Michigan State University Courses
In fall of 2013, I started the Master of Arts in Education program at Michigan State University. My goal is to complete my coursework and graduate with a Master Degree in August of 2017.
Below, you will find the courses I have taken (or am currently taking), You will also find a brief of description of the class and examples of the work created based on assignments from the class.
Below, you will find the courses I have taken (or am currently taking), You will also find a brief of description of the class and examples of the work created based on assignments from the class.
CEP 813 - Electronic Portfolios for Teaching and Learning
Fall 2013
Instructors: W. Dickson, C. Lin, J. Park
Electronic Portfolios for Teaching and Learning focused on the the definition and creation of "Authentic Work" and "Good Work." We had many discussions regarding what it means to create good work and how to encourage our students to create their best work. During this class, as an example of authentic and good work, I created this website to showcase my own good work as an electronic portfolio. This allows students, parents, colleagues, and administration to see the work I have completed as a graduate student as a teacher. I enjoyed learning the concepts behind webdesign, the importance of citing sources, and expressing ideas fully through the use of hypertext.
ED 800 - Concepts of Educational Inquiry
Spring 2014
Instructor: S. Weiland
Concepts of Educational Inquiry focused on the various types of inquiry used by educators to reflect on their classroom and educational experiences in order to enhance and adjust their understanding. This was unique to me because I never thought there could be different kinds of inquiry. The instructor really pushed our minds and challenged us to explore with the different kinds of inquiry through readings and videos. This class caused my whole way of thinking to be changed and caused me to identify which kinds of inquiry were necessary for different types of classroom research.
Please click on the course title to view work from this class.
Please click on the course title to view work from this class.
TE 846 - Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners, K-12
Summer 2015
Instructor: A. Smith
Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners, K-12 has a focus on helping teachers of all grade levels become more aware of the struggles of various literacy learners. The focus of this class was on a case study titled Literacy Learner Analysis and a series of reflective blog posts related to the course work. This course was a challenge to me because I am a secondary math teacher, for me to wrap my head around the ideas of the different types of literacy and the need for me to be aware was very awakening to me. I struggled to come up with ideas for Literacy Learner Analysis because, at first, I was not sure how it would apply to my classroom. As I worked with the student for the analysis, and discussed with my instructor the difficulties I was having I was able to open my mind and ended up learning the importance of understanding literacy in the secondary classroom and finding the importance of reading and writing to mathematics.
Please click on the course title to view work from this class.
Please click on the course title to view work from this class.
CEP 883 - Psychology of Classroom Management
Summer 2015
Instructor: Dr. M. Lien
Pyschology of Classroom Management helps new and experienced teachers to understand some of the mistakes often made in classroom management styles and how to fix them. This class was really enjoyable to me. As a still fairly beginner teacher at the time it was very insightful and helpful to me. This course used the program called C.H.A.M.P.S. which I had been trained in previously. This course expanded that former training though by really pushing me to make connections to how I could make some of the strategies work with my middle and high school students. We also focused on PBIS allowing me to come back to school in the fall with some great ideas for my classroom which I feel have really helped my students and my sanity over the last few years.
Please click on the course title to view work from this class.
Please click on the course title to view work from this class.
CEP 805 - Learning Math with Technology
Spring 2016
Instructor: R. Putnam
Learning Math with Technology focused on the tools and resources available to teachers and students to aid in teaching and learning mathematics. This class focused on how to evaluate these tools based on National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Principles and Standards and also on Common Core State Standards of Mathematics and in the end I had created a resource library. Students created weekly reflections covering their views on the alignment of the different standards and also the on the alignment with our current curriculum. This course really helped me to look at my resources with a more critical eye to make sure they were actually going to help my students on the concepts they need. This course also allowed me to become even more comfortable with the Common Core State Standards of Mathematics.
Please click on the course title to view work from this class.
Please click on the course title to view work from this class.
TE 831 - Teaching Subject Matter with Technology
Summer 2016
Instructor: D. Hartman
Teaching Subject Matter with Technology focused on the importance of using creative thinking to incorporate technology in the 21st classroom. Throughout the course students read and viewed many reputable medias to formulate an individual view on how to incorporate technology in each classroom. I really discovered and became more comfortable working with videos during the class. I discovered the possibilities for vodcasts which would allow students to hear my voice explain key topics, even if they were absent. It also presents the idea of a flipped classroom where students are responsible for watching the video and then asking questions and completing an assignment when coming to class. I think this is a useful tool which I look forward to exploring more.
Please click on the course title to view work from this class.
Please click on the course title to view work from this class.
TE 855 - Teaching School Mathematics
Fall 2016
Instructor: M. Gundlach
Teaching School Mathematics - This course was very interesting because it explored the different things that can impact the teaching of mathematics. Everything from race to technology was discussed and reflected upon. I gained a lot of knowledge about the factors which can be affecting students and how to make accommodations to help these students. Additionally, I created a lesson plan which took a concept students would normally struggle to understand and turned it into a technology rich lesson allowing students some electronic manipulatives to help them understand the concept. It was challenging and rewarding to take a lesson which had been considered "traditional" and turn it into a technology filled lesson for the 21st century. I was then able to look at my other lessons and revise them to really make some meaningful changes in my classroom to get my students more involved with their learning.
Please click on the course title to view work from this class.
Please click on the course title to view work from this class.
TE 861 - Action Research in the K-12 Science or Math Classroom
Spring 2017
Instructor: M. Sharma
Action Research in the K-12 Science or Math Classroom - This course is another one of my favorites. It was a challenging course allowing me to stretch and grow as both a teacher and a learner. I enjoyed creating a research proposal and seeing how it would impact my classroom. It was helpful to learn the different types of research (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods) and how to analyze them. The most beneficial part of this class, for me, was learning to set up, organize, and analyze pre- and post-data. For me it is always a struggle to see how an activity is working but with the tools given in the course I have more tools to be able to analyze well and make the necessary corrections.
CEP 815 - Technology and Leadership
Summer 2017
Instructors: K. Shack, R. Mehta
Technology and Leadership - This course is still in progress. But so far it has been a good experience to discuss the difference between leading and managing. Leading is pointing everyone towards a common goal or mission while managing is just making sure everything is getting done. We have also discussed the difference between missional and instrumental thinking when it comes to incorporating technology. Missional thinking is having a well thought-out reason for implementing technology meaning the focus is the teaching or learning that will be achieved with the technology. On the other hand, instrumental thinking is when the focus is on the tool and implementing a form of technology just because the school down the road did without having thought about the learning or teaching we are ultimately working towards writing a vision statement as a technological leader in our community.
ED 870 - Capstone Portfolio Course
Summer 2017
Instructor: M. Koehler
Capstone Portfolio Course -This course is still in progress, but so far has been a great opportunity to reflect on all that I have learned throughout the course of program. This course has helped me see how far I have come over the last few years. This course also allowed to me to complete a great portfolio full of reflections, meaningful projects, etc. The course helped me build an interactive review of my work giving me the skills to build a website that was easy to manage and easy to navigate which are skills I can continue to build and move towards a meaningful classroom website in the future.
Photo Recognition:
Banner: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Michigan_State_University_logo.png
Banner: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Michigan_State_University_logo.png