ANNOTATED TRANSCRIPT
On this page, you will find a compilation of the courses that I have taken while completing my Master of Arts in Education (MAED) degree at Michigan State University (MSU). The courses are listed in chronological order and are organized by semester. I have also provided the name of the instructor(s), a link to their official MSU biographies, a link to the official MAED course descriptions, and a brief description of each course.
KEY:
TE = Teacher Education
ED = Education
CEP = Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education
FALL 2012
TE 802 - REFLECTION & INQUIRY IN TEACHING PRACTICE I
Instructor: Stephanie Strachan
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This course was taken during the fall semester of my year-long teaching internship. TE 802 focused on literacy instruction within the elementary classroom, with a primary focus on explicit comprehension strategies. The main project in this course was to create and implement a ten-day literacy unit to teach to the Kindergarten students within my internship classroom. The unit I created focused on explicit comprehension instruction using think alouds, read alouds, guided interactive discussions and anchor lessons/charts. I was able to modify my unit to meet the needs of my students based on the formative assessments that I collected and analyzed through the implementation.
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SPRING 2013
TE 803 - PROFESSIONAL ROLES IN TEACHING PRACTICE II
Instructor: Soo Bin Jang
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This course was taken during the spring semester of my year-long teaching internship, in which I was lead teaching my Kindergarten classroom full time. TE 803 focused on social studies instruction within the elementary classroom in relation to the Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs). I created, implemented and analyzed a ten-day social studies unit focusing on multicultural fairy tales and geography. For this unit, my topic was on the similarities and differences in cultures and the role of geography in shaping those cultures. I created a detailed narrative lesson plan for this unit, incorporating readings, technology and writing elements into my unit.
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TE 804 - REFLECTION & INQUIRY IN TEACHING PRACTICE II
Instructor: Dr. Christina Schwarz
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TE 804 was taken simultaneously during the spring semester of my year-long teaching internship. This course focused on science instruction within the elementary classroom. This course included inquiry, analysis and reflection within science instruction and allowed me to think critically about my own teaching practices. In this course, I created a ten-day unit focusing on force and motion to teach within my Kindergarten internship classroom. I used the grade-level Michigan Science Process GLCEs and Standards to assist in the creation, modification and implementation of this unit.
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FALL 2016
TE 849 - METHODS & MATERIALS FOR TEACHING CHILDREN'S AND ADOLESCENT LITERATURE
Instructor: Dr. Laura Apol
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TE 849 was the first course I took in beginning the Master of Arts in Education program at Michigan State University. This course focused on reading, analyzing, evaluating and conversing about genres of children's and adolescent literature, as well as examining ongoing and contemporary issues associated with various genres. The materials for this course were a variety of children's and adolescent books, novels, graphic novels, and film. We also used a textbook, articles and other online resources to support the learning and exploration of the genres. The method aspect of TE 849 was exploring what teachers can do with this literature in terms of involving students in conversations about the content, genres and issues associated with the content and genres.
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SPRING 2017
CEP 805 - LEARNING MATHEMATICS WITH TECHNOLOGY
Instructors: Dr. Ralph Putnam and Brittany Dillman
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This course explored the interaction of school mathematics content, technology that supports mathematics teaching and learning, and the cognitive and social processes of learning all found within classrooms. CEP 805 provided me with a new way to explore and rethink standard assumptions about elementary mathematics, learning and technology. Throughout the semester, I worked in a group with several other teachers to more deeply understand the content areas of mathematics and research and evaluate specific technologies that could support, extend and enrich learning in those areas. The final project for this course was creating an Online Resource Library of technologies targeting specific issues or mathematics content area(s).
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SUMMER 2017
ED 800 - CONCEPTS OF EDUCATIONAL INQUIRY
Instructor: Dr. Steven Weiland
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As one of the introductory courses in the MAED, ED 800 provided me with opportunities to think critically about and exchange ideas regarding educational beliefs and the various forms of related inquiry. During the semester, I examined the work of several theorists, as well as researched multiple educational policies and subsequently analyzed how education has changed throughout history. I also learned much more about the role of inquiry in education, cultural influences, and participant observation. As a result, I now have a deeper knowledge and understanding of what influences the educational system, and how I am part of the influences on our educational system as a professional educator.
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TE 848 - WRITING ASSESSMENT AND INSTRUCTION (K-5 Focus)
Instructor: Amy Croel-Perrien
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TE 848 was a course that provided me with several opportunities to more closely examine the writing instruction and assessment of elementary classrooms. I was also able to explore various genres of writing, specifically poetry, a genre I am not particularly comfortable in by exploring my writing across a few drafts and reflecting on the evolution of those drafts. In addition, I gained a deeper understanding of the writing theory, research, and pedagogy that support best practices in writing assessment and instruction.
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TE 846 - ACCOMMODATING DIFFERENCES IN LITERACY LEARNERS (K-5 Focus)
Instructor: Kimberly Jansen
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The main focus of this course was best practices in literacy. However, I also became more knowledgeable in other areas, including differentiated instruction and accommodations that would allow me to help all students achieve literacy success. Through TE 846, I had the opportunity to work with a former student and conduct a literacy learner analysis, in which I used pre-assessments to develop a series of lessons targeted specifically at her literacy needs. Afterwards, I utilized post-assessments to gather data and then analyze it, allowing me to create a plan for her future literacy needs based on best practices in literacy.
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FALL 2017
CEP 802 - DEVELOPING POSITIVE ATTITUDES FOR LEARNING
Instructors: Dr. Evelyn Oka and James Los
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Aside from deepening my knowledge in the areas of literacy and technology, I also wanted to learn more about the development and promotion of motivating my students to learn. CEP 802 allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of motivation and its relation to learning behaviors in educational settings. Throughout the semester, I worked with a small group to examine and analyze three major theoretical perspectives (behavioral, intrinsic motivation, and cognitive-development) and how those models could be applied in classrooms. The culminating project for this course was to design a personalized motivational strategy for a struggling writer in my classroom that was based in theory, pedagogy, research and best practices.
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SPRING 2018
Instructors: Dr. Matthew Koehler, Sarah Keenan-Lechel, Spencer Greenhalgh, and Brittany Dillman
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The final course in the MAED program was ED 870, a course in which I had the opportunity to spend the semester reflecting on my journey as a learner in the program. The primary assignment for this course was creating an online professional teaching portfolio in which I highlighted my experience as an educator and as a life-long learner. Extending upon my knowledge of website design, I created well-thought out pages for my resume, showcase pieces, reflective essays and much more that demonstrate what I have learned and accomplished in the MAED program at MSU these past two years.
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