Final Reflections
By: Amanda Atkinson
After I graduated with my bachelor’s degree I began a long journey of substitute
teaching. During that time, a colleague of mine asked if I was going to start a master’s degree and brainstormed some ideas and programs with me. At the time, I had no idea where to even begin the process while I thought about the options I had for graduate work. Where would I go? What would I study? Did I really want to go back to school? Throughout my discussions with my colleague, I was reminded of my love for using technology in the classroom while I was a long term substitute teacher at Owosso Middle School. This idea and motivation brought me to Michigan State University and the Educational Technology Program. After a few courses, I completed the certificate program and realized that I really enjoyed the program and wanted to complete the master’s degree program in order to enhance my teaching and classroom instruction. The course content and applicable theories allowed me to see that this program was different from the courses I had taken during my undergraduate degree – allowing me an opportunity to enjoy learning again while motivating my teaching.
Throughout my graduate courses the primary focus of all group discussions and courses has been student learning. As an educator, my job revolves around my students and their pursuit of knowledge. It only makes sense that my master’s program would be centered on my students’ classroom experience as well. The importance of focusing on student engagement is vital and throughout my coursework I have learned how to use technology in a number of different ways to engage my students and further their learning. Throughout this process I have also evolved into a more effective teacher by incorporating multiple different types of technology in my classroom. I have also grown through the exchange of ideas with colleagues and others in the field of education as I get to share and learn the value of supplementing teaching with educational technology. The last five years have allowed me to grow a great deal professionally while establishing and planning new and effective ways to employ educational technology while realizing my role as a technological leader in my classroom and my school.
Summer Learning
The Summer Cohort included the following courses:
CEP800 – Learning in Schools and Other Settings
CEP815 – Technology and Leadership
CEP822 – Approaches to Educational Research
The Summer Cohort allowed me the extraordinary opportunity to take a course on campus. I learned a tremendous amount during these three courses and the network of classmates and instructors allowed me to communicate and interact with other students while learning from their ideas and creativity. It was through my work during these courses where I realized that students must be the focus whenever technology is used in a classroom. Prior to these courses, I was introduced to the idea of TPACK (Technology, Pedagogy and Content Knowledge) and I learned the importance of incorporating and understanding the connection between content knowledge and pedagogy as it applies to the use of technology. It furthered the idea that not only does technology need to be used with a purpose while incorporating content and pedagogy, but the purpose must be student engagement and the enhancement of their learning. If technology is not helping students in some way, a teacher must rethink the purpose behind its use. As an educator, students should always be the focus of all classroom instruction, especially when dealing with the use and incorporation of technology in the classroom.
While taking inventory of the important lessons and principles that I have taken from my graduate work in educational technology it is important to discuss the role of vocabulary in the classroom. Prior to TE846: Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners, I always viewed the role of vocabulary within the context of the other core subjects like English, social studies, and science, but I have realized that the vocabulary associated with math is essential to a student’s classroom learning. I have always included vocabulary instruction during my teaching, but I have learned that more of an emphasis must be maintained to increase student learning. A wider perspective highlights the fact that if a student understands the vocabulary, they will have a deeper understanding of the content. As a result, I recently created a “Word Wall” in my classroom that allows my students to visualize the vocabulary we are covering while making the connections necessary for comprehension.
Importance of Vocabulary
Math Concentration
I am a math teacher and throughout my undergraduate courses I discovered that many courses lack the necessary ideas, concentration, and connection to mathematical principles. With this outlook, I looked forward to taking CEP805: Learning Mathematics with Technology since I realized that it was an option as an elective course. It was very exciting to see that this course focused exclusively on mathematics. During the semester, I was able to create an online math resource library that I was able to share with my colleagues. This online resource proved to be a valuable tool that I continue to return to for new ideas and to store additional resources I discover over time. My continuing exploration allows me to find resources for my website and the research proves to be a learning process that forces me to evaluate each tool and resource while finding its purpose for my students. The creation of my math resource website is one of my graduate projects that I am the most proud, and have spent the most time improving and adding to since I completed the course.
Out of all the courses I took toward my master’s degree, CEP805 was probably my favorite because it allowed me to focus on using technology in conjunction with my content area; the two areas that I am the most passionate about when it comes to education. Prior to my coursework, my idea of using technology in my math classroom involved simplistic measures including students playing math games on the internet, and also using a document camera to take notes with my students. As a result of CEP805, my ideas have been broadened to include more sophisticated resources such as iPad apps and interactive websites. When it comes to my regular daily lesson plans, I have been employing different technological formats that enhance my delivery and instruction. Over the last few years, I have discovered that there are many resources available to find new ideas and ways of teaching math that can benefit my students.
Creating Online Learning Opportunities
During CEP820: Teaching K-12 Students Online, I was able to create an online course for students. When I heard about the idea of flipped learning, I was intrigued. It sounded like an idea that fit my teaching style and passions. Overall, I was sold on the strategy and the benefits it would provide for my students. Since I did not have my own classroom at the time, my coursework was created for a non-existent classroom and was focused on hybrid learning (a combination of in class and online learning). Now that I have my own classroom, I have employed the ideas and strategies learned in CEP820 in order to implement flipped learning in one of my math sections that I teach. I have also experimented with various new online learning platforms that can be used as well and have found one that is working well with my students. I truly believe in this form of learning and think that it has helped my students’ comprehension and performance. Without this course I would not have had the skills and confidence to use this type of instruction in my classroom. The fact that I learned a fundamental strategy that employs new types of technology and is immediately put to use in the classroom proves the value of my graduate work – this is a characteristic that I could never attribute to my undergraduate experience.
Leader in Technology
I can honestly say that through my graduate courses I have grown as a person and as a leader. Going in to my master’s program, I lacked confidence in trying new forms of technology in my classroom. I also felt like a novice in the area of education and in technology in general. In addition to being a new teacher, I had elementary ideas of how to put technology to use in the classroom. Through the courses I have taken and the coursework I have completed, I have gained a confidence in teaching and using technology that I did not have before the program. I may still be a rookie teacher, but I feel that my views and philosophies have grown because of the learning that has taken place. My views on technology use have grown as well and I have gained many resources that will help as I continue to grow as current technology evolves. I am currently using various forms of technology in the courses that I am teaching and would have never had the confidence or the skills to do so. In terms of technology use, iPads have become a common tool in my classroom, along with various Google apps. I am continuing to improve my teaching and student performance through the use of technology. With all that I have gained, I feel that it is my job to be a leader in my district and school when it comes to technology and to continue to learn and grow, but also to share these ideas and help others in their technology implementation as well.
Staying Connected
Part of being a leader is being open to new ideas and sharing ideas with others that we work with in school. In all of the courses I have taken toward my master’s degree, collaboration has been a requirement. Every course included some sort of group work and discussion forum to share ideas. Through these assignments, I have learned the importance of collaboration and how much can be gained from working with other people. The feedback that I received from colleagues and peers was priceless in every assignment. The exchange of ideas challenged me to rethink the way that I thought about technology and teaching as a whole. It also brought about new ideas and ways of looking at various topics. Collaboration has become a key component in my learning and something that I plan to continue to implement with the students I teach.
Not only is it important to stay connected and to collaborate with those closest to me, but also on a larger scale. I have gained resources and skills that will help me stay connected and to learn from others in my field through the use of technology. Through various web tools, I have found valuable resources to help improve my teaching and enhance my students’ learning. I can also share my ideas with others as well through the exchange of ideas on the internet.
Final Thoughts
I have learned many invaluable lessons through the work in my Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) courses. The same themes keep showing up; students, collaboration and leadership. These have been the main focus of much of my work and will continue to lead the learning that will take place after I have completed my formal education. I will continue to reflect and elaborate on these ideas and take what I have learned to grow as an educator and leader in my field. As technology continues to evolve, I now have the skills to continue to evolve as well as I become a veteran teacher and experienced in the use of technology.