Prior to enrolling in the Masters of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program at MSU, I was genuinely curious about technology and often found myself wishing to know more. My initial goals were to understand the intersection of technology and education so that I could approach technology usage in my math classrooms with reason and justification. Rather than finding a new gadget or applications to have my students to play with, I wished to understand the implications of technology on learning, and how I could use it to my advantage as a teacher in the digital age. My students often shared that I was the most tech-savvy teacher they knew, and they had the most logins to applications and platforms for my class. Was I giving my students a disservice by overwhelming them with digital resources, or were they supporting my pedagogy as a teacher and the student learning outcomes at my current school? One of my goals was to answer this question indirectly.
My Goals have changed slightly, having joined the Educational Technology Committee here at my current school, and having completed the coursework for the MAET program here at MSU. Not only do I wish to continue to challenge myself and my students by finding the proper tools and technology that best fit their needs, I also want to help other teachers understand how technology can supplement student learning in their respective subjects. I do so by giving formal and informal suggestions to my colleagues on how they can develop or support their curriculum with technological solutions. Since the start of my Master's degree, I have had access to Personal Learning Networks that strive to challenge themselves, and share with others their experience with technology in the classroom. These networks have been fruitful and beneficial in my growth as an educator. I currently wish to create this same atmosphere in a tangible community of teachers at my school and within the international teacher community in South Korea.
Furthermore, I am much more selective when curating tech-based applications my students. In regards to mathematics, I have found the sweet spot of integrating technology as a way to create more authentic activities in the classroom. These activities parallel the applications of mathematics in the real world, ensuring that my students have an opportunity to become innovators and makers in the classroom. Thus, in my math classroom, I have developed a set of projects based on the intersection of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. These STEAM activities have challenged me as an educator and have inspired my students and other teachers to approach teaching and learning with a more creative lens in the mathematics classroom.
My Goals have changed slightly, having joined the Educational Technology Committee here at my current school, and having completed the coursework for the MAET program here at MSU. Not only do I wish to continue to challenge myself and my students by finding the proper tools and technology that best fit their needs, I also want to help other teachers understand how technology can supplement student learning in their respective subjects. I do so by giving formal and informal suggestions to my colleagues on how they can develop or support their curriculum with technological solutions. Since the start of my Master's degree, I have had access to Personal Learning Networks that strive to challenge themselves, and share with others their experience with technology in the classroom. These networks have been fruitful and beneficial in my growth as an educator. I currently wish to create this same atmosphere in a tangible community of teachers at my school and within the international teacher community in South Korea.
Furthermore, I am much more selective when curating tech-based applications my students. In regards to mathematics, I have found the sweet spot of integrating technology as a way to create more authentic activities in the classroom. These activities parallel the applications of mathematics in the real world, ensuring that my students have an opportunity to become innovators and makers in the classroom. Thus, in my math classroom, I have developed a set of projects based on the intersection of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. These STEAM activities have challenged me as an educator and have inspired my students and other teachers to approach teaching and learning with a more creative lens in the mathematics classroom.
I would have never thought that I would end up teaching internationally. What originally was a two-year stint of teaching English back in 2008 - 2010, actually had me yearning to learn more from the “Land of Morning Calm” also known as South Korea. Thus I decided to return in 2013 and have never looked back. I want to think that I’ve been making a ‘rumble’ as a mover and shaker here in the international community. One of my future learning goals is that I would like to shake up how we do intervention strategies at my school. I am also heavily interested in developing my Google certifications and understanding of STEAM education, and how both can lead to becoming a teacher coach or mentor. Lastly, I would like to develop the skills that will prepare me for a leadership position in administration in the future.
Teaching internationally definitely comes with many rewards but also challenges. I currently teach at an international school where we offer an American patterned curriculum. So one of the problems that we regularly face as math educators is receiving students who are not accustomed to the US curriculum, nor meeting the grade level US standards. Thus about four years ago at my current school, the math department, led by myself, decided to create a course that would support students like these. The course has continued, and now that we have aggregate data on who has taken the course, we can determine if the course is genuinely supplemental for our students, which leads to one of my future learning goals. I want to learn how to use the students’ Measures of Academic Progress Test (MAP) reports to help identify trouble areas for students in the support class and also identify and support students’ weak areas in my regular math classes. Using tools such as Khan Academy’s recommended MAP practice would be a good start; however, I would like to expand beyond this and learn how to help students become more confident in Mathematics. Reviewing seasoned teachers blogs who have found success in their support classrooms such as Sara Van Der Werf, I can learn how to use techniques such as teaching students how to advocate for themselves, could lead to self-confidence in mathematics across all levels. Furthermore, I would like to learn how to implement the Numbers Talk Program in the support class and general classrooms. By reading the book “Making Number Talks Matter” that Sara mentions, I will be able to implement an environment that regularly allows students to reason numerically.
Another learning goal that I have is that I would like to become a technology coach for teachers. To do this, I first would have to become fluent in the most apparent platform that we currently use at my school, Google. We are a “Google school,” and like many other teachers here, I am a certified Google Level 1 Educator. I want to expand my knowledge more and become a certified Google Level 2 educator. I do not want to stop there. I feel that I can offer so much more to our school and my peer teachers and the international school community if I become a Google Certified Trainer. I would also like to attend another AppsEvents to learn from fellow educators about how and why they use Google and Google friendly applications in the classrooms. Once I have established the technological skills needed to coach teachers, I would then need to learn strategies on how to coach teachers. A book such as “The Art of Coaching” would give me the foundational knowledge on how to start. Lastly, to show my effectiveness in teaching in general, I would like to receive my National Board Certification in teaching.
Since I work at a small school, I have had the opportunity to expand my Algebra II Curriculum to include “STEAM” based explorations and projects. I want to continue to learn how I can continue to engage students in applicable, creative, and exploratory activities that involve Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. Therefore, I would like to reach out to KOFAC, (Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science & Technology) to see how this organization could potentially offer teacher training or field trip opportunities to schools. I would also like to become a member of their STEAM education Teacher’s Research Society. My wish is to develop a secure connection to educators, expanding my Personal Learning Network. In this particular society, I would be surrounded by like-minded individuals who use STEAM education but also critically review steam activities for the basis of research.
Having experienced a pseudo-administrative position, such as college counseling, my other role here at my current school, I have toyed with the idea of wishing to obtain a leadership position in administration. I am always up for a challenge, and I feel that an administrative role would be just that. At this point, I am unsure of what this process would entail. However, I am open to exploring platforms that allow me to develop my leadership goals and learn about leadership before I pursue a position in administration. A course such as ‘Developing Your Educational Leadership and Management Vision’ by Edx, paired with shadowing mentors in the field, would be a great start.
Teaching internationally definitely comes with many rewards but also challenges. I currently teach at an international school where we offer an American patterned curriculum. So one of the problems that we regularly face as math educators is receiving students who are not accustomed to the US curriculum, nor meeting the grade level US standards. Thus about four years ago at my current school, the math department, led by myself, decided to create a course that would support students like these. The course has continued, and now that we have aggregate data on who has taken the course, we can determine if the course is genuinely supplemental for our students, which leads to one of my future learning goals. I want to learn how to use the students’ Measures of Academic Progress Test (MAP) reports to help identify trouble areas for students in the support class and also identify and support students’ weak areas in my regular math classes. Using tools such as Khan Academy’s recommended MAP practice would be a good start; however, I would like to expand beyond this and learn how to help students become more confident in Mathematics. Reviewing seasoned teachers blogs who have found success in their support classrooms such as Sara Van Der Werf, I can learn how to use techniques such as teaching students how to advocate for themselves, could lead to self-confidence in mathematics across all levels. Furthermore, I would like to learn how to implement the Numbers Talk Program in the support class and general classrooms. By reading the book “Making Number Talks Matter” that Sara mentions, I will be able to implement an environment that regularly allows students to reason numerically.
Another learning goal that I have is that I would like to become a technology coach for teachers. To do this, I first would have to become fluent in the most apparent platform that we currently use at my school, Google. We are a “Google school,” and like many other teachers here, I am a certified Google Level 1 Educator. I want to expand my knowledge more and become a certified Google Level 2 educator. I do not want to stop there. I feel that I can offer so much more to our school and my peer teachers and the international school community if I become a Google Certified Trainer. I would also like to attend another AppsEvents to learn from fellow educators about how and why they use Google and Google friendly applications in the classrooms. Once I have established the technological skills needed to coach teachers, I would then need to learn strategies on how to coach teachers. A book such as “The Art of Coaching” would give me the foundational knowledge on how to start. Lastly, to show my effectiveness in teaching in general, I would like to receive my National Board Certification in teaching.
Since I work at a small school, I have had the opportunity to expand my Algebra II Curriculum to include “STEAM” based explorations and projects. I want to continue to learn how I can continue to engage students in applicable, creative, and exploratory activities that involve Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. Therefore, I would like to reach out to KOFAC, (Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science & Technology) to see how this organization could potentially offer teacher training or field trip opportunities to schools. I would also like to become a member of their STEAM education Teacher’s Research Society. My wish is to develop a secure connection to educators, expanding my Personal Learning Network. In this particular society, I would be surrounded by like-minded individuals who use STEAM education but also critically review steam activities for the basis of research.
Having experienced a pseudo-administrative position, such as college counseling, my other role here at my current school, I have toyed with the idea of wishing to obtain a leadership position in administration. I am always up for a challenge, and I feel that an administrative role would be just that. At this point, I am unsure of what this process would entail. However, I am open to exploring platforms that allow me to develop my leadership goals and learn about leadership before I pursue a position in administration. A course such as ‘Developing Your Educational Leadership and Management Vision’ by Edx, paired with shadowing mentors in the field, would be a great start.
I have always considered myself a life-long learner. Whether it be learning a new language, or learning how to better my character, I have always been fascinated about increasing my knowledge in various fields. Thus enrolling in a program such as the Master of Arts in Educational Technology Program at Michigan State University, seemed to fit with my usual Modus de Operandi. What I did not expect was the number of takeaways that I can not only apply in the field of Education but also use in my everyday life. This essay discusses how the MAET program allowed me to explore, through various course selections, reflect on my understanding through a myriad of assignments, and then apply the knowledge I have obtained in my current school setting. 'Explore, Reflect, Apply' just so happens to be my current school's motto, so I thought it would be fitting to express my synthesis of learning using the three themes.
Teaching internationally at a reasonably small yet diverse school has allowed me the opportunity to expand my role as not only a teacher but also as a college counselor and as a mentor for new math teachers coming to our school as the lead math teacher. I have also learned how to share my expertise in technology as a part of the education technology committee, which strives to support teachers in integrating technology and understand digital citizenship with their students. Within these three roles, I was able to apply my learnings from various courses throughout the Masters Program, which I will share in this reflective essay. |
Creativity:
I am well aware that I have privileges to be in a position in which I can freely develop curriculum with the support of administrators and colleagues who are also striving to challenge themselves in their respective fields. At my current school, this energy helps encourage one another to continue to be creative with our curriculum and pedagogy regularly. Therefore I had no issues with being ready to apply what I had learned in a course such as CEP 818 Creativity in Teaching & Learning. Mathematics, as stated before, is a topic in which many think that they are not allowed to be creative. This idea stems from the notion that mathematics must always follow a given set of postulates, theorems, and general logic to produce a solution. However, through this course and my general practice, I have been able to identify aspects of my math classes that directly call for creative thinking and tinkering to solve problems. More specifically, I was able to apply many cognitively creative tools from this course that allowed my students to explore their understanding of difficult concepts in a creative manner. It has allowed me to break down my knowledge I have obtained, and continually modify my teaching of challenging ideas throughout all levels of mathematics. Some changes that I have enforced are described below.
- Giving my students allowance: This requires for me to allow my students to play without any worry of the outcome. It would require me to introduce aspects of play in the curriculum that will enable them to potentially discover the relationship to the mathematical concept on their own accord. For example, after this course, I decided to introduce culminating projects in my Algebra II course at the beginning of the unit rather than the end. Students would start playing and building Ferris Wheels with circuits without any knowledge of how they are related to sinusoids. They focus on the play at the beginning and then slowly see the connections. I have noticed that this allows for more opportunities for sparking creativity.
- Take time for Modeling and Abstraction: This course introduced these two concepts: modeling and abstraction as a way to spark creativity. These two concepts are ideas in mathematics that are already well known to students. However, after CEP 818, I have redefined the notion of abstraction and modeling and approach these concepts differently. For example, I asked my Calculus students to Abstract an implicit differentiation graph by creating a story or poem that represents that graphical image. Or in my Algebra II class, I asked students to model the idea of a function using a representation that is not math-related.
- Practice Embodied Thinking: This is one of the concepts from CEP 818 that I wish to do much more in my current classes. It will encourage students to get out of their seats and be more active in the classroom. What I have learned is that having students use their full body and movement to explore a theme in mathematics allows for creativity and higher retention of an abstract concept. I attempted this activity with my AP Calculus students while studying the very abstract concepts of velocity and acceleration and their respective signs. Students asked, “why do particles speed up if the signs of their acceleration and velocity are the same? (either both negative or both positive). To demonstrate this, I use embodied thinking, and had them represent velocity as themselves walking back and forth left to right (negative to positive). I then introduce another student to be acceleration, a force (push or pull) and require them to either push or pull the student who is acting as velocity. I then ask, what happens when you pull the person to the right when they are walking towards the left? What happens when you push to the left when the person is walking towards the left? Now my students have an embodied experience with an abstract concept that they can now remember.
Problem Solving:
In any school setting, there are always underlying problems that need to be addressed. CEP 817 Learning Technology Through Design, allowed me to address a 'Problem of Practice' that involved my other role at my school as the college counselor and also required a reflection on how I approach design in my teaching. I learned through exploration, that design must start with empathy. Ironically this is one of the ten character traits that we encourage our students to embody at my current school. Through this course, I realized that I could not merely rely on the reasoning of the 'why' as it pertains to design thinking for problem-solving concerning the different aspects of my role at my school (College Counselor and Mathematics Teacher). This course and the Stanford d. Design School modes forced me to revert to a 'who' approach or 'for whom,' focusing on empathic design. Using the Stanford D. School Bootcamp Bootleg methods such as the How/Why Ladder, I was also able to determine the underlying variables that help frame my problem of practice more explicitly, and establish a better direction for the solution. My problem of practice was thus defined as "The Lack of importance (or awareness) put on non-academic criteria such as character, community, passion, etc that make for a strong college application for college-bound students at international schools in Korea." Once my problem of practice was clearly stated, I then was able to develop a prototype solution. I was able to find a solution by interviewing administration, college admission counselors, students, and building a character profile of a potential end-user. The result is the first iteration of a program that will allow students to explore a passion project in high school that could ultimately transfer to areas of study or a vocation after their high school career.
This course not only reminded me of the importance of empathy when it comes to problem-solving but also allowed me to reflect on the design process and how it can improve my approach to lesson design. In the case of curriculum design, I now approach my teaching units/programs/projects using these design modes, which will allow me to have opportunities to continually refine my teaching through prototypes and iteration after the testing them. The 'End Users' who will test our designs, in this case, are our students. Through feedback in the form of grade analysis, direct observation and student surveys from year to year, I can deter what was successful and what was not, and then refine my curriculum for testing the following year. This process also allows the opportunity to use failure as a learning mode, thus allowing failure without judgment. Now I approach teaching with testing as a mode of design, which will ultimately allow me to re-identify problems with my lessons or curriculum that I may have misidentified in the beginning stages.
Leadership: Before enrolling in this degree program, I did not necessarily view myself as a leader in technology. With the help of CEP 815 Technology and Leadership and through self-reflection, I was able to determine my strengths and weaknesses as a leader, and the characteristics of what makes a good leader. The Seven Transformations of Leadership by David Rooke and William R.Torbert helped culminate my understanding of the idea that your inner action logic determines how effective you are as a leader. Thus one of the biggest takeaways from the course is how I, as a leader, view problems and develop my approach to integrating technology into the problem-solving process. The implications for further practice in my leadership roles include (but are not limited to) continuously taking a step back and practicing missional thinking when addressing problems that could potentially be solved with the help of technology. By focusing on the bigger picture, leaders can avoid the trap of instrumental thinking, which focuses on the tool or technology itself, which can be limiting by honing in on one available strategy for a solution. |
Furthermore, this course introduced me to the ISTE Standards for Education Leaders in Technology. Not only was I introduced to the standards, but I was also required to take them apart and address each of their elements contextualizing them in my current school setting as a leader in technology. This activity introduced not only a new resource but also a process of how to apply the standards to further my understanding of technology standards. It allowed me to explore problems in a school setting while considering the limitations and affordances of potential solutions that I develop. Ultimately I was able to create a vision statement as a leader in technology to share with others.
Conclusion:
The experiences in all the courses that I have taken at MSU have shaped me into a better educator. I have a sound understanding of how technology, creativity, learning, and leadership can help shape a better learning environment for students and innovative teaching strategies for colleagues. Through understanding the multifaceted ways to spark creativity, I am now able to encourage that practice in my classroom regularly. Furthermore, from my experience in this program, I was able to create a toolkit for other teachers that encompasses my learning succinctly, as a basis for a professional development opportunity that encourages creative thinking in their respective classrooms. I am now even more confident when convincing students that creativity is innate in all of us. The MAET program also developed my problem-solving skills. With the help of the Stanford D. School model for problem-solving, I am now able to address problems of practice with an empathetic lens and find solutions through testing prototypes, that ultimately allows me to practice failure as a learning mode. Lastly, this program allowed me to become a reflective leader. Not only have learned how to lead, but I have been able to determine what strengths I already obtain as a leader, and how I can improve on my weaknesses to develop into a leader that I would gladly follow. The MAET program was challenging in that it pulled me in every direction, had me observe various perspectives, and even questioned my pedagogy. I am grateful that I was able to explore, reflect, and apply all the knowledge that I have obtained and will continue to do so in the future.
Conclusion:
The experiences in all the courses that I have taken at MSU have shaped me into a better educator. I have a sound understanding of how technology, creativity, learning, and leadership can help shape a better learning environment for students and innovative teaching strategies for colleagues. Through understanding the multifaceted ways to spark creativity, I am now able to encourage that practice in my classroom regularly. Furthermore, from my experience in this program, I was able to create a toolkit for other teachers that encompasses my learning succinctly, as a basis for a professional development opportunity that encourages creative thinking in their respective classrooms. I am now even more confident when convincing students that creativity is innate in all of us. The MAET program also developed my problem-solving skills. With the help of the Stanford D. School model for problem-solving, I am now able to address problems of practice with an empathetic lens and find solutions through testing prototypes, that ultimately allows me to practice failure as a learning mode. Lastly, this program allowed me to become a reflective leader. Not only have learned how to lead, but I have been able to determine what strengths I already obtain as a leader, and how I can improve on my weaknesses to develop into a leader that I would gladly follow. The MAET program was challenging in that it pulled me in every direction, had me observe various perspectives, and even questioned my pedagogy. I am grateful that I was able to explore, reflect, and apply all the knowledge that I have obtained and will continue to do so in the future.