This transcript shows the courses I took in completing my Masters of Arts in Educational Technology through Michigan State University. In addition to sharing each course I took, I also wanted to share what I learned in those classes and how they impacted my teaching and thinking about educational technology. Each class has opened new ideas for me and helped me to develop my teaching philosophy and countless ideas. To see some of the work I created in these courses, please check out my Work Showcase.
In Summer 2022, I completed three courses as a part of the overseas Galway program with MAET. I lived and worked at NUI Galway (now University of Galway) and completed these three courses simultaneously, but each offered unique learning opportunities and projects. By completing these three courses, I also received my Graduate Certificate in Educational Technology. Learning in Galway has been one of the best moments of my educational journey.
In this course, we first learned about Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) which would become a backbone for much of my learning throughout the rest of the course. I learned a lot about how to center my teaching about technology, pedagogy, and content, making sure that the technology enhanced what my students were learning. I also started thinking about a PLN (Personal Learning Network) and who I could connect with in and out of my district to help both myself and my students. This course was a great introduction to MAET and got me started on my path for integrating technology thoughtfully as an educator.
This course was very focused on maker-centered learning, which is a cornerstone of my teaching style and lessons with my students. I was able to learn about constructionism and create a unit plan that worked with circuits for students to have practice hands on. This course helped me think about the physically design of my classroom and how to allow students these opportunities to design and build. I loved being fun and play-based in my creations and found skills that my students have immensely benefitted from.
My last course overseas in Galway focused on problems in education and what we can do to better understand them and begin to solve them. I read about issues in classrooms and thought critically before focusing on a wicked problem (The Standardized Testing Crisis) to try to solve alongside my peers. While there is no simple way to solve problems (especially as one educator), this course got me thinking critically about problem-solving and issues in education. I was able to understand better what impact I can have and how technology can help us bridge gaps and reach solutions together.
After loving my work in Galway previously, I decided to go back for another overseas semester. In summer 2023, I returned to Galway to work on three more courses as a part of my MAET degree. These courses focused on research, theories of learning, and creativity in our role. I was able to expand on the work I did in 2022 and further my skills as an educator during this summer.
In undergrad, I remember learning some about theories of learning, but it never stuck with me. Taking this course, I finally feel I have a deeper understanding and am ready to apply them to my teaching. We talked about a range of different learning theories, thinking critically about them and finding multiple sources for our information. To finalize my learning in the course, I wrote my paper about my own learning theory, which is highlighted on my Work Showcase page.
In CEP 811, I started thinking creatively about my teaching and incorporating hands-on experience for my students, and this course was able to push me even further in my thinking about maker-based learning and design thinking. I learned about how to incorporate both little C and big C creativity (an idea from Lifelong Kindergarten by Mitchel Resnick). This idea has pushed me to incorporate more opportunities for play and creation in my classroom, giving my students more ways to physically learn.
This course gave me valuable skills in thinking about data and research, looking at information with a more critical eye. I read Street Data by Shane Safir and Jamila Dugan, which discussed using qualitative data instead of quantitative data to evaluate students and learning. In a country so focused on standardized testing, it was incredibly refreshing to think about student learning in more personal ways. This book changed my viewpoint of myself as a teacher and my students as learners, knowing there is more to education than test scores and evaluations.
I loved my time in Galway, but I finished my degree with remote online courses through MAET. These courses gave me a chance to learn more independently and pushed me to take ownership of my own work, since they were not in-person with peers. Each of these courses helped me finalize my skills before finishing the MAET program.
This was one of the most influential courses I've taken in all my years of education. It gave me practice in an array of programming tools, with focused projects that I could apply in my classroom. I went into this course with a basic understanding of Scratch and other block-based language, and this course pushed me into text languages such as Python and JavaScript. These skills helped me to understand programming so that I could address misconceptions in my classroom and help students grow as programmers and computer scientists.
After taking CEP 824, I wanted to grow my programming skills even more, and this class was the perfect follow-up. I was able to take those software skills and apply it in creative ways. I pushed myself to use even more new programming tools and to have creative ways to implement new learning for students using them. After working to think creatively, I also was able to work on assessing student performance and creativity. This helps me go into the classroom and help students understand programming in new and interesting ways, with me giving them valuable feedback.
I knew I wanted to take this course because it was going to push me toward my goals of being a more outspoken educator and a leader among my colleagues. I was able to learn about important principles of leadership and go through many creative scenarios that let me put those principles and skills in practice. In my job, I take on a more informal tech leader role in my school, so this was beneficial to prepare me for hard conversations, professional development, and managing relationships. After this course, I feel better prepared to handle leading in both formal and informal settings.
This was my final course in MAET and the conclusion of all the hard work that I put into my learning over these three years. In this course, I revisited everything I did over the years, putting it together into this website and reflecting on the learning I did. I was able to think about all my takeaways and learning and present to my peers who I was as an educator. This course gave me the opportunity to collaborate through feedback and revise my work into something I am very proud of.
I have loved my time in the MAET program and know that I am a better educator now than when I started my courses. I have gained so many skills in research, collaborating, revising, creating, presenting, leading, and more, and each day, I feel I can apply these skills to benefit myself, my students, and my peers. For more information about the program, read about all the courses that MAET has to offer.
Cover image used with permission from Chris Sloan.