This page contains all of the courses that I took as a part of the Master of Arts in Education (MAET) program at Michigan State University. It outlines which courses I took, contains a reflection that I had written at the time of finishing each course, and the name of each professor. The abbreviation CEP means "Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education", which is the department in which all classes in the MAET program take place. The courses are listed in the chronological order in which I took them.
Summer 2020
CEP 810
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Professor: Mary Wever
In this course, I revisited some of the classics of learning theory and then expanded by thinking about them by looking at some more modernized frameworks like TPACK (Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge) and 21st Century Learning. I learned that TPACK is all about considering the appropriate way to use technology in a given context, not necessarily shoehorning technology in everywhere. In my reexamination of 21st Century Learning, I realized that it is a framework that is very similar to Project-Based Learning in that it focuses on critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration in order to better prepare students for the real world. I was ultimately able to synthesize all of these ideas to make a final 21st Century Lesson. I also ended up utilizing these ideas in both 811 and 812, which I took concurrently. |
CEP 811
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Professors: Edie Erickson and Alison Keller
In this course, I learned about being a maker, designer, and innovator. I put these into action by making different multimedia presentations about my learning, learning to use an innovative technology, and looking at my own teaching and classroom from the perspective of a designer through the use of Universal Design for Learning and different design principles. My thinking shifted from seeing “maker spaces” as an area outside of the classroom where students could tinker for fun to seeing maker culture as a system of learning that could be incorporated into any classroom. Maker culture leads to a classroom in which students are actively constructing their own understanding and becoming more resilient in the face of failure. Designing and making is an integral part of the world that we live in, and therefore it is important to give students the skills and tools needed to explore this part of themselves. |
CEP 812
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Professors: Ron Houtman and Nicole Zumpano
In this course, I learned about how to think like a disruptive innovator and solve problems. Much of this course centered around the book “A More Beautiful Question” by Warren Berger. “A More Beautiful Question” helped to guide me through the importance of asking questions, the process of using questions to create real change, and the value of questioning to assess your own life and ambitions. Over the course of this journey, I also experienced hands-on how to try and innovate for real change through my Wicked Problem Project. In this project, I questioned the status quo of my school and practice and addressed areas that could use disruption and questioning. I then went through a few rounds of iteration with other teachers and then gathered information from a larger network. I was able to use the information gathered and some background research to produce a PD that serves as a first step for addressing the question that I initially asked. |
Summer 2021
CEP 800
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Professors: Ron Houtman and Dr. Chris Sloan
In this course I re-examined different ways that learning has historically been understood and framed as well as current learning theories. This exploration ranged from basic behaviorism to cognitivism and social learning to theories on how adult learning happens. After exploring all of these theories, I created my own personal theory of learning that synthesized how I think learning happens. Learning, to me, is social and experimental- learners learn by testing different ideas and observing the outcome both through what they see happening and through the guidance and reaction of the people around them. This course helped to strengthen my practice by exposing me to more ideas of how learning occurs and challenged me to more critically examine how the thinking I see happening in my own classroom happens. |
CEP 815
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Professor: Kyle Shack In this course, I learned how to be a more effective leader by examining a variety of leadership styles and breaking down how different mindsets can lead to different degrees of problem solving. I accomplished this by applying different frameworks of thinking to a variety of case studies that challenged me to think more critically about how I have crucial conversations and consider multiple stakeholders when trying to develop solutions. These case studies were particularly geared towards issues of technology, such as how to assess whether a new technology is worth it for a particular school and how to help advocate for student privacy with regards to technology. Using these new thinking frameworks, I was able to develop a new and improved professional development that I then used within my professional context. |
CEP 822
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Professor: Dr. David Wong
In this course, I learned a variety of basic statistical methods that are used in educational research. Using those methods, I was able to read and assess a dearth of research on ways to overcome the digital divide in urban schools. I turned this research into an abstract on the problem and broke down what statistical methods seemingly have been used to determine the findings. This course taught me how to be a better and more organized researcher, in addition to exposing me to important statistical methods that I was previously unaware of. |
Fall 2021
CEP 816
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Professor: Dr. Brittany Dillman
In this course we learned about how to best use instructional design choices to help rather than to hinder learning. The ability to do this largely hinges upon cognitive load. When dealing with cognitive load, it is best to try and minimize the extraneous load (the extra thinking not related to the content), be aware of the intrinsic load (the difficulty of the task), and try to help students maximize their germane load (development of learning schemas). Much of these instructional design choices involve the use (or non-use) of New Media Tools and Technologies (NMTTs). NMTTs should be assessed for their affordances and constraints and compared to more traditional strategies of accomplishing something to ensure that they are being used for a purpose and that it is not just technology for technology’s sake. |
Summer 2022- Overseas Program in Galway
CEP 817
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Professors: Candace Robertson and Dr. Liz Boltz
I took this course as a self-study to supplement my time in Galway with MAET Overseas. I utilized the design thinking method as described in The Design Thinking Toolbox and examined a variety of design thinking tools to determine which ones would make sense within the context of a school. I then utilized these tools to structure my thinking as a developed a new tool for the Galway Atlantaquaria and captured my design thinking process step by step within my blog. This course ran seamlessly alongside CEP 809. |
CEP 809
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Professors: Candace Robertson and Dr. Liz Boltz
For my independent study, I spent a month developing a new educational tool for the Galway Atlantaquaria. I met with the education staff there to assess their needs and co-developed several ideas for new activities for them. In my quest to help develop the tools for the activities, I ended up making contacts within the National University of Ireland in Galway (NUIG) Makerspace and the NUIG Zoology and Marine Biology Museum. I learned and experimented with a variety of 3D scanning softwares and methods as well as multiple methods of photogrammetry. My project eventually evolved into one that utilized 3D design through CAD and 3D printing to develop a physical set of tools for an activity that the aquarium can easily replicate to enhance their curriculum. |
CEP 807
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Professor: Dr. Matt Koehler
In this course, I took a critical look at everything that I have learned within the MAET program and spent time reflecting and synthesizing. Even though each course may appear as discrete within this webpage, the lessons learned within each build and flow into one another and have helped me to grow into a stronger, more intentional educator and leader. The act of reflecting is never done, even as I am finishing my course of study. It is important for educators to actively engage in reflection on their practice and to continue to push themselves to grow in order to better help their students and, in term, work to better the world. |