Course Reflections

EDUC1231.003 - Professional Dimensions One

This class was an introduction to my teaching profession. It provided me with insights into teaching philosophies, the type of teacher I want to be, and the classroom environments best suited for students. The field experience also prepared me more for becoming a teacher. It was an excellent addition to the class.

EDUC1233.001 - Professional Dimensions Two

Professional Dimensions Two was a continuance in the program to Professional Dimensions One. The course focused on curriculum and planning, facilitating and assessing the learning of a lesson plan. Not only did I create a lesson plan but with the field experience, I was able to teach the lesson and see what worked and what did not. It helped me to discover my strengths and weaknesses related to facilitating learning. This course also explored ideas related to power and justice as well as social issues in a classroom and throughout a school.

EDUC2371.001 Language Devices and Literacy

Language Devices and Literacy is a second year education course. The course focused on the importance of literacy for younger children specifically. I also developed our knowledge of language development and read aloud lessons. We learned more about phonemic awareness, phonemes, alphabetic principle, and phonological awareness. The class also provided me to learn about Fountas and Pinnell assessment through a workshop.

EDUC2321 - Education & Individual Development

The course is designed specifically around education psychology. It focuses on classroom implications of motivation, behavioural, aspects of learning and learning styles, and student diversity.

EDUC2375 - Effective Assessment

Effective assessment focuses on differentiated assessment in classrooms. I constructed and learned about various tools and processes to measure students' success.

EDUC3103 - PSCI Teaching English Language Arts

This course focused on applying knowledge and skills to effectively teach English Language Arts in an elementary setting. The course focused on long range planning, integration, and instructional methods.

EDUC4104 - PSCI Teaching Music

In this course, I was provided with musical experiences. It helped me to gain more skills in music to enrich my teachings for an elementary classroom. I learned methods of teaching music through observation and application, as well as, developed an understanding of the importance of music integration and music in general for children.

EDUC 2325 - Current and Emerging Technology

Current and Emerging Technology broadened my scope for technological influences in the classroom. I became aware of the immense amount of applications that can be used for teaching and learning as well as how to integrate technology to create STEAM lessons.

EDUC 3101 - PSCI Teaching Art

This course expanded my artistic abilities and confidence. We focused on planning, facilitating, and learning diverse art lessons. We examined assessment strategies for focusing on the process rather than the overall product. It also fostered STEAM integration techniques.

EDUC 3106 - PSCI Teaching Science

In this course, I learned skills to effectively teach Science in elementary schools. I specifically learned about STEAM integration as well as inquiry-based learning and teaching techniques. It made me more intrigued to teach Science.

EDUC 3108 - PSCI Teaching Mathematics

This course allowed me to focus on gaining skills to implement the program of studies for teaching elementary mathematics. I learned many approaches for instruction, integrating STEAM, and developing resources. I also learned several educational math games.

EDUC 3010 - Practicum I

I was directly involved in all aspects of teaching for 50% of the required time in the last three weeks of my five weeks practicum.

EDN356 - Sport Education Murdoch University - Study Abroad (Replacement for PSCI Physical Education)

This course was taken during my study abroad semester in Australia replaced the MRU course for teaching physical education. There was a transition to online learning in March.

The course began by fostering around the curriculum model of "Sport Education". I learned the importance of focusing on this model while teaching Physical Education as it created a more authentic learning environment. I was also able to learn new skills and game strategies for cricket, which I have never played before. We also focused on catering for diverse learner needs following a strength based approach. The course touched on introductory sport science principles and how to apply them in a PE setting. During the course, assessment strategies in PE and implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) were explored.

EDUC 4107 - PSCI Teaching Social Studies

Teaching social studies explored the knowledge and skills required to implement it in our classrooms. One of our assignments was to create a social studies inquiry that comprised of an inquiry rationale statement, assessment indicators, and connected lesson plans. This assignment allowed me to focus on the importance of social studies and how to best implement inquiry for students' learning.

EDUC 4351 - Indigenous Perspectives

During this course, I engaged with Indigenous perspectives, values, and methods related to the learning context. Guest speakers who identified as Indigenous peoples joined our classes and were gracious enough to share their knowledge with us. The topics included Indigenous practices and protocols and residential schools - their struggles then and now. I feel one of the most critical takeaways from this course was ensuring that I am implementing authentic Indigenous resources for education.

EDUC 4201 - Int. Ideas, Values, and Praxis

In this capstone course, I was able to reflect on issues and experiences from my education, schooling, field experiences, and practica. I created a professional school-based inquiry which provided me with a "hands-on" experience of investigating student learning related to my teaching practice. It allowed me to become more knowledgeable and skillful to conduct a classroom-based research study.

EDUC 4361 - Exceptional Students

Throughout this course, we examined characteristics of students with disabilities and exceptional gifts and talents. The knowledge of these characteristics allowed me to assess various methods that would be best to adapt my classroom instruction and management for the students' diverse needs. I completed a class profile that was beneficial to learn more in-depth about my students that I was teaching in practicum. Also in this course, I completed a case study which examined one student in my practicum class and their potential exceptionality that I suspect. From this case study, I experienced the different roles of individuals that would be involved in a Learning Support Team (LST) / Student Learning Team (SLT).

EDUC 4030 - Practicum II

This was my final practicum where I was able to focus on my professional responsibilities, planning for learning, facilitating learning, assessment, and the inclusive classroom environment. I was able to be directly involved in all aspects of teaching progressing from 50% and achieving 100% or at least three weeks of the practicum.

EDN328 - Teaching English and Literacy to Students with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities Murdoch University

This course was taken during my study abroad semester in Australia replaced the MRU course as an Education elective. There was a transition to online learning in March.

The course focused on teaching students with these difficulties in reading, spelling, writing, and comprehension. I was able to create a proposal for a targeted literacy support program for an identified learner group. I chose to focus on a student in a Tier 2 intervention problem with continued difficulties in reading with phonics.

EDN358 - Creating and Managing Effective Learning Environments Murdoch University

This course was taken during my study abroad semester in Australia replaced the MRU course as an Education elective. There was a transition to online learning in March.

The course focuses on how to enhance the learning of all students by examining cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioural factors which impact the ecology of the classroom. I was enabled with various proactive and preventative strategies. I was also able to create my personalized classroom management plan. IT consisted of my philosophy, theory, and practice.

Math1150.001 - Mathematical Reasoning

In this course, we studied various concepts related to the elementary education math curriculum. These concepts were taught in ways that helped us to better understand them, so we could teach them later. We analyzed mathematic topics such as languages of logic, set theory, probability, and statistics. The goals were to show knowledge of fundamental concepts in mathematics and demonstrate an understanding of mathematical reasoning.

MATH1102.001 - Introduction to Geometry

The course focused on geometry and its applications. I was introduced to Euclidean geometry in two and three dimensions. We discussed topics such as symmetry, fractals, and the golden ratio. In the course, we analyzed ideas relating to geometry in more detail than in high school courses.

MATH1103.001- Introduction to Statistical Reasoning

In this course, we focused on finding statistical data. I learned how to calculate z-scores and use hypothesis testing to determine if the data accepted the alternative or failed to reject the null. We also looked at combinations probability.

MATH3202.001 - Mathematics through the Ages

The course focused on looking at mathematical developments from a variety of time periods and areas. The emphasis of learning was on content that would be taught in a K - 12 school environment. We looked at ancient numeration systems, some topics about Geometry, number theory, algebra, calculus, and graph theory.

MATH2150 - Higher Arithmetic

This course enhanced my understanding and clarity about mathematical ideas and processes. It is specifically designed for elementary concepts such as number theory, numberation systems, and operations on rational and irrational numbers. I gained better knowledge on understanding these topics which in turn help me to teach them more successfully.

MATH4201 - Seminar

In this course, each student presented seminars and discuss topics in mathematics. We created two projects in order to teach our peers that content.

PSYC289 - Psychology as a Natural Science Athabasca University

This course is the equivalent to PSYC1103: Introduction to Psychology I: Natural Science at Mount Royal University. I learned about the development of psychology and the different research enterprises. I looked at the brain functions, sensations and perceptions, consciousness, memory, learning and language concepts.

PSYC290 - General Psychology Athabasca University

This course is the equivalent to PSYC1104: Introduction to Psychology II: Social Science at Mount Royal University. It explores concepts about motivation, emotion, human development, personality, stress, and social behaviours.

PSYC355 - Cognitive Psychology Athabasca University

This course is the equivalent to PSYC2265: Cognitive Psychology at Mount Royal University. It explores concepts about the emergence of cognitive psychology, perception and attention, aspects of memory, semantic memory, and research issues in psycholinguistics and thinking.

PSYC2235 - Lifespan Development Psychology

Lifespan Development was an overview of major developmental stages from birth to death in relation to physical, cognitive, social, and personality changes. It was studied from a variety of theoretical perspectives and the application of theory to practical situations. There was an emphasis on the importance of attachment from infancy all the way to adulthood.

PSYC2283 - Personality Psychology

Throughout this course, the emphasis was placed on a scientific approach to the study of personality. We examined theories and research related to the structure and dynamic of personality. We covered theoretical views such as psychodynamic, learning, humanistic, and dispositional. Opportunities were also given to align our learning of theories and our own personalities.

GNED1101.008 - Scientific and Mathematical Literacy for the Modern World

This course is a combination of both math and science related concepts. I gained an understanding of how math and science are related. We studied the conjunction between climate change and carbon emissions. We also calculated the data of our daily carbon usage and emissions which was interesting to see.

GNED1202.001 - Texts and Ideas

This course section is to explore how specific ideas shape attitudes, belief systems, and values through the perspectives of various disciplines. The theme of this particular class was "The Common Good," or the idea that the strength of society is greatly increased by equality, cooperation, social harmony and environmental stewardship. We looked at works from different time periods but mostly focused on Ishamel by Daniel Quinn and Utopia by Thomas More.

GNED1304.002 - Communties and Societies

In this course, I learned how to examine important issues in societies around the world. This course was enjoyable since it talked about issues that were interesting to me. I got involved in actions for child hunger in Canada which I think is a useful thing to know as I am becoming a teacher.

"Local, national, and global communities suffer from similar problems. This interdisciplinary course will critically examine key issues within communities and societies, explore the meaning, power, and obligations of citizenship, and begin to develop the skills necessary to create positive, effective, and sustainable change" (mymru.ca).

GNED1401.006 - Writing for Academic Success

This course taught me more general knowledge about writing essays and interpreting texts. Throughout this course, our professor got us to write analysis essays. This broadened my learning style more and I now have more insight to writing this style and analyzing images in depth.

"This course develops students' skills in the types of writing, reading, and thinking required in university today" (mymru.ca).

NTSC 1112.002 - Intro to Current Env Issues

The focus of this class was on relevant environmental issues occurring around the world and the solutions. We discussed many topics related to water, food security, agriculture, climate change, and overpopulation. Also, there was a pairing assignment where two people researched a topic together and presented it to the class. The presentations expanded knowledge for various areas related to environmental issues.

HIST 1131.001 - Canada, Origins to 1867

The course identifies key issues and events from early Canadian history. We discussed the interactions between Indigenous and non-indigenous peoples, war and conflict as well as French and British relations. I analyzed my first primary document analysis which was intriguing because it opened my eyes to view the history in all aspects and perspectives.

UGST 1001.065 - Effective Learning

This course was intended to help university students become more successful in university. We looked at time management skills, self-care plans, and resources available as a Mount Royal student.

ENGL 2141.001 - Literature for Young Children

In this course, we studied various children's literature for children aged two to eight from different time periods. I learned how to analyze books and provide evidence on how text and images interact, and how a book might be subversive or didactic.