​Blair Schwartz

I have begun to look at all I have accomplished while taking my master’s program. In my eyes I have come out a head and better than before I started just two short years ago. Before I can explain why I think that, I need to reflect back on my journey through my MAED courses. After completing my student teaching internship I had a big decision, do I go back to school or not? I had thought about this decision long and hard and finally decided I needed to take a year off of school. A year later I was back in the same predicament, go back to school or wait a little longer. This time I decided going back to school was the right choice for me. It seemed like the right time and something I was excited about doing. I was just hired into my current position and knew I would have a lot on my plate. Regardless, this was something I wanted.

 

My next course of action was deciding what I would pursue my Masters in. This decision was much easier for me, although Michigan State offered a lot more options then I had originally assumed. Once I looked at the list of options I knew immediately. Technology is such a growing field in today’s society. I knew this was something I wanted to learn more about. I wanted to be a teacher that would be able to use technology in the classroom, teach my students about technology and most importantly feel confident about how I was using it.

 

I understood going into my Master’s that I would be asked to take a number of courses. I didn’t realize that I would be given plenty of options that would fit my needs and my wants out of a master’s program. There were a few mandatory classes that every student would have to take, but for the most part I was able to choose my own path of courses that would excite me. If given more time there would have been plenty other courses that I would have loved to explore, unfortunately there isn’t enough time to take them all.

 

Out of the 10 courses (3 through my student teaching internship and 7 through my actual master’s program) there were a few that really changed my way of teaching and outlook about technology. Going into these courses I felt I knew a lot about technology. What I got out of it was much more than I expected. I went from understanding how to surf the web to providing an actual course for my students to take. I went from assuming I knew what my students knew and understood, to really developing a relationship and understanding what my students needed to succeed. I can honestly say I got a lot more out of my program then I ever would have imagined.

 

The first course that inspired me to be a better teacher was CEP 806, Learning Science with Technology. Throughout this course I was able to use technologies I was familiar with, as well as explore new ones. At the time I began the course, science was not a course I was teaching. Currently, I teach 5th grade (elementary) students. When signing up for my classes I had assumed I would be teaching all core subjects. Science was one of my weaker subjects, so I figured taking a technology class within science could only help me succeed. As I began my teaching, my team and I decided we would rotate students through certain subjects, science being one of them. This was when it was decided that in fact I would not be teaching science. I had decided it was still best to take the course; who knew when I would teach science in the future. As I had assumed, I did gain a lot from taking this course, but not technology based ideas.

 

The technologies I used throughout this course included PowerPoint, Skype, as well as an audio technology (Audacity). The funny thing is when I reflected back on the course I realized I gained much more then understanding new and old technologies. I was able to learn a lot more about the group of students I had. Being someone that grew up using technologies such as the Internet, I had assumed my students would be able to use this tool pretty easily. My first assignment in this course was to find out how they could use the Internet. Once this task was done I was extremely surprised, I did not know my students as I thought I did. This was the first time in a class my preconceived ideas were challenged. From here on out it would be important to me as a teacher to dig deeper and understand what my students knew. This is an idea all teachers are taught, but to actually experience this first hand was very important to my learning and teaching. Along side that, I was lucky that this was one of my first classes I took. Having the ideas I gained from this course and this assignment specifically, I would be able to restructure some of my lessons and the way I approached my students.

 

The next course throughout my journey that really opened my eyes was TE 846, Accommodating different literacy learners. Initially the reason I signed up for this course was because literacy is such a huge part of my curriculum. I wanted to be able to understand how to present literacy ideas better to my students. Similarly to CEP 806, I gained more knowledge then technology. I was asked to look at two of my learners and really depict and analyze their literacy skills. To me, this was something I would have loved to do with all students if given the time. I had chosen two learners who seemed to struggle in reading. Based on research, both of them and professionally, I was able to better understand what they needed to be successful students.

 

Although not as technology based, I was able to converse with other teachers in my program via Skype. Allowing other teachers to give advice and share their stories also helped me to gain knowledge. Using the idea of Skype is something I can bring into my classroom. Before using this tool in my master’s program I was familiar with how Skype worked. This class helped me to see a new way to use a tool I was already familiar with. This is an easy way to communicate with others at home or around the world (as I did with my classes). This was a basic technology I used in the class, that my students would be able to use as well, if given the proper training on how to use it.

 

 

My master’s journey continued with CEP 820, Teaching K-12 students online. This hands-down was my favorite course. The reasoning was not because of the assignments that were due, but rather the technology I gained from taking this course. I did take this course later in my master’s journey then some of my other courses. The familiar saying “better late then never”, explains this course better then anything. I gained the most knowledge about technology and technology that I can use in my classroom. I also believe my students benefited most from me taking this course as well. The main reason I decided to take the course in the first place was due to my own online class experience. Not only am I taking my master’s program online, I took a few online courses when I was an undergrad student. I wanted to understand more about how my courses were made. Through CEP 820 I was able to do just that and more. A small part of what I was able to understand was what to put into an online course and how it might benefit my students. On a larger scale I was able to create my own course. This was a course I felt my students could take both at school and at home.

 

The process of creating the course was an experience in itself. I was introduced to many web pages and online sites that would allow me to create my course. Although I chose one that I felt comfortable with, I was able to explore other sites that I could potentially use in the future. I had never built a site before this class. I was able to play around and add those pieces to my online course that I had recently learned about. I have also been able to allow my students to use this course I have made. Not only have they enjoyed this new type of learning, I have seen improvements in their attitude toward learning and much more engagement out of them. I have also had a lot of positive feedback from parents regarding the course and their child’s performance with the course.

 

As I look back at all the classes I have taken one more stands out to me. The current course I am taking, ED 870, Capstone. This is a required course for the program. I have to admit I wasn’t as excited to take the course, mainly due to the fact that it is mandatory, however I have surprised myself with how much I have connected and have taken from this course. Not only was I able to take a majority of the skills I learned throughout my course and apply it to my online portfolio, I am able to create something I will use in the long run of my teaching career. By the end of my ED 870 course I will take away an online portfolio that I can use in my future teaching carrier. I will be able to add to this portfolio in upcoming years as well.

 

I have been extremely happy with the technology experience I have gained throughout my classes. I have been able to use technologies I have been familiar with, such as PowerPoint and skype, and apply them in different ways then I had in the past. I was able to learn ways to use these tools in my classroom as well as ways to teach and show my students how to use them. I was also introduced to a handful of new technologies, such as web tools, that I had never used before. Although I may not teach my students how to use these new tools, I can provide material and experiences, such as creating an online course, for them. I am confident that I am a better teacher and can assist and engage my students in new ways due to the classes and assignments I have taken.

 

While looking back at my two years in my master’s program and my year of students teaching I felt I have grown as an individual learner as well as a teacher bringing technology back to my students. I have had the chance to reflect on what I have gained and what I can do to continue to grow. Coming into this experience I believed I would gain a lot, but I never realized just how much I would gain. I have improved on many aspects of learning and have finished my program with more knowledge and experiences then I started. I am a better teacher and learner than before I started my master’s program. I am extremely proud of all I have accomplished in these past two years and can honestly say that all of my hard work has paid off.