When I began my master’s program at Michigan State University I was about to begin my third year of teaching in my own classroom. I was becoming comfortable as a teacher and with the curriculum that I taught. I was unsure about what I wanted the focus of my master’s program to be but came to the conclusion that since current education standards seemed technology driven, that a focus in educational technology would be a great choice. In choosing to participate in the Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program I not only felt that it would make me more employable, but that it would also decrease my apprehension towards technology. I was anxious about starting the classes and really wanted to get it over with from hearing stories told by my coworkers and friends in regards to simultaneously balancing coursework, a job, and everything else. However, each class I completed helped me grow more as an educator and as a person. Most pleasantly surprising to me, was while I was excited to learn about wonderful technology tools that I could also immediately implement in my classroom, not all of the wisdom that I gained was strictly about technology.

​

I jumped into my program by participating in the cohort that was in person for the first two weeks and online for the remainder. It was three classes rolled into one (CEP 810, CEP 811 & CEP 812) setting and it was a whirlwind experience. I remember one of the first things we talked about was how everyone was telling teachers to get ipads and smart boards and use apps, but there was a lack in direction on how these tools could be most effectively used. I remember feeling very apprehensive about the class and thought, “as a teacher who prefers hands on learning and teaches kindergarten, will I be able to use any of this?” I was blown away with the amount of information that was packed into that summer, and was relieved to feel that I had chosen the right program for me. From gamification to the Maker Movement, the ideas and technologies that were presented were not only useful, but things I could implement in my classroom to enhance learning. Sharing what I had learned in my classes with my friends and coworkers and inspiring them to use some of the new things I had learned about in their classrooms was also very exciting. The way in which the courses examined the definition of technology was insightful and beneficial to my understanding and approach. I saved one article, that I particularly enjoyed,that discussed how even a crayon is technology and a wonderful educational tool that should not be discarded merely because we have computers and how everything has its purpose regardless of its simplicity.

​

Being able to take an elective class was another facet of the program that helped me grow as an educator. I chose a behavior management class  (CEP 832) because I work at a school that has extreme behaviors and wanted more tools in my belt for addressing, deescalating and avoiding such behaviours. While I learned a number of differing techniques, management strategies, etc.  to help with behavior management, the obvious but relatively simple focus that I took from this class was to make the time to focus on the student. Too often teachers get bogged down with paperwork, and the little nitty-gritty tasks of the day and we lose focus on why we are there which is to make a difference and to enhance a child’s life. This course reminded me, as a relatively new teacher, to increase my awareness of those important goals.

​

I will always remember my case study for the class. Many of my coworkers would tell me how they did not know how I dealt with one particular student, but when I took the extra little bit of time to get to know him, find his interests and make sure I took a few moments each day to make him feel loved, it was easier. For example, he is a really big Star Wars fan, and a very wiggly individual. We have the expectation at our school to stand quietly in the hallway during bathroom break, a challenge for any kindergartener, and some more than others. However, to address his “wiggles” we would pretend that he was either Han Solo frozen in carbonite or Boba Fett standing quietly waiting for directions. It worked extremely well, and was fun for him. Every year I have challenging students, but this course helped increase the importance of taking the time at the beginning of the year to really build strong relationships with my students  and to discover their interests and use those interests to make the day more fun and productive.

​

 Another course that greatly impacted me as an educator and as a person was Teaching Technology Through Design (CEP 817). Most of my life I have felt that I was somewhat odd because I am outwardly and expressively empathetic. I get choked up easily in movies or when I hear stories about something I find particularly moving. I have lost track of how many times I have been told that “It’s just a movie” in an attempt to calm my emotional reaction. I always find this somewhat irritating and insensitive, especially if it was a historical movie like Saving Private Ryan. I recognize that because I am only viewing something traumatic in a scripted film that in real life, it was probably much worse. I very much feel for the individuals who I watch and read about and this class focused on how empathy, when taken into consideration, in design makes the overall completed design that much better. An example I remember from one reading was about how nurses felt bad that hospital patients stared at blank boring ceilings, so they decided to decorate the walls and ceilings, which cheered up the patients, and led to a reduction in recovery times.

​

This course helped me feel more confident about my empathy for my students. I vividly remember being young and feeling like I had electricity running through my body, counting down the minutes until recess so I could run, jump and yell. I see my kindergarten students who are limited to my tiny classroom most of the day, and when they get fidgety, I understand. I have had to fight for a second recess for them every year, and this past year I was more confident in asking my principal to put herself in their shoes, to remember, to think about her own children being limited to one 15 minute recess in their long school day. Empathy, of course, can also be applied to how I arrange my room, talk to my students and even carry out my lessons. I try to think of how they will receive and process what is presented to them, and I have found that when I take the time to do that I am more likely to have successful lessons as well as happy students.

 

While helping students be successful and happy is very important another valuable lesson I learned in the program was when we examined our “wicked problem” using failure as a learning tool. As much as I would love for my students to be successful, there is a lot of learning value in failure, as counterproductive as it sounds. I remember thinking about it and realizing that failure had played a role in my learning by pushing me to want to be better, do better and work harder. We concluded that failure pushes students to have a growth mindset and forces them to reflect on their work and what improvements can be made for the future. I have found even with my kindergarten students that it is important for them to experience failure early on so that they can use it to try again and not shut down or melt down. I have found the later in the year a student experiences a sense of failure the bigger the meltdown. However, once they realize that they can fix  and improve their work, they are eager to try again and do better.

​

The MAED program has pushed me to make changes and also to think and work outside of my comfort zone. From building online course modules to creating Minecraft assessments, I have now worked with some technology that I previously would have been too scared to approach. The program has expanded my technological abilities and put a world of resources at my fingertips. I have created a digital presence, learned how to create online lessons to go hand in hand with what I am teaching, and have also  learned something for my personal enjoyment in using the internet to find videos and information. I now even use Twitter, something I swore I would  never get into but now I am connected with educators all over the world, and their resources that they are willing and excited to share. My comfort with the constantly changing technology landscape of education has increased and I am excited to see what I can do to help fellow educators with their classroom technology. I am looking forward to continuing my exploration into technology to see what more I can learn as the years progress. I have always told my students, “Shoot for the moon, and if you miss you'll land amongst the stars”. I feel as though the MAED program has helped me successfully land on the moon and that the stars are the countless additional opportunities awaiting to be discovered in the ever expanding world of technology and education.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​