Children's Literature in Film explored the idea of using film, not as a reward or textual comparison, but as an interpretation of the characters, themes, and other literary devices explored in the written version. The assignments focused on "reading" the film and exploring ways to implement the techniques and focuses in the classroom. Many of the assignments were based in exploration, discussion, and written expression.

Some of the texts that were explored included: The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum, Coraline by Neil Gaiman, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling.

Concepts of Educational Inquiry worked to establish the foundation of education, specifically the purposes, traditions, problems, and reform. The course was unique in that it was self-paced and provided a rich assortment of hypermedia. This format made it easy to explore concepts and ideas. One of the final units consisted of a film study base on the film Whale Rider (2002).

Creativity in Teaching and Learning focused on the idea that creativity is valuable in all aspects of life, particularly education, and that it can be learned and embraced by everyone. Through the activities, I was able to explore the idea of creativity and how it can be used in all areas of my curriculum. It really inspired me to look at lessons and units with fresh eyes. It challenged me to find ideas to make room for creativity as well as modeling it on a daily basis.

This course allowed me to explore current issues and trends within young adult literature. As a class, we explored 18 different texts and discussed ways we could implement them into our classroom and any potential issues we might encounter. The discussions were rich and beneficial.

Some of the texts that were explored included: Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow, Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo, All American Boys by Jason Reynolds, and Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

In Awards and Classics of Children's Literature, we interrogated these classics and award-winning texts. We asked ourselves what role these texts play in our lives. Who is being represented? Who is missing? What gives these books merit? This course emphasized discussion and multimodal response. I enjoyed the various activities and it allowed me to explore ideas for my own classroom while diving into the course questions.

Some of the texts I explored included: Peter Pan by James Matthew Barrie and Charlotte's Web by E. B. White.

This course pushed me to think of unit creation from a design standpoint. I focused on revamping my 9th-grade research unit. I replaced the traditional paper with a genius hour-formatted project that fulfilled the requirements and utilized technology. This course provided me with the opportunity to think creatively about the unit and the standards I wanted to cover. It showed me that there is room for creativity in every lesson.

Engaging Diverse Students and Families explored the idea of reframing our concept of family involvement and worked to strengthen community relations in order to reach all students and their families. I focused on my school district and conducted a study of the resources available to the community members and how the school continues to work with those businesses and programs. This course really helped me to see and understand the relationship between a school, its students, and the community.

After COVID-19 and the global pandemic that pushed many districts online, I thought it would be best to learn how to use our online platform to its full extent. For this course, I developed an online platform for one of my blended classes, American Literature. As students, we focused on expanding our knowledge about technology and online resources while working to implement a virtual version of an existing unit. My process and understanding of developing an online unit have improved significantly because of this course.

Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners extended my thinking on how to approach literacy and how to differentiate my instruction to reach all students. The course focused on a project known as the Literacy Learner Analysis Project (LLAP). For this project, I assessed, and developed goals and lessons based on my student's needs. I was able to learn and implement new reading strategies and focus on diversifying based on the needs of my students.

The Capstone course focused on reflection through the makings of a digital portfolio. The structure of the course consisted of creating pieces that synthesized my experience as a Master of Art in Education (MAED) student and exchanged feedback with other students from both the MAED program and the Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) via Flipgrid. In addition to reflection, it also provided an opportunity to utilize new technologies and exercise my creativity.