Introduction
Below is a showcase of some of my favorite works that I've completed while working on my Masters in Educational Technology while at Michigan State University. I have organized my work into two categories: real world connections and classroom applications.
These categories were clear to me when I looked back at some of my projects. Some of my masters work I can directly apply within my classroom. While other experiences have more real world connections. These real world connections can help myself and other teachers learn new skills that can either be applied to a learning environment or just life in general.
These categories were clear to me when I looked back at some of my projects. Some of my masters work I can directly apply within my classroom. While other experiences have more real world connections. These real world connections can help myself and other teachers learn new skills that can either be applied to a learning environment or just life in general.
Real WOrld Connections
Failure is a good thingEvery day students, teachers, doctors, accountants, anyone really... come across problems that we feel we need to solve. However, not all problems have a sure-fire solution, if any solution at all. These unsolvable problems we call "wicked problems." A wicked problem that we, as educators, experience is the following: ALLOW FAILURE TO BE AS POWERFUL A LEARNING MODE AS SUCCESS.
Click on the button to read more about how Failure can be a powerful tool, or you can click on the infographic to see more of that project. |
Why?When asked "Why do you teach?" how would you respond? I was challenged to do just that and think about the effect it has on others. I created a GIF, using one of my images from Ireland, to show how my actions effect others on my teaching journey. This GIF starts with my original "Why" and builds upon the ripple effect that my "Why" has on the students, coworkers, and possibly my school district as a whole. This activity helped remind myself why I became a teacher and re-sparked my own creativity as it pertains to my job.
To see the posts connected to my "Why," click on the button. |
How can you Teach an amateur sewer new tricks?As an adult, we're not often put in the shoes of a new learner. But I was able to do just that thanks to MAET. To learn something new was the goal... the catch was that I could only use YouTube videos and help forums to learn it.
To see my journey learning about how to sew with a pattern click on the button. |
Time for a Quickfire!Quickfires are tasks meant to push us as creative thinkers and problem solvers to create something meaningful using tools that we have, possibly, never used before. This was an important experience because it reminded me how to be a learner and deal with frustration. It put me in my students' shoes and caused me to think about how they feel when they are feeling challenged within my classroom.
To see examples of a Quickfire, click on either button to the left. |
Classroom Applications
Teaching with TpackWhen educators think about lessons, they need to think about the technology, pedagogy, content, and context (TPACK) within their classrooms. How are the things you're doing hitting all of those categories?
I took two resources that I use often within my classroom (Freckle and Flippity) and critiqued them through the lens of TPACK and shared my findings with my peers in the MAET program. To view these critiques, click on the button. |
Problem of PracticeAs a second grade teacher I have noticed that each year my students struggle with recognizing money values and adding those coins together. This problem of practice became a major focus of my second summer in the MAET program. The slides above provide my possible solutions to this problem regarding money.
Click on the button to see the possible solutions to my problem. |
Building Professional DevelopmentAs an educator, each school year I spend over 30 hours in professional development (PD.) Most recently, during my second year in the MAET program, my cohort created weekly PD for the other MAET students and instructors.
These PD's covered various topics:
To view an example of these PDs, click on the image. To view all of the PDs that we created, click on the button. |
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Learning SPacesA hot topic in education right now is flexible seating. What are the pros? The cons? Should all classrooms look identical? Or should teachers be able to create a unique space that tailors to their students' needs without having a cookie-cutter classroom?
I was able to explore building a "dream classroom" during my first year in the MAET program. Now, more than ever, I can see connections within my current classroom and this project. To see more than just the photos, click on the button below to read about my creation experience. |
tools to useThroughout my masters classes I have kept track of resources and tools that we have used. My main goal was to have them all in an easily accessible location that I could come back to and review. These resources have positives and negatives, which I have mostly reflected upon on this page.
Feel free to click on the button above to access some helpful resources that you could use in your own classroom. |