Key to Course Description acronyms: TE = Teacher Education; ED = Education; CEP = Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education
Instructor: Meenakshi Sharma
The first course of my program focused on the role of inquiry in the teaching of science and incorporating the Next Generation Science Standards in classroom instruction. This course gave me a better understanding of the practice of Ambitious Science Teaching in a high school classroom. Examining a series of video lessons on Ecology created by Bethany, a high school teacher, demonstrated for me the flow of discourse during the lesson, the tasks assigned to students, and the tools used by the teacher and students during their investigation of "carrying capacity." Drawing from the assigned course readings and interviews I conducted with my students, I designed a three-lesson sequence exploring atomic structure and modeling for use in my ninth grade Biology class.
Instructor: Dr. Douglas K. Hartman
This course explored a variety of strategies, methods, and tools for integrating digital technology in the teaching of school subject matter. Several of the topics covered included the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers, Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge theory (TPACK), Universal Design for Learning, 21st Century Skills, digital literacy and citizenship. During this course I analyzed several technological tools, such as PhET simulations and Dropbox, their affordances and potential uses for myself and my students in our classroom setting. I used various tech tools (e.g. iMovie, Voice Thread, Garage Band) to create three projects aligned with my teaching curriculum: re-purposed lesson plan on Photosynthesis, a vodcast on the Allied Invasion of Normandy for use in my French class, and Voice Thread self-reflection on the application of technology within my instructional practice.
Instructors: Dr. Carol Sue Englert and Julie Brehmer
CEP 840 was the first course I took that focused on special education and equal access of all students to education in the United States. Beginning with a history of the development of "separate but equal" education for students with special needs, I examined how this view shifted, fueled by the Civil Rights Movement, to inclusive instruction in the regular classroom setting with learning supports (e.g. positive behavioral support, response to intervention, assistive technology, etc.). Two of my projects included: 1) reviewing specific types of assistive technology with respect to their potential uses by children with autism, and 2) writing an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). These two projects and the various forms of assistive technology I explored during this course have helped me to create a more welcoming classroom environment for all of my students. For example, based on feedback from one of my chemistry students with autism and her mother, I have allowed the student certain technology choices (e.g. Google Docs) for completing assignments. As a result of this change, her level of engagement during class has noticeably increased.
Instructors: Dr. Stephen Weiland and Dr. Nathan Clason
ED 800 examined the changing philosophy of education from ancient times to the present and the essential questions surrounding education - such as its role in society, problems with education and reform efforts. I found it interesting that many of John Dewey's ideas about the progressive nature of education and E.D. Hirsch's knowledge-based model are still influential in U.S. schools. The readings also emphasized for me that all educators should conduct research about teaching and learning to assess not only their students' progress, but also to assess their own effectiveness as instructors and mentors for lifelong learning. At the end of this course, I reflected on my own learning-path, the rapid pace of technology and how it has impacted my way of teaching and learning.
Instructor: Meenakshi Sharma
TE 861A focused on science instruction, and more specifically instructional practices that support students' understanding of science. Topics covered during this semester included the Framework of Ambitious Science Teaching, the Next Generation Science Standards, and the latest research on how students learn science and phenomenon-based investigation. One of the most useful aspects of this course was learning how to find an anchoring event and then design instruction around investigation of that event. Using this knowledge, I developed an instructional unit of phenomenon-based lessons on waves and their unique properties for my ninth grade Introductory Physics course. The result was thought-provoking for my students and enjoyable for me as well as it allowed me to incorporate aspects of my amateur radio hobby in the unit!
Instructors: Carmen Richardson and Candace Marcotte
Exploration of what is means to be "creative" and strategies for creative thought in learning and teaching were the main topics of this course. Throughout this class, I maintained a "Sparks" e-journal to document my experiences with course activities. Some of the projects I created included: 1) a collage of items from which I receive creative inspiration, 2) perceiving the elements bismuth and hydrogen in a different way, 3) identifying patterns, and 3) creating a digital model of the sizes of atoms. One of my favorite tasks was to select and interview a person who I felt embodied "creativity." The colleague I selected was a seasoned art and English teacher. Her thoughts on creativity and creative expression within the context of the classroom broadened my perspective of creativity in subject areas outside of art, and left me with lingering thoughts about how I could assess "creativity" within the context of my subject area (science).
Instructors: Carmen Richardson and Candace Marcotte
CEP 817 introduced me to the five steps of the design process (as defined by the Stanford d.school) - Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test - and the application of this process to learning technology in an educational setting. One of the first activities required me to think of either a good or poor design I had experienced. In another class project, I used the design steps, beginning with interviewing students to identify a need (e.g. keeping up with coursework when on an extended absence from school). I then used my students' feedback to define a problem of practice (the development of a virtual classroom for my Chemistry students) to help meet their needs. After brainstorming what the virtual class would "look" like, I created a prototype and then selected a group of students to test my prototype. Working through these steps, I realized that I had used many of the steps of this process to find solutions to other problems outside my classroom!
Instructors: Sarah Keenan-Lechel and Dr. Spencer Greenhalgh
My interest in CEP 813 stemmed from a desire to learn more about creating digital assessments for my subject area (science). I began by learning the foundational theory of assessments and how they could be used to inform instructional practice. During this course, I explored various options and tools (e.g. electronic learning journals, Google Forms and Quizizz) for creating digital assessments. I also learned how to evaluate and design games aligned to standards for use as formative assessments. My favorite project was designing my own Physics game on the four forces of flight using Twine. This project was especially challenging as I had no prior experience with writing an adventure-based game, but the reward was in seeing the end product of my efforts and having a colleague play it and provide me with feedback on what she learned about the forces of flight.
Instructors: Dr. Anne Heintz and Cui Cheng
My interest in gaining experience in evaluating and designing online courses led me to take CEP 820. Throughout the semester, I kept a developer's notebook to document my thoughts on technology that was effectively or ineffectively used for educational purposes. One such example was how the Technology Committee in my school decided to phase-out the 1-to-1 iPads that had been used by our students and purchase Chromebooks instead. What they hadn't foreseen was that the Vernier applications my school had purchased and installed on the iPads would not work on Chromebooks as they operated on a different platform. This course not only showed me the demands of creating a virtual unit of instruction for my Physics student, but also the many considerations that go along with course development, such as which Course Management System to use, whether to create a purely online course, or a hybrid that used both face-to-face and online components.
Instructors: Dr. Matthew Koehler, Aric Gaunt, Sarah Keenan-Lechel, Sukanya Moudgalya
This was the final course of my master's degree program which culminated in the production and online exhibition of a digital portfolio of my coursework. I began with a thorough review of all coursework I had completed during the previous two years of my degree program. Based on this review, I identified items that highlighted my learning experiences and which also related to the goals I had set upon entering the master's program. I added annotations to describe the significance of these selected items in furthering my development as an educator. Throughout the semester I was provided with several opportunities to provide and receive feedback from my classmates and instructors which helped generate new ideas and suggestions for improving my portfolio. The resulting product represents my entire journey, from start to finish, and thoughts on how I will continue my learning journey in the years to come.