Master of Arts in Educational Technology: A History Book
Foreword
If my life were a book, what would be included and what might be omitted, either because it is forgotten or deemed unimportant? Sometimes I find myself pondering this question as I go through life. It has always helped me reassess my focus as I try to move the really important things to the forefront of my attention - things such as family, experiences, and friends. As a teacher, sometimes it is easy to get lost in the ‘job.’ Meaning, the day to day rigor of teaching such as the meetings, the grading, the notes, the procedures, the discipline, even the fun can all take a front seat. However, my time in this program has made me consider again what is really important in teaching and in learning and has caused me to consider what I am putting in the front seat. If I am driving, what is riding shotgun? Or if someone else is driving, am I just along for the ride? Better yet, if I am the author of the book, what am I choosing to include?
Also, as a history teacher, I know about the rise and fall of societies. Life is a pendulum that swings relentlessly one way and then another. It is staggering to think of all the history that has been lost over time for a multitude of reasons. What has been important enough to include in books, but also, what important things have been omitted? If my students can only take 5 things away from the whole year, which ones would I choose? If I could only create a handful of truly authentic and engaging experiences, what would they be? And then, how can tools and resources and advances in technology help me create the most authentic learning experiences possible and achieve my goals in the classroom in a way that may not have previously been possible?
So, here is the ‘history book’ of my time in the Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program. It will highlight what I learned, the importance of my experiences on my personal and professional life, specifically focus on the biggest events and takeaways, and wrap it all up in the end. But just like a history book, this essay could not possibly include all that I have learned and how important the experience has been. I will simply have to let my future teaching to speak for itself and hope that this history changes the lives of my students.
Also, as a history teacher, I know about the rise and fall of societies. Life is a pendulum that swings relentlessly one way and then another. It is staggering to think of all the history that has been lost over time for a multitude of reasons. What has been important enough to include in books, but also, what important things have been omitted? If my students can only take 5 things away from the whole year, which ones would I choose? If I could only create a handful of truly authentic and engaging experiences, what would they be? And then, how can tools and resources and advances in technology help me create the most authentic learning experiences possible and achieve my goals in the classroom in a way that may not have previously been possible?
So, here is the ‘history book’ of my time in the Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program. It will highlight what I learned, the importance of my experiences on my personal and professional life, specifically focus on the biggest events and takeaways, and wrap it all up in the end. But just like a history book, this essay could not possibly include all that I have learned and how important the experience has been. I will simply have to let my future teaching to speak for itself and hope that this history changes the lives of my students.
Chapter One: An Overall Look
My responsibilities as an educator go far beyond teaching content and facts, something that most people think history is all about. With technology at our fingertips and a wealth of knowledge mere searches away, I cannot just be a purveyor of content. Instead I must be a facilitator of meaningful interaction with content, ensuring that students are thinking deeply about the patterns that make up the fabric of history. To do this, I must leverage my understanding of the ways which technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge overlap, known as the concept of TPACK. This core framework of the MAET program is at the heart of each course and has changed the way I look at my purpose and practice. For instance, if I am too focused on content, I am not letting technology or pedagogy inform what might be best for students. Furthermore, if I am too focused on technology for technology’s sake, then I am losing touch with best practices as they relate to pedagogy and valuable content. As with most things in life, this program has reminded me of the importance of finding balance as a teacher.
In looking back at the program, each course brings to mind an important lesson that led to growth. However, three courses that had the most impact on me overall were Counseling, Educational Psychology & Special Education (CEP) courses: CEP 813 (Electronic Assessment), CEP 822 (Approaches to Education Research), and CEP 818 (Creativity in Teaching and Learning). Interestingly, these courses were very different in approach and subject, yet I found myself walking away with career changing elements and even now, as I look back, I cannot remember how I did certain things in the classroom without them.
In looking back at the program, each course brings to mind an important lesson that led to growth. However, three courses that had the most impact on me overall were Counseling, Educational Psychology & Special Education (CEP) courses: CEP 813 (Electronic Assessment), CEP 822 (Approaches to Education Research), and CEP 818 (Creativity in Teaching and Learning). Interestingly, these courses were very different in approach and subject, yet I found myself walking away with career changing elements and even now, as I look back, I cannot remember how I did certain things in the classroom without them.
Chapter Two: The Importance of Assessment
CEP 813, Electronic Assessment, was one of the most challenging, time consuming, but also gratifying courses I took throughout the program. As a result, I have completely changed the way I look at the purpose of assessment, the role assessment plays, and the nature of quality assessments as a means of understanding and reflection. In a traditional classroom, it can be easy to limit assessment to homework, quizzes, and tests. But really, most educators work with assessments far beyond these, and maybe in ways they do not even realize. This class helped me discern how I already use assessment in my classroom.
One of the most meaningful assignments was the creation of a rubric meant to assess assessments, which was worked on over several weeks, with several drafts and revisions. By incorporating class readings and other research, I was able to identify ten separate criterion to more carefully consider assessment. Please click here to view full rubric with explanations.
Finally, this class helped me learn and consider how assessments can be effectively used in an online setting and how I can use updated tools and resources to create more meaningful assessments. We explored different learning platforms to see how they handle assessments and then created an assessment through a platform of our choice. Also, we worked in the world of Minecraft to create an authentic assessment that students could use and learn from, as well as create on their own. It certainly took me out of my comfort zone, as I was not savvy in that world, but because gaming in this way is such an integral part of many kids’ lives, it was important for me to experience and understand it, as well as apply it to my own teaching. Please click here to view blog post with embedded video.
One of the most meaningful assignments was the creation of a rubric meant to assess assessments, which was worked on over several weeks, with several drafts and revisions. By incorporating class readings and other research, I was able to identify ten separate criterion to more carefully consider assessment. Please click here to view full rubric with explanations.
Finally, this class helped me learn and consider how assessments can be effectively used in an online setting and how I can use updated tools and resources to create more meaningful assessments. We explored different learning platforms to see how they handle assessments and then created an assessment through a platform of our choice. Also, we worked in the world of Minecraft to create an authentic assessment that students could use and learn from, as well as create on their own. It certainly took me out of my comfort zone, as I was not savvy in that world, but because gaming in this way is such an integral part of many kids’ lives, it was important for me to experience and understand it, as well as apply it to my own teaching. Please click here to view blog post with embedded video.
Chapter Three: Meaningful Education Research
My Approaches to Education Research course, CEP 822, was an eye opening course. Oddly, I was not wildly excited about this course since I have always considered research to be a weak area for me. However, it was partially due to this that the course had such a profound impact on my graduate experience. Sometimes it is the unexpected that leaves us with some of the deeper and more lasting lessons.
The course was an excellent blend of practical skills and opportunities for personalized research about the field of education. The course instructors used a course style they referred to as ‘plug and play,’ which meant that templates for turned in work were provided so the guesswork about formatting, that can be time consuming and confusing was eliminated. This approach made it possible to focus more on the content I was learning and less about the structure, helping me learn more overall. It was something I had not yet experienced in any college course and it was refreshing - so much so that I have incorporated this very technique into certain assignments in my own classes.
The very practical skill of using Excel for recording and analyzing data was extremely helpful. This was not something I was well-versed in, and that is putting it mildly. However, the tutorials were so helpful that I found myself enjoying testing my new skills in the following school year, recording scores throughout the year to gain insight into my students and my assessments. The numerical data gave me another layer to look at and ultimately showed me things I may not have otherwise seen. Also, we had just implemented a new standardized test system from the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) called the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). We test every fall, winter, and spring and CEP 822 gave me valuable insight into the purpose of this type of research as well as the scores.
Most importantly, as a part of the class we were able to research educational topics of our choice using a variety of sources based on our lessons. It was during these assignments where I began to flesh out my interest in collaborative problem solving and the flipped classroom. Collaborative problem solving refers to students working together in class to solve real-world problems that are relevant and important to their lives and the flipped classroom is when instruction and homework are flipped, leaving students to watch lectures and possibly take notes at home and then come to class to work on content with the teacher present to facilitate and answer questions. I had always been mildly interested in these topics, but delving into them much more deeply, armed with knowledge of the best sources of studies learned in class, opened my eyes to the possibilities. Please click here to view the rough outline of my research and here to view the final product. Beyond the assignments for the class, I began to dig into how collaborative problem solving and the flipped classroom method combined together could transform my classroom from a more traditional framework to a structure that would allow students to work together to solve problems and transition class time to a more meaningful student to student and student to teacher interactions. With the help of Google Classroom, I have slowly begun to transition units to the ‘flipped’ style, which has left more class time to collaboration and creative exercises.
The course was an excellent blend of practical skills and opportunities for personalized research about the field of education. The course instructors used a course style they referred to as ‘plug and play,’ which meant that templates for turned in work were provided so the guesswork about formatting, that can be time consuming and confusing was eliminated. This approach made it possible to focus more on the content I was learning and less about the structure, helping me learn more overall. It was something I had not yet experienced in any college course and it was refreshing - so much so that I have incorporated this very technique into certain assignments in my own classes.
The very practical skill of using Excel for recording and analyzing data was extremely helpful. This was not something I was well-versed in, and that is putting it mildly. However, the tutorials were so helpful that I found myself enjoying testing my new skills in the following school year, recording scores throughout the year to gain insight into my students and my assessments. The numerical data gave me another layer to look at and ultimately showed me things I may not have otherwise seen. Also, we had just implemented a new standardized test system from the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) called the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). We test every fall, winter, and spring and CEP 822 gave me valuable insight into the purpose of this type of research as well as the scores.
Most importantly, as a part of the class we were able to research educational topics of our choice using a variety of sources based on our lessons. It was during these assignments where I began to flesh out my interest in collaborative problem solving and the flipped classroom. Collaborative problem solving refers to students working together in class to solve real-world problems that are relevant and important to their lives and the flipped classroom is when instruction and homework are flipped, leaving students to watch lectures and possibly take notes at home and then come to class to work on content with the teacher present to facilitate and answer questions. I had always been mildly interested in these topics, but delving into them much more deeply, armed with knowledge of the best sources of studies learned in class, opened my eyes to the possibilities. Please click here to view the rough outline of my research and here to view the final product. Beyond the assignments for the class, I began to dig into how collaborative problem solving and the flipped classroom method combined together could transform my classroom from a more traditional framework to a structure that would allow students to work together to solve problems and transition class time to a more meaningful student to student and student to teacher interactions. With the help of Google Classroom, I have slowly begun to transition units to the ‘flipped’ style, which has left more class time to collaboration and creative exercises.
Chapter Four: Practicing Creativity
Finally, my class on Creativity in Teaching and Learning (CEP 818) was an eye opener because it made me look at creativity and therefore my teaching in an entirely new way. Before this course, I definitely thought that creativity was limited to certain people and also that I was limited in the ways I could be creative. In fact, at the beginning of the course we were asked if we considered ourselves creative and my response - that I am sometimes creative in certain aspects - is telling. What I discovered, however, is that creativity can be learned and practiced. This course was very different from other courses I had taken and it ultimately asked me to access parts of my creativity I did not even know existed.
Throughout the class, we read Sparks of Genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World’s Most Creative People, by Robert & Michel Root-Bernstein. Then, we completed assignments in our own ‘Sparks’ notebook (click here to access mine). We chose a topic of study and then looked at it through several lenses. Additionally, we were paired with classmates who viewed our work and left comments and we did the same in return. This allowed me to channel my creativity in new ways and learn about (and from) the profound creativity in others. As I applied the thirteen thinking tools to my chosen subject, the Civil War, I went deeper into my own understanding of the subject and pushed myself to consider in a host of new ways. Click here to view a prezi I created in the class that is a quick overview of these steps. These assignments were especially important because I considered myself to be a Civil War buff. But this was not an exercise in learning more facts about battles, it was focused on considering the entire conflict, and the way I teach it, in a new way. In addition to transforming the ways I create lessons, I have had my students implement these practices of creative people in the classroom, which has produced deeper connection with content. For example, the tools of body thinking and empathizing were put to the test when students are asked to keep a journal in the voice of an influential American. This assignment is not about facts, but about getting in the head of another human being and analyzing how he or she may have felt, reacted, thought, and behaved. This pushes students to walk a mile in another’s shoes and lends them historical insight that otherwise might be missed.
Throughout the class, we read Sparks of Genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World’s Most Creative People, by Robert & Michel Root-Bernstein. Then, we completed assignments in our own ‘Sparks’ notebook (click here to access mine). We chose a topic of study and then looked at it through several lenses. Additionally, we were paired with classmates who viewed our work and left comments and we did the same in return. This allowed me to channel my creativity in new ways and learn about (and from) the profound creativity in others. As I applied the thirteen thinking tools to my chosen subject, the Civil War, I went deeper into my own understanding of the subject and pushed myself to consider in a host of new ways. Click here to view a prezi I created in the class that is a quick overview of these steps. These assignments were especially important because I considered myself to be a Civil War buff. But this was not an exercise in learning more facts about battles, it was focused on considering the entire conflict, and the way I teach it, in a new way. In addition to transforming the ways I create lessons, I have had my students implement these practices of creative people in the classroom, which has produced deeper connection with content. For example, the tools of body thinking and empathizing were put to the test when students are asked to keep a journal in the voice of an influential American. This assignment is not about facts, but about getting in the head of another human being and analyzing how he or she may have felt, reacted, thought, and behaved. This pushes students to walk a mile in another’s shoes and lends them historical insight that otherwise might be missed.
Epilogue
Even though this part of the coursework is coming to an end, the lasting impression it has made on me will carry over into the coming years. Though true that the memories of certain assignments will fade, the deep changes to my teaching (and my desire to keep learning and growing) will not. Without my professors and instructors, the administrators at all levels, and the support of my family, this book (a mere part of the larger anthology of my life) would not have been possible and for that, I am grateful.
TPACK Diagram: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tpack.jpg
Sparks of Genius Book Cover: https://www.amazon.com/Sparks-Genius-Thirteen-Thinking-Creative/dp/0618127453
MSU Library Photo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Michigan_State_University_Fine_Arts_Library.JPG
All other images are my own.
Sparks of Genius Book Cover: https://www.amazon.com/Sparks-Genius-Thirteen-Thinking-Creative/dp/0618127453
MSU Library Photo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Michigan_State_University_Fine_Arts_Library.JPG
All other images are my own.