of different technology tools. What I didn’t know was how to best implement those technologies in an equitable way for my student population. Coursework in instructional design and online pedagogy helped me start to bridge that gap by showing me how to design instruction with technology in mind. Throughout the program, I learned how to better implement UDL (universal design for learning) principles with technology culminating with coursework on education for a democratic and pluralistic society. This course helped me better understand how topics of equity and accessibility fit into educational technology.

While I was sure coming into this program I would develop my current skills, I didn’t realize how many other topics I would develop skills in. As a teacher, I do a lot of managing a classroom and I help students manage their projects, however, I did not explicitly know the skills involved in project management until the coursework around problem solving and project development. Taking that course helped me be more organized while focused on a project with an end goal. As a special topic course, I learned how to produce video projects all the way from conducting an interview to setting up lighting and controlling audio quality. This information opened a whole new skill set for me that I’ve found to be immediately applicable professionally as well as personally.

Now, near the end of the iMET program in 2021, I find I have a renewed purpose in my career. I am passionate about education, technology, and mentoring new teachers, and I have found ways to focus those passions through iMET. In understanding more about how to effectively use technology for education and equity, I can focus my efforts in my school community better. In learning new skills around project management and video production, I engage in new ways with my students and colleagues as well as any student teachers I mentor. When I came into the program, my intent was to improve my practice and hopefully be a better educator. I think I have reached those goals and feel more confident taking on leadership roles around my school centered around the use of technology. But I am also looking towards the future and considering a path that would lead to a PhD and working with a university to teach student teachers. I have gained the confidence and knowledge to create web and video content related to education and my own personal interests which I plan on doing in my personal life. In many ways, the iMET program helped me get out of my rut and back onto the road I want to be on.