Statement of Interest

When I arrived to Canada, almost sixteen years ago, I never imagined the many
opportunities that were available to me. I was thrilled to be able to teach in Canada and
include technology in my lessons.
The University of British Columbia, a well known research university, is a place
where I can gain the knowledge I need to accomplish my goal of integrating more
technology into my teaching. The challenge of furthering my education in this field is
best described in the words of Matthew J. Koehler and Punya Mishra,
[t]here is no one best way to integrate technology into curriculum.
Rather, integration efforts should be creatively designed or structured for
particular subject matter ideas in specific classroom contexts. Honoring
the idea that teaching with technology is a complex, ill-structured task,
we propose that understanding approaches to successful technology
integration requires educators to develop new ways of comprehending
and accommodating this complexity 1 (Koehler & Mishra, 2009)
As I became familiar with the Canadian educational system, my interest in incorporating
technology in my teaching grew. As a second language teacher, I wanted to investigate
the different options available through technology for my struggling students, in
particular those with hearing and/or speaking impairments. My discoveries in this area
lead me to use alternative teaching methods, using technology, to help those students.
Using either iPads or computers, the students were to create a project through digital
presentation by recording audio and using visual aids.
My passion in the field of technology applied to education continued to grow. In
order to further my education, I started attending specific workshops provided by my
school district in order to receive more training. From 2010 to 2012, I undertook a
1 Koehler, M.J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content
knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology & Teacher Education, 9(1) 60-70.

graduate program offered by Simon Fraser University, entitled Teaching with

Technology in a Globalized Classroom. This graduate program not only helped me to
become more familiarized with the use of technology in education, but also enhanced
my practice as a reflective practitioner. My field study proposals in this graduate
program were mostly focused on vocabulary acquisition in the second language
classroom, as well as the incorporation of problem solving activities in order to help
students to acquire and internalize grammar. My data collection for my field study
proposals were based on the use of iPads in my classroom, along with Wiki Spaces,
digital presentations using Sonic Pics, online flashcards, Voicethread, digital stories,
and SMART Boards. My particular interest in the use of the SMART Board in the
second language classroom and the specific training I received in this software provided
me with the opportunity to be a co-presenter in a workshop offered for second language
teachers in my school district in May 2013; with the possibility of be a presenter in a
similar workshop planned for September or October in the Fall of 2013.
Since the completion of my graduate program at SFU, I have felt a strong desire
to continue exploring the educational technology field. For the last five years, my
position as a Spanish Teacher at Yale Secondary School has been ideal for exploring
my options and confirmed my passion for technology applied to education.
I look forward to earning my Master of Educational Technology (MET) and I
understand that I am leaving my options open in a broad field. Ideally, I would like to
explore more about research methodology and its impact on education issues, along
with the foundations of e-learning and learning technologies. The core course offered by
the MET program, Design of Technology Supported Learning Environments actually
had a great influence on my decision to apply for this masters program. This course
particularly appealed to be as my research interests include formal and informal
learning environments, games, e-learning, and computer supported collaborative
learning.
Furthermore, I have heard excellent reviews and it was suggested to me,
to apply to the MET program by conference presenters and coworkers. If selected as an
applicant, it would be a great honor and I would be excited to be a part of this masters

program. Thank you for considering me into this program and I look forward to hearing
from you.
Sincerely,

Laura Yankov