CEP 810: Teaching Understanding with Technology
Instructors: Kimberly Powell and Dr. Michelle Schira Hagerman
As my first course in the Masters of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program, I was introduced to the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, which identifies the knowledge teachers need in order to effectively use technology in their classrooms. This was significant in that TPACK was the cornerstone for much of my graduate coursework. Using these principles, I learned basic technology integration practices. Another focus of the course was to help me become a more connected educator by developing a personal learning network. What I found most meaningful throughout the course was the Networked Learning Project. I was required to learn something new using only the internet as a resource. My experiences throughout the project have stayed with me as it helped me empathize with the way in which my students utilize various technologies and process online information. Informing me on their overall experiences with technology resources in order to learn.
CEP 811: Adapting Educational Technology to Education
Instructors: Craig McMichael and Dr. Michelle Schira Hagerman
This course first introduced me to the Maker Movement and the idea that as educators it is important to be able to see the potential in: materials,tools, technologies, and people around us. Design was a main focus in this course as we examined lessons and either redesigned or repurposed them to meet various student needs. Specifically, we considered the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines while creating lessons so that we better meet the needs of a diverse student population. Learning theories were also examined and applied to lesson design. I also worked with fellow colleagues to draft a conference proposal called “Getting Flipped”.
My Educational Journey Through MAET.
The information provided below summarizes my graduate coursework while completing a Masters of Arts in Educational Technology at Michigan State University.
Fall 2013
CEP 812: Applying Educational Technology to Practice
Instructors: Bill Marsland and Dr. Michelle Schira Hagerman
The final course in the Educational Technology Certificate program focused on the use of technology to solve problems in the educational world. We explored James Paul Gee’s book, The Anti-Education Era, where he examines some of the issues in education and how technology use may help address these issues. We also explored Gee’s ideas about gaming in education and how his revolutionary ways of thinking could impact education. A second focal point of the class was a project where we developed a potential solution to a wicked problem of practice in education. In addition, the course emphasized ways to gain a better understanding of my own community of practice by surveying technology use on my school’s campus as well as to expand my professional learning network to include additional content, technology, and professional resources.
CEP 820: Teaching Students Online
Instructors: Dr. Anne Heintz, Sandra Sawaya, and Spencer Greenhalgh
The rise of technology use in both high school and higher education has created many opportunities for students to participate in online courses, distance learning programs, and blended classrooms. As a result, I found this course to be one of the most helpful and applicable courses throughout the MAET program. The primary focus of the course was teaching students online, and we were tasked with using a learning management system (LMS) to create an online course module. This was my first experience with website design. As a result of the knowledge I gained from this course, I was able to create an online website that I continue to use daily with my students. Throughout the course I was also able to track my progress through the entire design process using a “developer’s notebook”, which allowed multiple opportunities for thorough reflection of the choices I made as I created my online module.
Spring 2014
Summer 2014
CEP 800: Learning in School and Other Settings
Instructors: Danah Henriksen, William Cain, and Josh Rosenberg
Educational theories were examined as they applied to how people learn. We connected the theories to our own learning styles and explored how learning styles impact learning. Furthering our discussions, we explored the need to create authentic learning experiences within our classrooms, methods to create these authentic experiences, and designed lesson plans based on this framework. We were also given the opportunity to explore specific technologies such as podcasting and creating a video mash-up.
CEP 815: Technology and Leadership
Instructors: Ben Gleason and Dr. Leigh Graves Wolf
This course aimed to expand my leadership skills by examining the implications of technology in both classroom and professional settings. We investigated Hattie’s six factors of student development and applied our discoveries to determine how technology could be used to create engaging and authentic learning strategies in the classroom. From the leadership perspective, we explored leadership styles and discussed how leadership styles can impact the school environment. Applying ideas from our exploration of leadership, I created a “personal manifesto” which provided resources designed to help fellow educators become more familiar with ideas surrounding 21st century teaching in order to more easily facilitate technology use in their classroom. Throughout the semester, I developed a technology initiative in which I identified a problem of practice at my school and created a plan that utilized technology resources as a potential solution.
Fall 2014
CEP 816: Technology, Teaching, and Learning Across the Curriculum
Instructors: Paul Morsink
The primary focus for this course was exploring how utilizing new digital media tools can create new ways of teaching with technology and how use of this media can impact traditional classroom instruction. Various forms of literacies were analyzed, and we discussed, created, and designed (or redesigned as appropriate) resources that minimized distractors and offered increased levels of accessibility for every student. We explored first hand learner-initiated, complex, and reciprocally adaptive research (LICRA) strategies to promote deeper and more efficient learner-initiated research. As a culminating project, I redesigned a unit using a learning management system to make both the unit activities and website more accessible to all students. Another focus of the redesign was to apply additional opportunities that would include a variety of new digital media tools.
CEP 822: Approaches to Educational Leadership
Instructors: Dr. Leigh Graves Wolf and Ben Gleason
This course explored approaches to educational research and culminated in a final project that dissected various approaches to educational research. My specific project was called a Research Action Project and examined the following questions: “How are student experiences and learning outcomes impacted when using electronic text resources? Are e-textbooks worth it?”. Components of the project that were discussed throughout the course included literatury research and review complete with an annotated bibliography in which I evaluated various scholarly and peer-reviewed articles in order to find background information specific to my research questions. Additionally, I developed an intervention and evaluation plan to further test and explore my research questions.
Spring 2015
CEP 817: Learning Technology Through Design
Instructors: Dr. Danah Henriksen, Jonathon Good, and Carmen Richardson
At the core of this course is the design process, which focuses on design thinking in both education and the world around us. The content of the course is structured around The Stanford Model of Design Thinking. Each week progresses as we dive deeper into theories and the overall process of design thinking and focus on a new mode of the design process. For the culminating project of the course, we are tasked with identifying a problem of practice in the education world. We will then apply The Stanford Design Model to develop a possible solution in order to solve the problem.
CEP 807: Capstone in Educational Technology
Instructors: Dr. Matthew Koehler, Brittany Dillman, Spencer Greenhalgh, Sarah Keenan, and Joshua Rosenberg
This course explored approaches to educational research and culminated in a final project that dissected various approaches to educational research. My specific project was called a Research Action Project and examined the following questions: “How are student experiences and learning outcomes impacted when using electronic text resources? Are e-textbooks worth it?”. Components of the project that were discussed throughout the course included literatury research and review complete with an annotated bibliography in which I evaluated various scholarly and peer-reviewed articles in order to find background information specific to my research questions. Additionally, I developed an intervention and evaluation plan to further test and explore my research questions.