MyCoursework
This page features a snapshot of each of my courses during my tenure as an MAED student, with each of these classes in some way contributing to my growth as an educator. If it helps, all files linked are in PDF format.
TE 836 - Awards and Classics of Children's Literature
Little Women
- Instructor: Laura Apol | Spring 2008
This course was a marvelous opportunity to examine some of the literary works that have captivated children for decades. Much time was spent analyzing how and why some books are designated as "good" or "classic" while others with similar literary qualities may simply be left on the shelf. One of my favorite assignments from this class was to read Little Women and then watch two film versions. The first essay is the subsequent analysis of those assignments. The second essay is a synthesis of my learnings in the class.
Independence and Structure in Little Women | Creating Literary History
ED 800 - Concepts of Educational Inquiry
Culture & Inquiry
- Instructor: Dr. Steven Weiland | Summer 2008
As a foundational course, ED 800 touched upon the philosophies of several influential thinkers in the 20th century and their views of educational inquiry. Because I never studied educational concepts in undergrad, this course was an important introduction to my understanding of the field, covering the ideas of Vivian Paley, Mary Catherine Bateson, and Howard Gardner, to name a few. The following paper was my final exam in the course, and I looked at the affect of culture upon educational inquiry while delving further into Paley's impact upon my own teaching.
Culture, Inquiry, and Vivian Paley
TE 846 - Advanced Methods for Teaching Language Arts
Social Inequality Poster
- Instructor: Kathleen Moxley | Summer 2008
In this class, we received plenty of opportunity to flex our creative muscles. Not only did we spend a lot of time reviewing practical approaches to teaching reading and writing, but we actually put into practice many of these approaches in class, from forming book clubs to creating our own memoir projects to writing vignettes. For our final assignment, we designed a fully integrated unit that implemented strategies from our learnings; I chose to do a unit on social inequality.
Social Inequality Unit | Social Inequality Unit Poster | Social Inequality Handout | Glasses Vignette
TE 843 - Reading, Writing, & Reasoning in Secondary School Subjects
Literacy Newsletter
- Instructor: Christine Dawson | Fall 2008
TE 843 was an incredibly practical class that exposed me to very pragmatic teaching methods and texts that became instrumental in shaping my development as a teacher of reading and writing. We identified elements of student-led inquiry at length, and I was given opportunity to research student inquiry in my own 8th grade reading class and formulate an assessment and solution plan. In addition, another project asked us to synthesize our learnings in a meaningful way, so I created a sample newsletter that could be used to dialogue with other literacy educators.
Literacy & Comprehension Newsletter | Student Led-Inquiry Assessment and Solution Plan
EAD 801 - Leadership & Organizational Development
Student Leaders
- Instructor: Dr. Nancy Colflesh | Spring 2009
This course was my first real exposure to the concept of teacher leadership. I became fascinated by the idea that it's not just principals and administrators who can be leaders, but everyday teachers like me as well. Once this idea was fixed in my mind, the sky was the limit! The flexibility of the course also showed me just how interested I was in student leadership, and I have been able to apply so much of what I learned to my current position as the Student Leadership Director at my school. My final essay (on student leadership) was intense and challenging, but it was well worth the time spent.
Tomorrow's Change Agents: Developing the Student Leaders of Today
TE 848 - Methods of Writing Instruction
Grammar Instruction
- Instructor: Janine Certo | Summer 2009
For any language arts teacher, finding ways to get kids authentically writing is always a key concern, and TE 848 addressed this concern in a very real way. Not only did we utilize book clubs and research areas of writing interest (see below), but we also applied that research to a writing project of our own, whether it was a wiki, website, short story, or some other creation. Two of our texts, Best Practices in Writing Instruction by Steve Graham and Ralph Fletcher's What a Writer Needs were some of the best books I've read on the subject.
Getting off the Island: Methods of Effective Grammar Instruction
CEP 816 - Technology, Teaching, & Learning Across the Curriculum
Instructional Dream
- Instructor: Rand Spiro | Fall 2009
CEP 816 focused on the integration of technology into the curriculum and really looking at ways to effectively use technology in aiding student learning. One interesting aspect of the class allowed us to find creative uses for new media that our students were already using, such as social networking sites or podcasts, while encouraging us to see the flexibility offered by new technologies. For our final project, we created an "Instructional Dream," in which we planned a unit integrating technology. My lesson worked through George Orwell's Animal Farm.
Instructional Dream: Navigating a World of Inquiry Through Animal Farm
EAD 860 - Concept of the Learning Society
Erin Brockovich
- Instructors: Dr. Steven Weiland & Nicholas Sheltrown | Summer 2010
In many ways, EAD 860 was a course that covered a broad range of topics, from how and when one can learn to theories of learning societies. Is learning only confined to formal school settings? How can learning take place? These questions and plenty more were addressed as this very compelling course progressed. By studying an assortment of both real and fictional individuals and by looking at learning in a variety of professions, I came to understand that any concept of the learning society must be a truly comprehensive view in which one is open to learning in all aspects of life.
Erin Brockovich | Mary Catherine Bateson & The Namesake
TE 818 - Curriculum in its Social Context
Synthesis: Digital Story
- Instructor: Erik Byker | Fall 2010
In TE 818, I got the chance to explore using a Wiki for the first time, particularly to investigate how administrators, teachers, and school boards go about creating a curriculum and the various social factors - global, cultural, historical, political, ethical, and so on - that influence these decisions. The class was fascinating, and I thoroughly enjoyed each of my assignments. For the first item below, I examined a debate raging in Hacienda Heights, California, in 2010 over whether or not to introduce "Confucius Classrooms" to a middle school. You can also find a supplemental, humorous report from the Daily Show here. The second assignment linked is my first digital story, a synthesis of class learnings, challenges, and a "where do we go from here" about the curriculum.
Curriculum Issue Analysis: Confucius Classrooms (in-site link) | Synthesis Project: A Digital Story (YouTube)
ED 870 - Capstone Seminar
Portfolio Website
Instructor: Dr. Matthew Koehler | Spring 2011
As our thesis seminar, ED 870 gave us the chance to compile our masters work in a professional setting through an online portfolio. Not only were we given the chance to create "snapshot" of sorts of our courses, but it also allowed for us to reflect meaningfully on our time in the program along with our future as learners, an important step in any learning process. This capstone seminar really renewed a sense of just how much I have grown as an educator through the outstanding curriculum offerings of the MAED program.
Goal Statement Reflection | Future as a Learner | Synthesis Essay (all in-site links)
As our thesis seminar, ED 870 gave us the chance to compile our masters work in a professional setting through an online portfolio. Not only were we given the chance to create "snapshot" of sorts of our courses, but it also allowed for us to reflect meaningfully on our time in the program along with our future as learners, an important step in any learning process. This capstone seminar really renewed a sense of just how much I have grown as an educator through the outstanding curriculum offerings of the MAED program.
Goal Statement Reflection | Future as a Learner | Synthesis Essay (all in-site links)