ED 800: Concepts of Educational Inquiry - Dr. Steven Weiland
In this course I explored the evolution of education, and contrasted the changes from the past to the present. This allowed me to take a more in depth look at how I feel about education from both the student and teacher perspective. I studied the ideas of educational philosophers such as John Dewey, E.D. Hirsh, and Catherine Bateson. Studying the ways other view education and reflecting upon their ideas and my own helped me to become more aware of myself as an educator. After reading Gardner's Truth, Beauty and Goodness Reframed I reflected on how Gardner was more than a theorist on multiple intelligences. I was able to investigate Gardner's virtues of teaching, specifically "beauty and goodness", to reflect on key themes this course and book covered. |
TE 861B: Inquiry, Nature of Science - Dr. Amelia Gotwals
During this course, I created, conducted, observed, and reported on how to teach science in different ways. I used inquiry and the Next Generation Science Standards to drive our instruction and student questioning. I completed an interview report using inquiry based questions to learn what students understood about the natural world. I learned about the best practices for teaching science and conducting inquiry with the NGSS, all while creating and engaging and enriching classroom. This helped me to think about how best to challenge my students and push their thinking. |
KIN 855: Psychosocial Bases of Coaching - Dr. Andrew Driska
In this course I studied the basis of coaching in athletics, ranging from local little league to professional. I learned about psychological and psychosocial practices that coaches can engage in that can both hinder/harm the physical and psychological welfare of an athlete, as well as how as coaches we can promote confidence and the ability to excel in all athletes. I we engaged in field studies to observe other coaches' behaviors and how the athletes respond to those behaviors in the Coaching Analysis Project. In addition, I considered how the physical environment the athlete is surrounded by can affect their performance. |
CEP 832: Educating Students with Challenging Behaviors - Dr. Evelyn Oka
CEP 832 focused on the characteristics of different students with challenging behaviors and interventions for teaching these students. I learned about how many different types of challenging behaviors there are and narrowed in on a specific one most difficult for me professionally. This course allowed for a great deal of self-reflection of how you currently manage challenging students and when your effective teaching stance is strongest and weakest. I completed a project based on the challenging behaviors of a student I currently teach. I devised an intervention plan for this student, collected data, and evaluated the effectiveness of this intervention plan. I focused on one student in my 10th grade Biology class to increase my effective teaching stance with addressing his hostile and violent behaviors, as well as increasing his on-task behaviors. |
CEP 883: Psychology of Classroom Discipline - Dr. My T. Lien
CEP 883 explored the many different aspects of classroom management. I learned about the difference and value of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations within the classroom and was able to use these distinctions immediately in my second grade classroom. Throughout this course I deeply reflected on my own classroom management practices, continuing to improve my classroom climate. In my classroom management plan project I was able to reflect on my current classroom management practices, and plan to incorporate new techniques and strategies to continue improving my classroom environment for the upcoming school year. |
TE 831: Teaching School Subject Matter with Technology - Dr. Douglas Hartman
In this course I was introduced to the TPACK framework - technological, pedadogical and content knowledge. This course taught the importance of aligning teaching methods, content knowledge and the technology we use during lessons. This course took an authentic approach to learning as we used TPACK to solve a problem of practice in our classrooms. I was able to use my learning from this class to reevaluate my lesson plans and find ways to re-purpose them using technology. |
CEP 841: Classroom Mangagement in the Inclusive Classroom - Dr. Troy Mariage
This course helped me understand the essential role of leadership in the classroom and to understand the role of classroom management as one of prevention. This course focused on the importance of Positive Behavior Interventions and how to develop my own habits of behavior for thinking about instructional practices that meet the needs of students. My special topics project included creating a crisis response plans for schools in the post-vention of a suicide. |
CEP 842: Content Area Instruction for Students with Mild Disabilities - Dr. Cindy Okolo, Dr. Mei Shen
In this course, I investigated instructional practices that can be used in general education classrooms to improve the learning and academic performance of students with mild learning problems and disabilities. I focused on instruction in the content-area subjects of science, and mathematics. The goal of this course was learn to design and differentiate instruction that is sensitive to individual learning needs and preferences of all students. I also addressed Universal Design for Learning, collaborative planning for instruction, content enhancement, secondary and transition services, and creating a classroom climate in which all students have the opportunity to participate and succeed. |
ED 870: Capstone Seminar - Dr. Matthew Koehler, Aric Gaunt, Spencer Greenhalgh
In ED 870 I was tasked to create a professional portfolio of all of the work I have done in my masters program. This course provided me with the opportunity and knowledge to showcase what I have done, reflect on what I have learned, and to show others what I learned on my journey through my Master's program. It involved working with new web site platforms and incorporating technology and design. This course has given me many opportunities to reflect on what types of work I have accomplished during my program, as well as recognize the my personal and professional growth. I learned the importance and value in feedback, small changes, and communicating with peers to better myself professionally. |
TE 855: Teaching School Mathematics - Dr. Michael Gundlach
This course centered around mathematics in the classroom and different ways to analyze what student responses were really saying to the teacher. Much of this course was analytical and required a lot of critical thinking to understand a variety of students answers to help teachers understand what their students were thinking and how to best adjust our teaching meet our students at their level of understanding. This course provided me with more understanding on how to analyze the work of students to gain more insight to their thinking. I was forced to think through the eyes of a child and try to see things the way they may see things. Most importantly, learned to view solutions and problem solving in new ways. |