My name is Priscilla Taylor and my story begins in central New Jersey where I call home. In August of last year I embarked on the journey of doctoral education. I found my home in Curriculum & Supervision within Curriculum & Instruction. I found a second home in Keller Building in Learning, Design, and Technology where I have taken classes. I am continually trying to grapple with how these two worlds fit together. To date, my research interests lie at the nexus of digital technology and teacher education. More specifically they include technology as cognitive tools for authentic learning and how it shapes the design of teacher education programs as well as the changing roles of teachers in light of new learning technologies. Outside of academia, I revel in traveling, reading, cooking, and photography; technology sometimes bleeds into these pastimes and sometimes it does not.
My journey with technology began when I was 8 years old entering commands in MS-DOS to play games like Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? and Gizmos & Gadgets. I loved that strokes of keys could transform my computer screen into a world of play, exploration, and fun. Technology followed me throughout my academic career as I continually learned new skills. It was during my graduate study that I was introduced to the field of educational technology and I have been hooked ever since. From my first day on the Penn State campus, I was told I “had to take the disruptive technologies class,” which has led me here. I am taking this class because I tend to lean toward being starry-eyed when it comes to technology. In this course I am interested in learning more about innovative teaching that leverages the affordances of digital technology without focusing primarily on the technology. With the opinions and experiences of my peers, I’m looking to stretch and challenge my thinking about technology’s role in education.
Leave a Reply