I enrolled at Michigan State University (MSU) to change my knowledge base.  I wanted to grow intellectually so that I could provide my students with the best education that I could provide for them.  Nearing the end of the                         Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) I believe I have                      accomplished what I set out to do and that is to change.  What I                            realized as I reflected upon my journey that I have changed in more                     ways than one. I noticed a change in how I approach my job,                            changed the way I see my responsibilities and changed the way I interact with my students.

 

Assessments

 

The MAET program at MSU has prepared me for my                                          responsibilities as an educator.  The individual classes                                                          in the program have prepared me for my job as an                                              educator.  There are a few classes that stand out to                                                        that I feel have helped me grow the mast and these                                                     three courses have affected my thinking and practice                                                      as an educator. The first of the three classes that I am                                            writing about is Counseling, Educational Psychology                                                     and Special Education (CEP) 813 Electronic                                                        Assessment for teaching and learning.   This course has pointed out the different types of assessments that are available and can be utilized in the classroom of any type. As an Industrial Technology instructor, I use summative evaluations the most due to the nature of the program.  But I do have formative evaluations along the way to check in on the student's progress and growth. Not only did I learn about evaluations but the different means and methods to deliver the assessments to the students. I currently use surveys when getting the students to feedback for a unit that is about to start and at the end of the unit.  I can take that information and apply it to the next class. An example of the summative evaluation, I have used tests to assess the student’s growth but have moved to more hands-on learning and applied methods of assessment. I let the students put together a portfolio to show off their work into one big showcase.  From here I can use rubrics to grade and justify their learning.

 

I have learned and currently use the students as data for my own personal assessment.   The students give me their feedback and I use that information to help me grow as an educator as well.  This information sets the bar for future students to come. The use of video games and social media in the classroom is another tool I use for assessments in the classroom.  Twitter can be used to show off their work or show me they have completed a task. Minecraft is a game students love to play and I                                                                                                         use that as a tool, the                                                                                                        students have to build me a                                                                                                 model of something they                                                                                                        have learned.  Basecamp is a                                                                                         platform, like Google, that I use to put out information to the class and the class can collaborate with one another. Flipgrid is the last piece of technology that I use in my classroom. This forum is used by the students to leave feedback to other students, me or messages to the class.

 

Online Education

 

The second class that I thought was beneficial to me was CEP 820 Teaching Students Online.  In this class, we dove in and developed a whole unit for a course in one semester. Everything we did was electronic, this was one of the first classes that I was in during the program and it was very interesting to see how much we could do electronically and remotely.  All of the lectures were through means of electronically. We either had to read the lecture, watch the instructor give the lecture or listen to the instructor as he/she annotated it. Besides the lectures, it was very informative to see how the activities were addressed electronically.  I was instantly bombarded with ideas of activities that I could conduct with my students in my own classroom. Each unit of the course was separated into four aspects, these were the aspects of learning. The “learn” section was the first part where the lectures were conducted. In the “explore” lesson, we learned how the new information was used in everyday life.   With the “explain” portion, we had to show that we comprehended what was learned.  And finally, in the “connect” section, we had to implement the new information connected to the real world.   With this information, we had to implement the online unit into a platform of our choosing. I chose Google as my platform and currently use it in my classroom.

 

 

Technology Integration

 

The third course that I believe was the most beneficial for me was CEP 817 Learning Tech through design.  This class working around designed a unit for a class that I was teaching. I used a unit from my senior class of engineers.  The project was to create a format for the unit, not necessarily the curriculum like previous classes that I had taken at MSU.  In the class, we had to come up with an idea. This idea had to be Interactive and be used in real-time. I created a prototype for the class.  I did not do this by myself, I built with the students in that current class. I used their feedback to adapt and change. I then had to test my prototype and from my results, fix anything that was wrong.

 

Preparing for the Future

 

I could not have asked for a better experience with the MAET program.  In the beginning, I knew that I wanted to further my education but was hesitant due to time restraints in my personal schedule.  Once I took the first step I was more confident in my own abilities. I believe what made it a truly enjoyable experience was the instructors that led me through and the peers that helped me along as well.  The instructors were very approachable as well as very empathetic. My peers were always willing to aid me when I had a question and the feedback that I received from all of the courses was, I believe, the best part and prepared me to approach my job as an educator.

 

There is not a day that goes by that I do not like going to work, I love my job but after coursework at MSU, I have changed my approach of the job but the love and passion are still here.  I have learned so much from the course work at MSU but it did more than give me an education, it made me more energetic to teach. I am excited to teach, I Haven’t had this feeling since my first teaching job after graduating from college.  One of the most exciting feelings that I received is the feeling to want to see the student's                                                                               reaction after the implementation of                                                                      technology into my curriculum. Also, I                                                                                was excited to see how this would                                                                                 improve my curriculum, I had no idea                                                                              what to expect and that excited me.  This                                                                  program gave me new tools to use in my classroom so I was also excited to try something new with my students. We live in a world of change and that doesn’t change for education, I always have to be willing to try something new. If you don’t try, you will never know and I was curious to see where the new curriculum goes and how it goes.

 

Lastly, I was excited to see what I could do, to see what I could create for the students.  I enjoy and love watching things that I create come to life and be utilized as a teaching tool.  I also hope that I can help other teachers along the way. Share my knowledge with fellow teachers or tools for the classroom that I created as well.

 

Taking on Responsibilities

 

The newly gained tools from the MAET program motivated to get to work on a new curriculum for my students.  I am ready to build new lessons. I am energetic to integrate technology into my old curriculum to enhance it.  And I find myself with no procrastination to build new tools for the curriculum. Through this course work, I was able to try new things with the students.  I was working with them to build a curriculum, I wanted their input. I used them as test subjects for the new curriculum that I was developed. It was so motivating to see my project at work. With the help of my students, I could see what was working and what wasn’t and I was more than willing to fix anything and move along to the next part. After all, this was a work in progress. This will be built on top of the older curriculum in a scaffolding way.  Each unit builds off the old unit like new technology will be built off of old technology. New technology will be built up as the students progress. Students helped me build the scaffolding because they are more technologically inclined, they know how to use the technology.  They tell me what works and what didn’t and from there I can keep the good and put the bad by the wayside. Their input is key in the curation of a new curriculum but is my job to implement it. Constant improvements in technology will cause constant improvement in my curriculum which will be good.  There is always a better way and I will find it and use it. Adapting to new ways is progress and that is why I am excited to see what is next for my classes.

 

Just like the program changed my views, so did the                                                    individual classes, changed the way I see my                                                              responsibilities.  First and foremost, the classes                                                              made me more confident in what I do in the                                                        classroom. I am no longer afraid to try something                                                          new with my students, with my classes or my                                                    extracurricular activities.  I live by a saying, “You                                                           can’t get the fruit unless you go out on the limb to get it.” And I am no longer afraid to go out on that limb. I know inside that my new ideas will work where I am at. I no longer second guess myself when I try something new or have a new idea.  I see my new abilities when facing my responsibilities is more reliable than previously. I am now better prepared to take my responsibilities and accomplish them to the fullest. I now have the knowledge to back my theories up when implementing something new or having another idea.  I am confident and in my knowledge because I have tested my ideas on my peers in each individual class. After my peers from the individual courses, I collected their input and feedback and applied that to my work as I moved along in the courses. It is because of the work being reviewed by my peers and instructors that I have this much confidence.  I have completed the task myself so I know it will work. I have literally worked the unit myself and I know what to expect. I know what problems students will run into and I can be proactive.

 

Confidence is Key

 

I am also confident in the new technology that I acquired and learned from each individual class.  I learned that I shouldn’t be                                                                afraid to look at something new or something                                                                  that I do not know much about.  I have learned                                                                that there is always room for improvement                                                                       and just because something works doesn’t                                                                    mean that it can not be better.  I have used the                                                                 new technology first hand and I know what it can do and what it does. Because of this, I am no longer afraid of the new or uncomprehended. I have implemented the new technology into my current curriculum and not afraid to see what is next to come for it.

 

Conclusion

 

In conclusion, my experience in the MAET program at MSU has been a great experience for me.  It has been an intellectual experience as well as a growing experience. I enjoyed the classes, the instructors and my peers.  I honestly believe the classes have prepared me for my job and my responsibilities as an instructor.