Annotated Transcript

Educationally relevant methods of inquiry such as practitioner, biographical, ethnographic, historical, and philosophical were studied in my introduction to the Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program. Through various reading and viewing assignments – including Vivian Paley, Howard Gardner, John Dewey, and Billy Collins – I analyzed and discussed inquiry methods and how they related to teaching and learning. I delved into the traditionalist versus progressive debate as well as conducted an ethnographic study of a town in New Zealand in this course. The final assignment was an autobiographical break down of my views on educational technologies and their role in the modern classroom.

Science understanding goes beyond an emphasis on content and memorization. The practical skills, techniques, and language addressed in this course provided me with a firmer grasp of how to teach for causal understanding in a science classroom. In this course I used the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) principles to develop a vision statement for the science classroom. I created a design cycle rubric based on the NGSS; as well as a procedure for group work which puts an emphasis on thinking tasks.

The Constraints Led Approach (CLA) to human motor skill development was examined and applied throughout this course. My final project was a comprehensive description of back pedal and break instruction for football players using a non-linear pedagogical framework and a constraints led approach. I created a menu of drills based on the individual affordances of each athlete. In this class I had the opportunity to analyze and discuss topics such as action-perception coupling, ecological dynamics, and dynamical systems theory through the lens of athletic skill development.

This class explored and applied the concepts, methods of inferential analysis, data collection and reporting, as well as the ethical considerations needed to conduct proper action research. I wrote an action research proposal as my final project that focused on online formative assessments and their relationship to time on task. I wanted to determine a relationship between submission allotments and the time students engage with a type of homework assignment I commonly use in my classroom. After an extensive review of the literature, I created a method for data collection and analysis, as well as the necessary survey instruments and procedures for this investigation in this course.

Foundational theories, different genres of assessment, and various instruments such as portfolios, rubrics, and self-evaluations were critically analyzed and discussed in this course. The affordances of technology in the assessment process as well as the benefits of formative assessment were thoroughly examined. The role learning management systems play in the assessment process was also extensively discussed. In this class I developed a logic based online physics game, several digital assessment instruments, and a detailed assessment design checklist that I can use when creating future instruments.

The strategies, tools, and theoretical underpinnings of effective online classroom design were addressed and applied in this course. Accessibility, principles of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and the affordances of different learning management systems (LMS) were all considered in the design of my virtual online classroom. I created an online learning environment using Microsoft Teams and OneNote as an LMS. Furthermore, I wrote a comprehensive digital communication policy and collaborated with colleagues on their virtual classroom designs in this class.

Educational technologies were critically analyzed, and their best uses were explored in this course. The principles of the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) and Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) models were discussed and applied in the creation of several learning tools in this class. I created a digital student portfolio using Microsoft OneNote, and also created video lesson using an iPad application as part of this course. A major takeaway is that technology in of itself does not lead to improved learning but instead it comes down to the successful application of digital tools in pedagogically appropriate ways.

The iterative and collaborative nature of design was extensively explored and applied in this course. I developed a curriculum map for a course I plan on teaching by working through the stages of the Stanford Design Thinking model. I empathized, defined, ideated, prototyped, and tested a design based on a problem of practice. Different design exercises and strategies were utilized throughout the course to deepen our understanding of design and problem solving.

Challenging situations involving K-16 leadership were discussed and analyzed in relation to relevant leadership literature. Each study broke down the relevant facts, the leadership issues and the resulting tensions, as well as plausible next steps the parties involved could take in each case. Cases were studied and debated through a series of discussion posts, video conferences, and formal papers. In the final project of this course, I developed an educational leadership philosophy based on my experiences and my study of leadership literature.

In the Capstone Seminar I was able to thoroughly review and analyze my learning and development as a professional over the course of the MAED program. I created a website to showcase my best work from my graduate program and other artifacts relevant to my teaching. This website will serve as my professional portfolio moving forward. This course was a great opportunity to collaborate with educators wrapping up their own graduate studies in an inviting and accessible environment.