Synthesis Essay: Reflecting on My Learning
As an educator, I value the personal growth that learning provides. I grow from teaching my students but I especially find personal growth in my own learning; when I am researching or exploring my interests, my knowledge expands and I feel enriched. Throughout my educational journey, I have always known that I will continue to learn through all of my interests. I do consider myself a lifelong learner, so it was an easy choice to enroll in the Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program at Michigan State University. As I reach the end of the MAET program, I am able to reflect on how it has impacted me as a student and a teacher. I am grateful for the experiences that this master's program has provided me.
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This program taught me to continue to explore my interests, build on my technology skills, while continuing to create engaging lessons for my students that help them reach new audiences through technology. Within this program, I have taken courses that challenged me to create strong habits to better myself, like running more than I ever had or learning a new skill, like calligraphy, from the internet. The MAET program has also inspired me to be a “maker” and discover this growing educational movement. The program has not only given me new skills and ignited a passion for teaching with technology, but it has taught me to apply what I have learned. I am able to bring my developed technology and literacy skills into my classroom to benefit my students’ learning.
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CEP 800 - Psychology of Learning in School and Other Settings
Although many courses from the MAET program have inspired self-improvement, one course that has challenged my thinking in the broad category of learning. CEP 800 (Psychology of Learning in School and Other Settings) centered around learning so I found it extremely engaging because the topic was of interest to me. Surprisingly, it was more beneficial to my teaching practice than I originally thought it would be. We reviewed the basic development stages of learning and built on psychological studies of learning development. The review of psychology studies was helpful as an educator because I was able to apply some of studies and research on learning development to my classroom.
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One big takeaway from CEP 800 was that when students are forced to “learn” something they are not interested in or engaged with, they aren’t actually learning. For example, a class novel that is chosen for a memoir unit, may not meet the needs or interest for every student. When the student is forced to read the memoir that they have no interest in, the takeaway is far less than a student who was able to choose which memoir they wanted to read.Student choice is a huge motivator in learning. I have seen first hand that when learners have autonomy, the interest level increases and the amount of learning is much higher than compared to someone who has no choice in their education. Student choice also provides the opportunity for self-regulation; being able to assess your current understanding, motivation, areas for improvement. These strategies are extremely important to foster if we want to create lifelong learners.
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This understanding helped me grow as an educator because I am able to take student choice into consideration into my teaching. I have created opportunities in my teaching for students to explore their passions and interests. I reflected on my own nonfiction book club unit and found that when my students were given a choice on what book they would be reading - their level of engagement with the text was so much deeper than an assigned text. I have noticed a considerable increase in engagement and motivation. When there is motivation and choice to explore a topic, we spend a considerable amount of time learning about a topic and not only retaining the information - but applying it to our own lives! We practice our thinking and eventually transfer those skills to other areas of our lives, and it’s exciting to see this learning in my classroom.
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CEP 810 - Teaching for Understanding with Technology
I have considered myself to be pretty "tech savvy" when it comes to technology is schools. Before even thinking about applying to the MAET program, I believed that I was creating meaningful lessons for my students with the aid of technology. My high interest in teaching with technology was actually a large factor as to why I decided to get my master's degree in Educational Technology. It was not until CEP 810 (Teaching for Understanding with Technology) that I discovered how much more I could really learn. After reflecting on my learning from CEP 810, I believe it has enlightened my thinking and understanding as a student. I am more aware of the importance of using students’ prior knowledge to build from and create a deeper understanding of curriculum. I am also able to reflect on my teaching and how to repurpose my technology to advance student thinking. When I reflect on my teaching, I create opportunities for my students to grow as learners.
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Another result of CEP 810 was the growth in my professional practice. has shifted after identifying my Professional Learning Network (PLN). My PLN is not only growing but being utilized with a purpose now that I see the benefit and the resources I have access to. I am able to surround myself with educational professionals and challenge my thinking on topics in education. I am actively accessing them and my colleagues are beginning to follow this trend as well. There is a stronger sense of collaboration after identifying my PLN.
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One big takeaway of this course is my overall view of technology in education. This new enlightenment of technology integration stemmed from “Technologies to Support Student Learning” and “Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)” lessons from CEP 810. Before CEP 810, I believed technology in classrooms were so important to expose students to technology but as my learning progressed, I came to the reality that my students have been exposed to technology and the exposure shouldn’t be the objective of the lesson. Educators have the opportunity to repurpose technology in their classroom to further develop the curriculum for their students’ learning. After learning about TPACK, I was able to see how important it is to make sure that content and pedagogy are central pieces when teaching with technology.
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TE 846 - Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners
Throughout the MAET program at Michigan State University, I was able to enroll in a course that focused on reading and writing instruction: TE 846 (Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners). This course helped me grow as a learner for many reasons. TE 846 provided me with a greater understanding of literacy instruction and understanding of development in literacy learners. It impacted my literacy instruction in my own classroom by strengthening my differentiation strategies. The summative assessment in TE 846 challenged me to choose a student with an area of concern in reading or writing. We were pushed to assess the student’s needs, identify an area that needed intervention, monitor progress, and assess the student’s learning.
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When I reflect on my overall learning in TE 846, I feel like an empowered Language and Literature teacher. I have been able to assess areas of concern for a handful of students who have been struggling to make progress in middle school, and I have provided interventions that have shown improvement. After building my literacy intervention skills and honing my assessment evaluation strategies, I have been able to support different levels of readers within my classroom. The knowledge I gained from TE 846 allowed me to create intentional lesson plans to that support student needs. I am excited to continue implementing what I have learned and helping readers grow stronger.
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CEP 812 - Applying Educational Technology to Issues of Practice
Within the MAET program, I have also been pushed to analyze something defined as a “wicked problem”. The course, CEP 812 (Applying Educational Technology to Issues of Practice), challenged me to examine issues in education. Within a small group of my peers, we collaborated to find a solution to the wicked problem of “failure as a mode of learning”. There is such a stigma associated with failure that students end up missing out on one of the best forms of learning - from their failures. We surveyed students about their opinions on failing, grades, and learning. We evaluated levels of education, grades earned, and how failure impacts the person’s attitude about learning. The results from our survey drove our plan of action.
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After reviewing research based around this wicked problem, my think tank group decided to focus on grit and growth mindset in learning. When we experience failure and view it as an opportunity to grow and learn, we are more likely to develop a strong mindset with motivation to learn. Learners also remember more information and have a higher level of understanding after experiencing failure, while keeping a positive mindset. Our group created a podcast and presentation that focused on growth mindset while facing failure. Overall, this course allowed me to explore data around a problem that does not have an easy solution, and helped identify what learners may need in order to overcome this hurdle. It was beneficial to conduct our own research, compare results and personal observations to peer-reviewed studies, and discuss with other professionals what these factors look like in our classrooms. The course allowed for applicable practices that benefit learners.
Conclusion
I have learned a lot about teaching with technology, learning styles, and literacy instruction; the Master of Arts in Educational Technology program has inspired me to continue to explore my interests and bring my knowledge to my classroom. I am someone who experiences and encourages learning on a daily basis, so discovering the patterns, roadblocks and understanding the development stages of learning has proved to be very beneficial to my students. I am able to assess their learning and areas that need support because of my master's courses. As a professional who continues to expand their learning network, I value the growth I continue to experience from my classes in the MAET program. Once again, outside of my courses, I have developed differentiated instruction in literacy with technology.
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My courses have given me many opportunities to reflect on my current practices in the classroom and how to better meet my student needs. After my literacy case study in TE 846, my instruction shifted by including literacy supports to diverse learners. The courses have created opportunities to reflect on my own goals and learning as a student. After learning about habits, I was able to reflect and set realistic goals on what I would like to pursue after this program. As a teacher, I am aware of the tremendous effect reflection can have on learning, and as a student, I am grateful to have courses that honor and create time for reflection and goal setting.
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The level of engagement within my courses in the MAET program has greatly increased my level of understanding and interest in learning. For example, one course focused on educational research and allowed students to choose an academic area of concern and research-based solutions. This freedom to choose an area of interest allowed me to apply skills of researching and evaluating studies in a way that I found beneficial to my instruction and educational practice. My overall experience with the Master of Arts in Educational Technology program at Michigan State University has encouraged me to be more reflective, engaged, and intentional with instruction. I am extremely grateful for my positive experiences with my graduate level learning and I look forward to continuing my educational journey.
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