Annotated Transcript
Listed below are the descriptions of the courses that I have completed within the online Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program at Michigan State University.
2016 Courses
CEP 810: Teaching for Understanding with Technology
Spring Semester
Instructors: Ron Houtman & Emily Stone
CEP 810 started my journey through the MAET program by examining differences in learning processes among experts and novices. I created a WordPress blog to document and share my experiences throughout the MAET program and examined my Professional Learning Network (PLN). I realized that over 50% of my current PLN is web-based and that I rely heavily on technology for getting information, learning, teaching, collaborating, and communication. Using only online learning resources (YouTube, discussion forums, etc.) I created a Food Tracker and War card game phone app as part of a Networked Learning Project. I also got my first introduction into TPACK and created my first "21st century lesson plan" which now serves as a a collaborative activity within the Web Programming courses that I teach.
CEP 811: Adapting Innovative Technologies in Education
Spring Semester
Instructors: Stacey Schuh & Melissa White
It was in CEP 811 that I was first introduced to all things making and how the maker culture affords creative problem solving! This course undoubtedly paved the way for my understanding and committment to the maker culture, maker education, and makerspaces. I created my first video remix which was centered around the Maker Movement. From there, I engaged in repurposing, playing, creating, and more making by using the Makey Makey invention kit and Scratch (an online interactive programming teaching and learning tool) to create an interactive multimodal activity. I created a lesson plan around personalized learning, designed a re-imagined learning space condusive for communication and collaboration, and explored how a traditional classroom can be transformed into a Makerspace to create a personalized learning environment for learners of all ages.
CEP 812: Applying Educational Technology to Issues of Practice
Fall Semester
Instructor: Dr. Andrew Steinman
CEP 812 focused on exploring and searching for a solution to a "Wicked Problem" related to education. The "Wicked Problem" that my "think tank" team and I tackled was how to teach complex thinking. We arrived at a solution to teaching complex thinking which involved the formation of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) within the teaching community. CEP 812 was also about questioning - why we stop questioning and how to ask better questions - using Warren Berger's book "A More Beautiful Question" as a resource for information, exploration, and self-discovery. I learned how to question in a more positive way by not only looking for what's missing, but also looking for what's there via "appreciative inquiry". Ask the questions and never stop questioning.
2017 Courses
CEP 817: Learning Technology by Design
Fall Semester
Instructors: Dr. Diana Brandon, Carmen Richardson, & Dr. Cui Cheng
CEP 817 focused on design using the Stanford Design School's design thinking model and the modes of design thinking: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test to assist in an understanding of how the model can be used as a framework for working through issues and finding solutions. The main course project centered around establishing a Problem of Practice (PoP) unique to my experience as an educator. My PoP focused on increasing student retention in online courses. I concluded that that the addition of instructional videos demonstrating weekly topics and concepts along with offering additional online support, assistance, and collaboration using online collaboration tools are viable solutions to increasing student retention in online courses.
CEP 800: Learning in School and Other Settings
Fall Semester
Instructors: Dr. Diana Brandon & Dr. Cui Cheng
I created my Personal Theory of learning in CEP 800 and developed an instructional activity for my online Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) course that incorporated a number of aspects based on my personal theory of learning. The multimodal activity promoted learning as being creative, exploratory, and interactive, as well as foscused on problem-solving, critical thinking skills, and hands-on application all of which are components of and beliefs within my personal theory of learning. I also delve into exploring the different avenues and ways people learn, observed learning behaviors and habits, and took a deep dive into as I termed it "learning preferences" not learning theories.
2018 Courses
CEP 820: Teaching Students Online
Spring Semester
Instructor: Dr. Ann Heintz
CEP 820 examined how people can learn on the web. The main project in this course centered around creating an Online Course Module (OCM) using a Learning Management System (LMS) of our choice and purposeful web-based tools that support and afford online learning. Canvas was my choice LMS since I currently use it at the college where I presently teach. My OCM had a target audience of community college students taking an Introduction to Basic Web Programming course. I have implemented the components, resources, and web-based tools that I discovered in CEP 820 into the online Web Programming courses that I teach with great success and support for the online learner.
CEP 822: Approaches to Educational Research
Fall Semester
Instructors: Dr. Emily Bovee & Dr. Michael Lachney
CEP 822 focused on different ways to collect and analyze data in preparation for use within an action research project. The topics I researched examined the obstacles that inhibit people from attending a community college Makerspace. Data collection methods used within my project included online surveys, email questionnaires, informal and formal interviews, and observational studies for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Another substantial focus of the action reseach project, was to complete a literature review. My review centered around Makerspaces using online resources from the Michigan State University library and my action research project has served as a guiding framework and rersource for the Makerspace at Macomb Community College.
2019 Courses
CEP 815: Technology and Leadership
Spring Semester
Instructors: Dr. Michael Lachney & Kyle Shack
I learned a lot about my personal leadership values in CEP 815 and examined different types of leadership related to the use and implementation of technology within education based on various scenarios. I created a Personal Learning Philosophy Manifesto in which I identified the areas of weakness and the resources needed to support and develop those areas in the future. The final project within the course involved creating a vision statement that focused on a problem of practice of my choice and determining what was needed to successfully create change within my learning community. This included identifying stakeholders, the skills, incentives, and resources needed in order to bring the action plan to fruition.
CEP 818: Creativity in Teaching and Learning
Fall Semester
Instructors: Missy Cosby & Dr. Swati Mehta
In CEP 818, I explored my personal views on creativity along with my abilities to teach and teach students to creative. I chose the content area topic of UI (user-interface) design for Web and Mobile as a focal point for examining and exploring creativity. A variety of trans-disciplinary cognitive tools were used and applied to my topic in a series of projects throughout the course. As a final project, I created an interactive multimodal web page where I shared my creative insight, activities and resources that can be used within the classroom to promote creativity, and statistics about creativity in education. I learned that creativity is all around us.
2020 Capstone Course
CEP 807: Capstone in Educational Technology
Spring Semester
Instructors: Aric Gaunt & Dr. Matthew Koehler
My master's degree program concluded with CEP 807. I developed an educator Capstone Portfolio website that served as detailed culmination of the courses that I took throughout the MAET program at Michigan State University. This course relied heavily on peer feedback using Flipgrid to record and share that feedback via short video recordings. I also wrote a series of essays centered around my personal goals and plans for future, created a showcase and highlighted work that I completed within the program, updated my resume, refined my LinkedIn online presence, and provided a look into my personal journey and professional career.
Dougherty, D. (2011, January). We are makers [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/dale_dougherty_we_are_makers
Hobbs, R. (2011). Digital and media literacy: Connecting culture and classroom. Thousand, Oaks, CA: Corwin/Sage.