MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION
Michigan State University
Summer 2007
TE 846 - Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners
Instructors: K. Reffitt, M. Conley
Meeting the literacy needs of a diverse student population is quite an undertaking; it is important to ensure that educators understand how literacy is connected to student success across content areas and how to incorporate strategies for increasing literacy skills into teaching practice. Students come to us with cultural and linguistic differences, individual motivation differences, neuropsychological differences, and differences in needs for learning accommodations. Learning the principles of reading and writing instruction and remediation, classroom reading and writing assessment techniques, the use of materials and adaptations for reading and writing instruction, how to critically evaluate materials and curricula/practices for literacy instruction, and how to select and personalize these literacy materials and techniques is necessary for educators in order to meet the specific needs of struggling readers and writers. My final projects for this course were case studies of students - one elementary and one secondary - that include analysis of literacy needs using assessment methods studied, and ideas for instructional accommodations to develop confidence and skill.
TE 891 - Educating English Language Learners
Instructor: S. Melnick
Students who come to us from other countries face obstacles in their American education that many other students may not - language barriers, cultural differences and misunderstandings, fear of the unknown, differences in learning style, duality of life at home and school, and previous access to formalized education. Refugee and immigrant students are in the midst of upheaval and need knowledgeable and compassionate support. Understanding students' cultures and backgrounds helps educators to address both their academic and social needs. My final paper for this course was a case study of Somali refugee students attending my school, research of Somali culture, and what the American teacher can learn about education from immigrant students.
Students who come to us from other countries face obstacles in their American education that many other students may not - language barriers, cultural differences and misunderstandings, fear of the unknown, differences in learning style, duality of life at home and school, and previous access to formalized education. Refugee and immigrant students are in the midst of upheaval and need knowledgeable and compassionate support. Understanding students' cultures and backgrounds helps educators to address both their academic and social needs. My final paper for this course was a case study of Somali refugee students attending my school, research of Somali culture, and what the American teacher can learn about education from immigrant students.
A Changing World…A Changing Classroom:
What the American Teacher Can Learn From Somali Immigrants
Spring 2008
CEP 800 - Psychology of Learning in School and Other Settings
Instructor: C. Roseth
This course helped me to understanding the different psychological perspectives for appreciating learning that go on in school and other settings. I was able to connect these theories of learning to my own experiences as a learner by examining the relationship between these perspectives about learning and how I learn in the world outside of my academic classes. Creating relevancy in classroom lessons, specifically in literature as I am an English teacher, reinforces learning by creating connections to students' life experiences and developing their abilities to question and evaluate the world around them. For my final projects, I created a movie that details my successful attempt to teach my (then) 4 year old how to write his whole name, reflecting on the psychological elements at play in his learning. I also interviewed a student for my final course project, and created a podcast in which I reflect on his ideas surrounding the concept of justice and how he has developed these ideas through his experiences inside and outside of the classroom.
Instructor: C. Roseth
This course helped me to understanding the different psychological perspectives for appreciating learning that go on in school and other settings. I was able to connect these theories of learning to my own experiences as a learner by examining the relationship between these perspectives about learning and how I learn in the world outside of my academic classes. Creating relevancy in classroom lessons, specifically in literature as I am an English teacher, reinforces learning by creating connections to students' life experiences and developing their abilities to question and evaluate the world around them. For my final projects, I created a movie that details my successful attempt to teach my (then) 4 year old how to write his whole name, reflecting on the psychological elements at play in his learning. I also interviewed a student for my final course project, and created a podcast in which I reflect on his ideas surrounding the concept of justice and how he has developed these ideas through his experiences inside and outside of the classroom.
From Gabe to Gabriel - The Psychology of Learning
Thoughts on Justice Podcast - Student Interview and Reflection
TE 836 - Awards and Classics of Children's Literature
Instructor: L. Apol
What is a "Classic"? In this course, we read children's books that have won literary awards, analyzed the criteria for these awards, and evaluated the literature for use in the classroom. Many of our discussions centered around how different students might connect with different books based on their interests and background experiences, and how we could use these stories to teach lessons that connected to students' lives and enriched their understanding and views of their communities and the world. My final paper for this course focused on the criteria for books to become award winners, and what this says about what we deem to be "good literature."
" What is commonly called literary history is actually a record of choices." --Louise Bernikow
Final Paper
Summer 2008
TE 847 - Advanced Methods for Teaching Language Arts
Instructors: K. Moxley, S. Melnick, P. Edwards
What did I learn in the course? A lot about teaching literature, and a lot about myself. We read memoir, specifically, and talked about the connections students make when they read and how we as educators can deepen these connections. The focus was not just on reading, but on creation of a published artifact that reflected poignant thought and also was a strong and effective assessment of the relationship made with the literature we read. I learned so much about inspiring students to get excited about what they read, but even more about how to inspire them to enrich their own lives by using literature as a catalyst for self reflection. Good stuff. My final projects for this course were memoir vignettes -- visual representations of myself and my life which grew out of what we read.
Instructors: K. Moxley, S. Melnick, P. Edwards
What did I learn in the course? A lot about teaching literature, and a lot about myself. We read memoir, specifically, and talked about the connections students make when they read and how we as educators can deepen these connections. The focus was not just on reading, but on creation of a published artifact that reflected poignant thought and also was a strong and effective assessment of the relationship made with the literature we read. I learned so much about inspiring students to get excited about what they read, but even more about how to inspire them to enrich their own lives by using literature as a catalyst for self reflection. Good stuff. My final projects for this course were memoir vignettes -- visual representations of myself and my life which grew out of what we read.
Visual Memoir 1
Visual Memoir 2
TE 894 - Drama Across the Curriculum
Instructor: T. Miltenberger
This course was a three-day seminar at the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada. We learned strategies for integrating drama icebreakers and activities into our classroom curriculum to create community, teach literature/drama lessons, and reinforce concepts. We also attended two Stratford Festival shows - Romeo and Juliet and Cabaret. The Romeo and Juliet production included a talk-back with the cast and crew afterward, and we were able to tour the costume and scene shops under the main stage and speak with the people who make the shows happen. This was a wonderful experience as a teacher of English and Drama. I was also able to integrate many of the icebreaker activities into the Link Crew program at our school, which I coordinate. The document linked below illustrates how I use drama activities to prepare leaders to connect with incoming freshmen during freshman orientation.
This course was a three-day seminar at the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada. We learned strategies for integrating drama icebreakers and activities into our classroom curriculum to create community, teach literature/drama lessons, and reinforce concepts. We also attended two Stratford Festival shows - Romeo and Juliet and Cabaret. The Romeo and Juliet production included a talk-back with the cast and crew afterward, and we were able to tour the costume and scene shops under the main stage and speak with the people who make the shows happen. This was a wonderful experience as a teacher of English and Drama. I was also able to integrate many of the icebreaker activities into the Link Crew program at our school, which I coordinate. The document linked below illustrates how I use drama activities to prepare leaders to connect with incoming freshmen during freshman orientation.
Theater Games in Practice: Link Crew May Development Day Script
Summer 2009
CEP 883 - Psychology of Classroom Discipline
Instructors:E. Oka, V. Mousouli
This course centered around the CHAMPS philosophy of classroom management and classroom management preparation. I found this useful for setting up the classroom space, creating procedures to help students feel safe and to succeed, and establishing routines and norms. Since I teach freshmen for part of my day, the concepts learned in this course were relevant and assisted me in making sure I communicated expectations to students clearly and that I had thought about why each of the procedures made sense so I could explain relevancy to students. As my final project for this course, I developed a comprehensive classroom management plan, much of which I still implement in my classroom today.
Instructors:E. Oka, V. Mousouli
This course centered around the CHAMPS philosophy of classroom management and classroom management preparation. I found this useful for setting up the classroom space, creating procedures to help students feel safe and to succeed, and establishing routines and norms. Since I teach freshmen for part of my day, the concepts learned in this course were relevant and assisted me in making sure I communicated expectations to students clearly and that I had thought about why each of the procedures made sense so I could explain relevancy to students. As my final project for this course, I developed a comprehensive classroom management plan, much of which I still implement in my classroom today.
Classroom Management Plan
TE 848 - Methods of Writing Instruction
Instructor: J. Certo
I wrote for myself in this course. I've written poetry for awhile, but I rediscovered my love of it while completing assignments for this class. The focus was not only on ourselves as writers, paying attention to our own process and how it worked for us, but on developing strategies for teaching writing process to students - with the goal of publication. Publication gives an added sense of ownership and pride to the author, creating relevance , enthusiasm and motivation. For my final projects in this class, I polished a few poems (included here in both text and spoken word formats) and created two units that incorporate both reading of literary genres and writing within these genres. Since I teach International Baccalaureate Middle Years classes, I wrote these units within the International Baccalaureate Middle Years (MYP) unit template.
I wrote for myself in this course. I've written poetry for awhile, but I rediscovered my love of it while completing assignments for this class. The focus was not only on ourselves as writers, paying attention to our own process and how it worked for us, but on developing strategies for teaching writing process to students - with the goal of publication. Publication gives an added sense of ownership and pride to the author, creating relevance , enthusiasm and motivation. For my final projects in this class, I polished a few poems (included here in both text and spoken word formats) and created two units that incorporate both reading of literary genres and writing within these genres. Since I teach International Baccalaureate Middle Years classes, I wrote these units within the International Baccalaureate Middle Years (MYP) unit template.
Summer 2011
ED 800 - Concepts of Educational Inquiry
Guiding questions of this course include: What are education’s purposes, traditions, characteristic activities, and its recurring problems and efforts at reform? What is most worth knowing and how are individual, institutional, and social views of schooling and the curriculum reconciled? How do we learn, what do we want from teaching, and from education outside of schools and beyond the years of formal schooling? How do conditions of contemporary life (e.g., globalization and new information and communications technologies) influence education? How has educational inquiry been defined and practiced, and how has it changed in response to new circumstances? What role does knowledge of human experience unlike our own play in inquiry? What resources are available for making inquiry part of teaching, administration, and leadership in schools and other educational institutions?
ED 870 - CAPSTONE Course
The major focus of this course is to pull everything together from the MAED program, in a technology-based, synthesized venue. We are looking at our goal statements, who we are as learners, what we've specifically learned over the span of our Masters Program, and how it has influenced our thinking and practice as learners and teachers. This website is a part of that course.
Guiding questions of this course include: What are education’s purposes, traditions, characteristic activities, and its recurring problems and efforts at reform? What is most worth knowing and how are individual, institutional, and social views of schooling and the curriculum reconciled? How do we learn, what do we want from teaching, and from education outside of schools and beyond the years of formal schooling? How do conditions of contemporary life (e.g., globalization and new information and communications technologies) influence education? How has educational inquiry been defined and practiced, and how has it changed in response to new circumstances? What role does knowledge of human experience unlike our own play in inquiry? What resources are available for making inquiry part of teaching, administration, and leadership in schools and other educational institutions?
ED 870 - CAPSTONE Course
The major focus of this course is to pull everything together from the MAED program, in a technology-based, synthesized venue. We are looking at our goal statements, who we are as learners, what we've specifically learned over the span of our Masters Program, and how it has influenced our thinking and practice as learners and teachers. This website is a part of that course.