ANNOTATED TRANSCRIPT
On this page you will find information about the courses I took through Michigan State University (MSU) as part of the Master of Arts in Education (MAED) graduate degree. I have organized the courses in chronological order, starting with the course I took at the beginning of my graduate work. For each course, I have provided the following information: course title, and a description of my experience in the course. If you would like to read course descriptions provided by the Office of the Registrar at Michigan State, use this link.
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The following abbreviations are used throughout this page:
TE (Teacher Education)//CEP (Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education//ED (Education
Spring 2016
CEP 805: Learning Math with Technology
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There are seemingly endless technology tools available to teachers. How do you know which ones are beneficial, and which ones have limitations? CEP 805 was my first graduate-level course, it served as an introduction to the MAED program, as well as an introduction to various uses of technology in the classroom. The course introduced methods to use when evaluating a mathematical technology, and I was given several opportunities to explore and evaluate technology tools. Throughout the course, several tools were introduced that focused on a specific mathematical concept. This helped me learn to focus on the unique affordances and constraints of each tool, as I learned how to evaluate educational technologies. As a final assessment, I developed a resource library focused on tools that could be used to reinforce students' multiplication and division skills.
Summer 2016
TE 855: Teaching School Mathematics
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TE 855 was a great follow-up to CEP 805, because it allowed me to continue focusing on strategies to develop students' conceptual understanding of mathematics. Going beyond mathematical tools and strategies, this course also focused on developing students' mathematical identities. We read about and discussed qualities unique to different cultures, and how these qualities might impact students in mathematics. It was through this course, that I developed my professional development plan, which I described in my Graduate Showcase.
Fall 2016
CEP 816: Technology, Teaching, and Learning Across the Curriculum
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In this course, I broke away from my early focus on mathematics, as I learned ways to integrate technology into all content areas. I learned about new media technologies, as well as new applications for tools with which I was already familiar. This course allowed me to explore my own learning before considering the implications of this learning in my teaching. Using screencasting technology, I was able to engage in metacognitive study as I dictated and then analyzed my thoughts while exploring various technologies. Throughout this course, I was able to develop practical applications for my knowledge, as I modified classroom lessons to include new media technology resources. Using my knowledge in this practical way enabled me to continue to use these skills after the conclusion of the course.
Spring 2017
TE 831: Teaching School Subject Matter with Technology
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Throughout my graduate studies, there were several times when my learning in one course served as an excellent introduction for the next course on my schedule. CEP 816 and TE 831 were a great example of this. Dr. Hartman's course in the spring of 2017 helped me to build upon my knowledge from CEP 816, as I continued to explore technology tools with uses in a variety of content areas. I developed lessons and activities that could be used in my classroom, while also sharing my thinking using new technology tools (VoiceThread and Twitter). This course continued to push me beyond my comfort zone, and into a zone primed for educational growth.
Summer 2017
TE 842: Elementary Reading Assessment and Instruction
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As an elementary school teacher, reading assessment and instruction occupy a large part of my day. This course provided me with information on current, research-based literacy practices. I was able to apply my growing understanding as I evaluated student data and recommended a literacy course of study for a student. In addition, this course provided an opportunity for additional study in a book club setting with peers. In this book club I was able to read and study the text, Inside Information: Developing Powerful Readers and Writers of Informational Text through Project-Based Instruction by Nell Duke. This text helped to revitalize my reading and writing instruction as I better prepared for purposeful learning experiences in my classroom.
Summer 2017
TE 846: Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners
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This course was the perfect follow-up to TE 842, because it allowed me to use the theoretical best-practices in literacy instruction I had learned with an actual student. A majority of this course was focused on developing a series of individualized literacy lessons to use with a student. I was able to go through the process of pre-assessment, instruction, and post-assessment. I was fortunate to be able to complete this work with a pre-school student. While I was initially anxious about working with a student much younger than those in my classroom, this unfamiliar situation allowed me to focus on the assessment and instruction I was providing.
Fall 2017
TE 849: Methods and Materials for Teaching Children's and Adolescent Literature
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Sometimes a course far exceeds your expectations; that was the case with TE 849. I expected a course that explored traditional children's literature. As someone who loves children's books, I was excited to explore new titles. While I was introduced to new children's books in TE 849, my expectations were exceeded by the variety of the literature and the concepts that were introduced. In this course, children's literature provided the springboard for discussions of diverse cultures and people. Through my literature book talks, I was able to engage in meaningful discussions with students about race, gender, and sexual orientation, concepts I might have thought were beyond their grasp.
Spring 2018
ED 800: Concepts of Educational Inquiry
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What is the role of education in our society? How do individuals learn? In ED 800, I explored some of the essential questions that impact education. The course was specifically focused on exploring different methods of educational inquiry. Time was spent exploring: the philosophy and history of education, classroom-based inquiry, autobiographical inquiry, historical inquiry, and theories of the mind. This class offered a self-paced learning environment, which allowed me to explore and summarize my learning on my own schedule. For me, the benefit of this course style was that I could devote additional time to topics that were of a particular interest to me.
Summer 2018
CEP 813: Electronic Assessment for Teaching and Learning
Sarah Keenan-Lechel
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Assessment and learning are symbiotic processes, although it might not always seem that way in today's classrooms. This course provided a foundation in theories and methods of assessment, including study of formative and summative assessments. A clear focus of this course was on establishing a purpose for assessments used in the classroom. A variety of assessment formats (portfolio, Content Management Systems, games, etc.) were explored. In addition, the use of digital technologies for assessment purposes was explored. I was given the opportunity to create assessments using tools that were new to me, including a game-based assessment and an assessment within a content management system.
Fall 2018
ED 870: Capstone Seminar
Dr. Matthew Koehler
Aric Gaunt, Sarah Keenan-Lechel, Sukanya Moudgalya
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The Capstone Seminar was the final course in my graduate program. In this course, I had the opportunity to reflect upon the learning I accomplished and the growth I made during my time with the graduate program at Michigan State. I was also able to plan for my future as I continue to incorporate what I have learned into my own classroom. This portfolio is the result of my work in ED 870.