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Showcase
For the past two and a half years I have had the pleasure of being a part of Michigan State University's Master of Arts in Educational Technology program. Coming into this program, I struggled greatly to implement technology within my classroom. The MAET program has challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and become a leader in EdTech within my school. Below you will see works created by me from my time in the program. These works focus on four specific areas; leadership/collaboration, technology, research, and personal. Please feel free to browse through this collection and reach out if you have any questions about any of the work.
Leadership/Collaboration
Leadership/Collaboration:
Educational Technology Podcast
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This is part one of a two part podcast series that the year two cohort of the overseas program was tasked with creating. As a team we were required to come up with a theme for each episode of the podcast, as well as review articles/books, and provide personal interviews that connect with our theme. Each person within our cohort was tasked with a different job and we were required to work closely with one another in order to make sure that the production value of the podcast was to a high quality and that we were happy with the finished product. In this episode I took on the role of the host. My duties were to be present for all of the tapings, and ask thought provoking questions that would help the conversation continue. This project influenced my development/professional skillset greatly when it came to presenting information through a different medium. While most of the assigments my students get are done through worksheets, or online lectures, there is now an opportunity for me to make podcasts for my students, as well as for my students to explore podcasting as an option for projects. If you would like to listen to the podcast please click on this link. To the right you will see the transcript that was created in case you need to read what is being said.
Professional Development: Collaboration
the end of each week the year one, two, and three cohorts got together for a time that we called cross-share. This was a time centered around being with everyone in the program and discussing major topics within education. The piece that I am sharing with you comes from the final cross-share that the year two cohort ran. For this cross-share we conducted it differently than we had done the previous ones. Rather than all of us working on one singular professional development, for this week we chose to break off into pairs and run three different PD sessions that the year one, and year threes could attend. My partner, Elizabeth Eckenrode, and I chose to focus on collaboration and how to effectively implement it with those you work with, as well as how to teach your students to effectively collaborate. We addressed how was a process of giving and taking, as well as making sure that all voices are respected and heard. In completing this PD, my partner and I worked incredibly close with one another to bring together a learning experience that was not only authentic but engaged those that were in our room. To see a larger version of the PowerPoint to the right please click here.
Collaboration
Collaboration
Collaboration
Collaboration
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Wicked Problem: Deeper Learning
In my first year of the MAET program, one of the projects that we were assigned was the Wicked Problem. We were tasked with looking at problems within the educational field and think critically about how we could possibly attack them. The problem that my partner, Lauren Marchelletta, and I were tasked with coming up with creating a multimodal presentation that looked into solutions as to how to promote deeper learning within the classroom. We were required to think around the issue of what exactly makes this a wicked problem. When conducting research, as well as reflecting on our own educational experiences, we noticed that some school structures focused more so on rote memorization rather than having students engage in a more active role in their learning. Ways in which we felt deeper learning could occur were the following; incorporate as many opportunities for collaboration, critical thinking/problem solving skills, and communication skills for your students. We also came up with an idea, remember this is a problem that is viewed as unsolvable and we are thinking through ways to address it, to have a resource bank for teachers that allowed for them to find activities that they could tailor to the needs in their classrooms to help promote deeper learning. In completing this assignment, I felt that I walked away with a different perspective as to how I could better support, and challenge my students in the classroom. Please click on the following link to get a closer look at our deeper learning presentation.
Technology
Technology:
TPACK That: Soapbox
Within this project we were tasked with providing an in-depth, critical evaluation of a tech tool that either we use within our classrooms or, one that we have come across through this project. In our evaluation of the tech tool, we had to also keep in mind TPACK and how this tool fits into that framework. Each student had to do two presentations and for my second one I chose to do it on the tech tool Soapbox. Soapbox is a Google Chrome extension that allows its users to screen share. What it really awesome about this tech tool is that it allows you to have three different looks; one where the camera is only focused on you, one where the video is a split screen where half of the screen is you and the other half is your computer screen, and finally one where the video is just your computer screen. The length of your videos can vary and it is an incredibly easy tool to work with! This extension will have a tremendous impact within my classroom as I can now easily make my own videos and post them to Google Classroom to help clear up any confusion my students may have. Check out this link to view the presentation.
Soapbox Intro
Overview
Rubric
Soapbox Intro
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The Maker Project
The purpose of the maker project was for us to create lesson plan/plans that allowed for our students to learn a topic through the Maker Ed movement. At first I struggled greatly with creating a vision for this project. Where my struggles came from was figuring out what exactly I was going to have my students create that not only focused on my content area, social studies, but also had a technological aspect to it. What helped greatly was a conversation that I had with one of my teachers where they mentioned that paper and a pencil is considered to be technology, popsicle sticks and markers are to be considered as technology. With that being said it opened my mind to other ways that I could complete this project. The finished product became a Silk Road simulation. Students were required to create goods and trade, and or sell their goods along the Silk Road. Before completing this project, I knew nothing of the Maker Ed movement. However, I now see the impact that the maker movement can have on the learning process and is something that I am very excited to bring into my classroom. To the right you can see some of the goods that I actually ended up creating for this project. You can find my lesson plan here
A cup with the word "maker"
A bowl
A little basket
A cup with the word "maker"
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Research
Research:
Special Interest Project: Multicultural Education
While each and every one of us cares greatly about our students, and enjoys our professions, there are some topics that we may be drawn closer to than that of our peers. Being that I am a world history teacher and care greatly about the vast amounts of cultures that are present within my curriculum, I wanted to find a way that students could have the opportunity to learn more about them rather than simply through reading their textbook. I also felt that it is incredibly important to celebrate diversity seeing that our classrooms are becoming more diverse and that all cultures present in ones class should be highlighted and celebrated. Some ways in which teachers can bring cultures effectively into their classrooms can be done through Google Earth, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutTube. While some may question using these apps in the classroom, I would argue that they can be a tremendous benefit. I love taking a moment and using the world map function on Snapchat to transport my students to an area of the world that we are talking about and have them see the architecture, food, and dress of the region. I truly do believe that it is incredibly important that students are exposed to as many cultures as they possibly can be in order to become a global citizen. Please click on the following link to get a close look at my research for this project: SIP Project
TPACK in Action: Problem of Practice
For this assignment I was asked to think about a problem that presents itself within my classroom. This is not something that could be easily solved in a matter of minutes. In thinking through the struggles that I have seen present themselves within my classroom the previous years, one that stands out to me the most is having my students be able to analyze a document on a deeper level. What I mean by that is rather than simply summarizing a document, providing an in-depth critique of it. Who wrote the document? How does the time in which this document was created effect it? Who is the audience of this document? Is there bias shown in the document? In order to come to the final product that I created for this project there were numerous steps that had to be completed first, such as researching ways to promote a deeper understanding of a text, as well as feedback sessions with both my peers and teachers. In the end I came up with a six step plan that I have been implementing in order to help better serve my students. In doing this I feel that my students are coming to a better understanding of the documents they come across in class. You can find the research that I conducted for this project here while the presentation that I created can be found here, as well as to the right.
Problem of Practice
Problem of Practice
Problem of Practice
Problem of Practice
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Cultivating Curiosity Research
The premise of this research project was how does one cultivate curiosity within the classroom. For this project we were given 34 audio clips that came from the Michigan Association of Computer Users in Learning (MACUL) Conference where participants were asked how they cultivated curiosity within their classroom. From there we transcribed the clips, coded them, and grouped them. While cultivating curiosity is different in every classroom, we can still look into how it is done, and what means seem to be more effective than others. After the group dynamic of the audio clips was finished, we were then tasked with researching effective engagement strategies and write a paper on our findings. Doing this research has impacted my teaching in that I now am more meticulous in the data that I am collecting for my classroom. Please click here to view the research that I conducted for this project, and here to read through my paper.
Image taken from Michigan Association of Computer Users in Learning website
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