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’s in Educational Technology program in the School of Education at Loyola University Maryland. Meron, originally from Ethiopia and currently residing in Maryland, earned a bachelor’s 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. “I have always loved using technology in my classroom to make learning more efficient and effective,” 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’s a tool she was very excited about using in her classroom as it gave her students a voice. “It 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,” 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.
 
“The 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,” said Meron.