Transference on Many Levels
As cliche as it sounds, one cannot know where they are going unless they know where they’ve been. I’ve always embraced this idea when it comes to history and learning from the past; however, for whatever reason this concept did not come to mind as I approached the initial courses of the MAET program. With the completion of the certificate courses I realized that the abundance of information that helped me find a place in this diverse field. I learned about the evolution of technology in education and the various pedagogical theories. This initial ideas helped direct my study through the MAET program. As my education continued and I began to reflect, I recognized that where I started with regards to technology and its use in the classroom changed. My direction became more specific as to the desired outcome for the learner and their learning process. The cliche continues as I recognize the amount of course content that has overlapping application potential. With the completion of the program near, I realize that each course led to the next, with regards to both the application of content and new technology tools.
The initial certificate courses, CEP 810, 811, and 812 resemble a sandbox, filled with different play friends and tools available. These courses are where we met and worked with our peers for the first time. Many of us would meet later on throughout the program and develop relationships that provided productive feedback and a comprehensive sounding board. Throughout these initial courses, pedagogical theories were introduced simultaneously with various technology tools and new programs. One of the skills introduced during these courses was web design and using particular programs such as Dreamweaver or Weebly. I was pushed into a realm where I had little to no experience, especially with html. I discovered that this was not my forte; however, with that experience I developed a comfortability level with Weebly and relied on the technology throughout the entire MAET program, including using it as the platform for my capstone portfolio. These web design skills also helped as the district that I work in began to implement an online teaching component to certain classes. My experience with design, and my experience participating in an online program gave me an immense amount of knowledge to draw from. The development of an online component seemed a daunting task to some, but because of the initial courses, in particular CEP 812 Applying Educational Technology to Practice, I had already addressed many of the design and navigational roadblocks that users face.
This humbling experience reiterates the complexity levels that exist in the field of educational technology. It also solidifies the idea that there are many options for various levels of proficiency to use technology in education. These technology tools don’t limit or stifle the learning available. However, they are intuitive for users of various skill levels. This realization can only help me in my future career. Learning to help and guide various users through the technology integration process can be difficult. The learner spectrum is so vast that knowledge of various programs that will benefit user's strengths and objectives is necessary. First hand experience with troubleshooting is another strength that increases the level of confidence when introducing a new tool.
Using my newly obtained web design skills, in CEP 820 Teaching K-12 Students Online, I was faced with the challenge of developing a module for a unit using an online course management system. The navigational skills that I acquired throughout the initial certificate courses transferred to Moodle, the new program that I chose to house my online curriculum. This course was by far my favorite of the entire program. It pushed me to the point of complete revision of my module, but the reflective process and partial implementation with my current students was extremely helpful in the development process. Reflection in combination with feedback from current student users of the online content, prompted a total revision of the navigation and structuring of material on the course site. I reviewed all of the courses that I had previously taken online through the program and decided what worked and did not work for me as a student, especially with regards to the navigation of the material successfully. I decided to implement some of the same structural elements from these courses to my course. Some of the important elements included reiteration of deadlines and assignments in various places throughout the site. Each unit began with a checklist of tasks to accomplish; this not only gave students a look at the week ahead, but also acted as a way for them to track their progress through the course.
I had previously worked with Moodle and attempted to put a portion of my course content online; however, after CEP 820 I revamped my entire thought process and application of online content. A specific structuring of online content introduced during CEP 810 Teaching Understanding with Technology, explained that content, peer, and professional interaction should occur in equal thirds throughout units and entire courses. This idea transferred into the development of my online curriculum, as well as my day to day lesson plans in the physical classroom. Regardless of the allotted time for a class, this idea creates variety and addresses various learning styles. It helps with the organization of paperwork, especially with regards to students with excessive absences. These and others seem to be beneficial side-effects of online learning and content management systems.
Another course that I was taking at the time, CEP 891Online Literacy and Reading to Learn in the Digital Age, focused on digital reading and various processes that our students currently use or should be exposed to when asked to read text and research digitally. The information presented in this course and the interactive activities seeped over into my online curriculum. Besides Weebly and Moodle, an online program that I have become comfortable using throughout the program is the screencasting program Jing. In the digital reading course we, as students, were asked to record our online researching process, analyze, and reflect upon what we recorded. We were then asked to watch and respond to other's screencasts. This was not as simple of a task as one would think; the activity asked students to do something they would normally do, except verbalize their thoughts which proves to be a foreign request. However, it did prove beneficial. The activity helped me realize the various ways that learners of all levels decipher online content and the direction that their thoughts take. For teachers a struggle is to reach all types of learners, and if we are not aware of what those types are it will prove difficult to accommodate and modify material to ensure their understanding and success.
I experienced such a learning epiphany with these reading aloud activities and reflection that I decided to implement something similar into my high school English classroom. Not only did I include similar activities into my online course, but I also experimented with students using a screencasting program in class. I wanted to troubleshoot with various programs, their compatibility, and ease of use on the school netbooks. I to seized the moment this past year; I had a small class of eight students that became my guinea pigs for any experiment or implementation. I was extremely upfront with them, and made sure to maintain the transparency regarding my goals with each new assignment and tool usage. This fostered communication between the students and myself and provided exceptional feedback that could only come from that type of environment. I can only hope that I have that opportunity again as a teacher; I know that it helped to propel my interest in the program as well as in the classroom.
Within the same course, CEP 891, regarding digital reading, I had another extreme learning experience. One thing that I’ve noticed throughout this entire program is that when I struggle with a particular class or assignment, I end up learning the most from it and surprise myself with my capabilities. In this particular course we were asked to choose one of the topics that we had briefly discussed throughout the course and develop a lesson that we could implement with students. We had a lot of creative freedom with this project, including the platform we wished to use to present the information, what age level it was directed at, and the topic. I ended up choosing the LICRA researching theory and process that is continually being developed and discovered by the professor of the course, Rand Spiro, and his colleagues.
I was initially interested in this researching process due to its connection with my reflection on my researching process. I felt that the way I researched digitally and traditionally had some similarities to the open mindset that could lead the researcher toward a different topic altogether. As I began to compile information regarding the LICRA process, I found a lack of resources and information. I struggled while developing this lesson, to the point where I contemplated switching my topic. But when I contemplated this switch I drew a blank regarding the new topic that I would choose. I rose to the challenge and decided to ask for some guidance from the instructors of the course including the expert on LICRA searching.
Because the topic is so new, even with their help and extra explanation, the development of this lesson proved difficult. However, it was nice to know that while trying to imitate and explain LICRA researching for the lesson and presentation, I could really do no wrong. This experience was one of the first times that I found my stubborn self asking for guidance and help on a topic or assignment. I felt empowered and more informed. I also developed more of a connection to the topic and a relationship with the instructors. Overall, it was the most beneficial experience to date within the program.
Although I did not fully implement the lesson plan initially. I did transfer my ideas and new researching process information over into various lessons that involved digital reading or researching. I may not have labeled it LICRA to my students, but I definitely tried to integrate small parts of the process to see how the students would react. This may be a better way to go about introducing such a new way of researching. Without a grand label and structure the students tended not to be apprehensive, but jumped in and gave it a try. This trial and error provided me with feedback that will be necessary as I continue to develop the lesson plan.
I plan to continue my experimentation and development of this LICRA lesson, in order to implement the lesson and introduce this process of researching to my students. I would like to make it a yearlong implementation so that it becomes a habit. My hope is that by the end of the year students don’t realize that they are using this researching process, but it becomes what they unconsciously fall back on to guide their researching. I know that this will prove difficult due to the the process, but if I have learned one thing from this program, it is that one can only learn from mistakes and challenges.
One of my favorite things about the MAET program, is that many of the activities, theories, and pedagogies were immediately adaptable to my current classroom. I felt that I was learning so many things through the courses and their content, but this learning was taken to another level when I began to implement elements into my classroom. I learned as I developed lessons, but more as I examined students and their interactions with and reactions to the new content. I could of only hoped to learn as much as I have through the last couple of years. I wish that at the time of my undergraduate schooling in education that there was a program that allowed students to implement the theories and practices at the same time as learning them. However, this is usually not the case, students learn the content and then are asked to recall and implement. To an extent this program asks that as well, but the flexibility of the courses with other professionals is what makes it a truly unique and rewarding experience.
Samantha Forster
The initial certificate courses, CEP 810, 811, and 812 resemble a sandbox, filled with different play friends and tools available. These courses are where we met and worked with our peers for the first time. Many of us would meet later on throughout the program and develop relationships that provided productive feedback and a comprehensive sounding board. Throughout these initial courses, pedagogical theories were introduced simultaneously with various technology tools and new programs. One of the skills introduced during these courses was web design and using particular programs such as Dreamweaver or Weebly. I was pushed into a realm where I had little to no experience, especially with html. I discovered that this was not my forte; however, with that experience I developed a comfortability level with Weebly and relied on the technology throughout the entire MAET program, including using it as the platform for my capstone portfolio. These web design skills also helped as the district that I work in began to implement an online teaching component to certain classes. My experience with design, and my experience participating in an online program gave me an immense amount of knowledge to draw from. The development of an online component seemed a daunting task to some, but because of the initial courses, in particular CEP 812 Applying Educational Technology to Practice, I had already addressed many of the design and navigational roadblocks that users face.
This humbling experience reiterates the complexity levels that exist in the field of educational technology. It also solidifies the idea that there are many options for various levels of proficiency to use technology in education. These technology tools don’t limit or stifle the learning available. However, they are intuitive for users of various skill levels. This realization can only help me in my future career. Learning to help and guide various users through the technology integration process can be difficult. The learner spectrum is so vast that knowledge of various programs that will benefit user's strengths and objectives is necessary. First hand experience with troubleshooting is another strength that increases the level of confidence when introducing a new tool.
Using my newly obtained web design skills, in CEP 820 Teaching K-12 Students Online, I was faced with the challenge of developing a module for a unit using an online course management system. The navigational skills that I acquired throughout the initial certificate courses transferred to Moodle, the new program that I chose to house my online curriculum. This course was by far my favorite of the entire program. It pushed me to the point of complete revision of my module, but the reflective process and partial implementation with my current students was extremely helpful in the development process. Reflection in combination with feedback from current student users of the online content, prompted a total revision of the navigation and structuring of material on the course site. I reviewed all of the courses that I had previously taken online through the program and decided what worked and did not work for me as a student, especially with regards to the navigation of the material successfully. I decided to implement some of the same structural elements from these courses to my course. Some of the important elements included reiteration of deadlines and assignments in various places throughout the site. Each unit began with a checklist of tasks to accomplish; this not only gave students a look at the week ahead, but also acted as a way for them to track their progress through the course.
I had previously worked with Moodle and attempted to put a portion of my course content online; however, after CEP 820 I revamped my entire thought process and application of online content. A specific structuring of online content introduced during CEP 810 Teaching Understanding with Technology, explained that content, peer, and professional interaction should occur in equal thirds throughout units and entire courses. This idea transferred into the development of my online curriculum, as well as my day to day lesson plans in the physical classroom. Regardless of the allotted time for a class, this idea creates variety and addresses various learning styles. It helps with the organization of paperwork, especially with regards to students with excessive absences. These and others seem to be beneficial side-effects of online learning and content management systems.
Another course that I was taking at the time, CEP 891Online Literacy and Reading to Learn in the Digital Age, focused on digital reading and various processes that our students currently use or should be exposed to when asked to read text and research digitally. The information presented in this course and the interactive activities seeped over into my online curriculum. Besides Weebly and Moodle, an online program that I have become comfortable using throughout the program is the screencasting program Jing. In the digital reading course we, as students, were asked to record our online researching process, analyze, and reflect upon what we recorded. We were then asked to watch and respond to other's screencasts. This was not as simple of a task as one would think; the activity asked students to do something they would normally do, except verbalize their thoughts which proves to be a foreign request. However, it did prove beneficial. The activity helped me realize the various ways that learners of all levels decipher online content and the direction that their thoughts take. For teachers a struggle is to reach all types of learners, and if we are not aware of what those types are it will prove difficult to accommodate and modify material to ensure their understanding and success.
I experienced such a learning epiphany with these reading aloud activities and reflection that I decided to implement something similar into my high school English classroom. Not only did I include similar activities into my online course, but I also experimented with students using a screencasting program in class. I wanted to troubleshoot with various programs, their compatibility, and ease of use on the school netbooks. I to seized the moment this past year; I had a small class of eight students that became my guinea pigs for any experiment or implementation. I was extremely upfront with them, and made sure to maintain the transparency regarding my goals with each new assignment and tool usage. This fostered communication between the students and myself and provided exceptional feedback that could only come from that type of environment. I can only hope that I have that opportunity again as a teacher; I know that it helped to propel my interest in the program as well as in the classroom.
Within the same course, CEP 891, regarding digital reading, I had another extreme learning experience. One thing that I’ve noticed throughout this entire program is that when I struggle with a particular class or assignment, I end up learning the most from it and surprise myself with my capabilities. In this particular course we were asked to choose one of the topics that we had briefly discussed throughout the course and develop a lesson that we could implement with students. We had a lot of creative freedom with this project, including the platform we wished to use to present the information, what age level it was directed at, and the topic. I ended up choosing the LICRA researching theory and process that is continually being developed and discovered by the professor of the course, Rand Spiro, and his colleagues.
I was initially interested in this researching process due to its connection with my reflection on my researching process. I felt that the way I researched digitally and traditionally had some similarities to the open mindset that could lead the researcher toward a different topic altogether. As I began to compile information regarding the LICRA process, I found a lack of resources and information. I struggled while developing this lesson, to the point where I contemplated switching my topic. But when I contemplated this switch I drew a blank regarding the new topic that I would choose. I rose to the challenge and decided to ask for some guidance from the instructors of the course including the expert on LICRA searching.
Because the topic is so new, even with their help and extra explanation, the development of this lesson proved difficult. However, it was nice to know that while trying to imitate and explain LICRA researching for the lesson and presentation, I could really do no wrong. This experience was one of the first times that I found my stubborn self asking for guidance and help on a topic or assignment. I felt empowered and more informed. I also developed more of a connection to the topic and a relationship with the instructors. Overall, it was the most beneficial experience to date within the program.
Although I did not fully implement the lesson plan initially. I did transfer my ideas and new researching process information over into various lessons that involved digital reading or researching. I may not have labeled it LICRA to my students, but I definitely tried to integrate small parts of the process to see how the students would react. This may be a better way to go about introducing such a new way of researching. Without a grand label and structure the students tended not to be apprehensive, but jumped in and gave it a try. This trial and error provided me with feedback that will be necessary as I continue to develop the lesson plan.
I plan to continue my experimentation and development of this LICRA lesson, in order to implement the lesson and introduce this process of researching to my students. I would like to make it a yearlong implementation so that it becomes a habit. My hope is that by the end of the year students don’t realize that they are using this researching process, but it becomes what they unconsciously fall back on to guide their researching. I know that this will prove difficult due to the the process, but if I have learned one thing from this program, it is that one can only learn from mistakes and challenges.
One of my favorite things about the MAET program, is that many of the activities, theories, and pedagogies were immediately adaptable to my current classroom. I felt that I was learning so many things through the courses and their content, but this learning was taken to another level when I began to implement elements into my classroom. I learned as I developed lessons, but more as I examined students and their interactions with and reactions to the new content. I could of only hoped to learn as much as I have through the last couple of years. I wish that at the time of my undergraduate schooling in education that there was a program that allowed students to implement the theories and practices at the same time as learning them. However, this is usually not the case, students learn the content and then are asked to recall and implement. To an extent this program asks that as well, but the flexibility of the courses with other professionals is what makes it a truly unique and rewarding experience.
Samantha Forster