Master of Arts in Education Annotated Transcript
Here is a list of all classes completed, along with the year taken and a short description, for my Master of Arts in Education at Michigan State University.
This was the first class I took in my Master of Arts in Education program. This class had an assessment component that reviewed various assessment methods and materials. It taught students to analyze results of assessments, and use these results to develop strategies for teaching literacy and methods for differentiating instruction. Children develop their literacy skills at different rates. Struggling readers may require a different method of literacy instruction, with different materials and modifications made to meet their needs.
This class was by far my favorite class. Dr. Apol was an excellent instructor, challenging me to stretch my thinking and forcing me out of my comfort zone. This class helped me to analyze and question which books receive awards, while others do not. We were asked to determine what makes a “good” book and a “classic” book.
This course focused on prevention and intervention strategies for challenging behaviors in a classroom and school-wide settings. Behaviors were defined and then techniques offered for managing them. We identified different behavioral assessments and created lists of ideas for managing challenging behaviors. Another key idea in this course was classroom management. Often times, behaviors will occur due to the lack of classroom organization and management. Classroom management methods and strategies were offered to prevent some behavioral concerns.
This MAED class offered a foundation for thinking about educational ideas and beliefs. It required you to ask questions, interpret and criticize instruction, read about a variety of theories about intelligence, and curriculum. It also gave a detailed history and biography of education through the work of John Dewey. This class gave great insight into education’s early beginnings and how it has changed and shifted throughout the years.
This class focused on positive classroom management and techniques for those “difficult to teach” students. This class helped identify behaviors that negatively impact a classroom environment making it difficult to teach and for students to learn. It provided strategies through positive behavioral supports and through research-based methods. These ideas and concepts were applied to real life situations in the classroom. There was also an emphasis on making connections with parents.
This course detailed new ways of thinking about and developing the concept of motivation to learn. It taught how to analyze and define motivational characteristics of students, and to develop a variety of strategies to promote positive motivational change. Within this class we looked at cognitive perspectives of motivation and how these could be addressed to foster further motivation. Intrinsic motivation was another aspect about how students learn for the sake of learning. Behavioral approaches were also discussed to determine which were most effective.
This course explored how trends of technology can be used effectively for educational purposes. Through the use of games, Internet, and multimedia there are challenges, but possible value as well within an educational setting. This class pushed my technological skills to a new level by developing video’s through iMovie, and using websites, such as Vimeo and Glogster, as well as creating a Voice Thread. My confidence for using technology in the classroom has increased, along with my motivation to try new ideas with my students.
In this course we focused on the characteristics of effective reading instruction and assessment as characterized and defined by literacy experts. We learned about the models of reading assessment with specific emphasis on the cognitive model. The focus was on utilizing assessments to help guide instruction and intervention. The Words Their Way book was utilized to guide educators through a research-based program for reading instruction.
In this course, we explored the meaning of creativity through “play.” We played with ideas, concepts, and our feelings towards different ideas. We asked ourselves questions about creativity. We discussed and defined the meaning of creativity and explored strategies for being creative. Creativity is explored through 7 cognitive tools: Perceiving, Patterning, Abstracting, Embodied Thinking, Modeling, Playing, and Synthesizing. This course helps you identify and develop your own personal creativity, learn how to teach others creatively and teach my students skills for being creative.
This is the final class in the Master of Arts in Education program. It allows for reflection on the courses taken in the Master's program, and a forum for which to share and highlight key ideas and concepts learned throughout the program. It guides you through creating an educational/personal website of your work to share with future employers, educators, and family. Through this course we continue to collaborate with fellow students by providing feedback and sharing ideas for the best way to present ourselves.