Chiistine Biehl

Lettei of Intent
N. Eu, Euucational Technologies
1uu112

Beai Aumissions Committee:

I neeu to stait by making a confession. Whenevei I am in a woikshop, tiaining
piogiam oi a leaining enviionment of any kinu, I ciitique. The assessments iange fiom
impiessive to uisastious. Positions in social seivices anu health caie iequiie attenuance at
woikshops anu tiaining piogiams. Within the same month, I attenueu two vastly uiffeient
tiaining piogiams the combination of which motivateu me to complete my application foi
the Nasteis in Euucational Technology Piogiam.

The customei seivice managei hau the aiuent task of tiaining 1SS well-feu health
caie woikeis anu auministiatois immeuiately following lunch. Right off the bat he misseu
a gieat teaching oppoitunity anu a chance to get eveiyone ieeneigizeu. Insteau of having
us paise out the meaning of a metaphoiical viueo, he explaineu it. Be meant to tiansfoim it
into a teaching tool but insteau he just showeu us an iionic viueo. Similai mistakes weie
maue with his powei point piesentation.

In a much smallei ioom equippeu with a laptop, piojectoi anu computeiizeu polling
technologies, I expeiienceu an effective use of technology to euucate. The instiuctoi useu
biief powei point sliues, shoit viueos anu inteiactive polling to explain the legal piocesses
of infant auoption in Aiizona. This instiuctoi askeu the stuuents what we ueuuceu fiom
the viueos. She useu each polling question to illustiate misconceptions aiounu auoption
baseu on oui own answeis anu open uiscussions.

This illustiateu foi me that the meie availability anu use of technology uoes not
impiove an euucational appioach. Technology can hinuei the leaining piocess when not
piopeily integiateu with tiauitional teaching techniques. Ny own successes anu failuies in
tiaining co-woikeis anu teaching life skills to young auults spaikeu this habit of looking foi
the stiengths anu weaknesses in leaining enviionments. Beveloping couisewoik anu
incoipoiating available technology to tiain my peeis anu supeivisees inteiests me moie
than any paiticulai subject.

Nanagement pioviues some limiteu oppoitunities to tiain anu euucate employees.
The majoiity of my iesponsibilities as Bealth Centei Nanagei foi Planneu Paienthoou
Aiizona involve setting scheuules, supeivising employees, managing inventoiy anu
completing iepoits. The times when I get to tiain aie the most exciting anu fulfilling. A
Nasteis in Euucation woulu pioviue to piepaie foi a caieei integiating the expeitise of
otheis into technologically auvanceu cuiiiculum.

I believe theie is still a gieat absence within businesses, piofit anu non-piofit alike,
foi teaching the highest peifoiming woikeis how to tiain anu coach theii peeis to the same
level of success. "Tiain the tiainei" piogiams have auvanceu the type of technologically
integiative euucation, outsiue of colleges anu univeisities, but in limiteu in scope.
Chiistine Biehl
Lettei of Intent
N. Eu, Euucational Technologies
1uu112

Euucational Technology piactices aie iipe foi plucking - out of colleges anu univeisities
anu into the piofessional uevelopment of the woikfoice.

Ny technological knowleuge, gaineu thiough the ieseaich anu self-euucation, giows
uaily. Blackboaiu anu Nooule intiouuceu me to the iuea of an online classioom. Piescott
College useu Nooule to biing togethei stuuent stuuying similai subject fiom all ovei the
woilu. uiovo, an online leaining community, pioviues basic tutoiials in Inteinet leaining
platfoims. I tiy to take auvantage of what is available fiee of chaige to nuituie my inteiest
anu builu skills. Bevices like computei tablets have auvanceu the iuea of technology in
euucation even fuithei. Ny expeiiences incluue using all these available technologies foi
my own leaining anu when teaching otheis.

I biing a unique peispective to a Nasteis in Euucation piogiam. Social seivices anu
health caie management cieateu many oppoitunities to teach among uiveise populations.
This pioviueu a wealth of knowleuge about uiffeient types of leaineis anu theii uiffeient
ielationships to technology. Anecuotally, I have leaineu that 1u yeai olus aie moie
accepting that computei piogiams uo not always function as intenueu. Auult leaineis
show less patience in this aiea. Ny expeiience in social seivices gives me insight into
human behavioi anu psychosis that might auu challenges to a leaining enviionment.
Because non-tiauitional leaining enviionments make up a majoiity of my euucational anu
woik expeiience, I have insight that will enhance a community of giauuate leaineis.

I expect to be able to caiiy myself thiough my pait-time woik position anu full-time
stuuy having completeu my unueigiauuate piogiam while woiking full-time. The two
expeiiences shoulu be compaiable assuming a heaviei woikloau fiom a masteis piogiam.
The expeiience of completing my unueigiauuate thiough a uistance piogiam gave me the
skills to buuget my time foi woik anu stuuy.

A basic founuation in the theoiies anu piactices of euucatois, functions of euucation
in technology anu the skills to implement that knowleuge in the woikfoice: these thiee
bioau iueas encompass moie than coulu feasibly coveieu in Su cieuits. Like many othei
fielus that aie constantly giowing anu ueveloping with ieseaich a soliu founuation is just
the beginning anu the leaining continues thioughout one's caieei.

The application of this knowleuge is the coie of what I expect to gain fiom a masteis
piogiam in Euucational Technology. I want to know how to go into a univeisity anu
function as anu Euucational Technologist evei builuing on my passion to help othei pass on
theii knowleuge. 0nce I have that founuation, I can move to the gieatei goal of
incoipoiating piactices in the woikfoice at laige.

0nline leaining continues to evolve to bettei mimic the tiauitional, in-peison
classioom. 0ne iequiies the iight motivation to function without iegulai contact with a
piofessoi anu set class times. The paiticulai caieei goals I have aie five yeais in the
Chiistine Biehl
Lettei of Intent
N. Eu, Euucational Technologies
1uu112

making anu my commitment to leaining is fiim. The flexible scheuuling anu convenience of
the piogiam uo not blinu me to the challenges. Bowevei, I uo finu that the online leaining
suipasses the tiauitional appioach in the oppoitunity to take pait in eveiy uiscussion. This
often keeps me moie engageu.

I am foitunate enough to woik foi a statewiue agency that values employee tiaining
piogiams. While the focus of my position must iemain on fulfilling the agency mission in
the Piescott aiea, I uo have the oppoitunity to pioviue input into tiaining piogiams. I look
foiwaiu to putting into immeuiate piactice some of the skills anu concepts gaineu fiom the
Nasteis in Euucation.

Sinceiely,

Chiistine Biehl