Master's in Education Coursework:
This webpage is a showcase of the courses I have taken while working toward my Master’s in Education at Michigan State University. They are listed in chronological order and consist of a brief curricular description with a sample of work completed during that course. You will find samples of my work as links within the descriptions or as a clickable image.
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TE 801--Professional Roles & Teaching Practice I
(fall 2007)
G. Sykes; G. Richmond
Historical Perspectives Essay
This course was taken in coordination with a full-time internship position at Charlotte High School, where I taught World History, U.S. History, Civics, and A.P. European History. TE 801, which was geared specifically to social science educators, consistently combined class discussion, readings, journal entries, and reflection essays in order to facilitate deeper understanding within my experiences as a Lansing area intern. Given the freedom within those assignments to focus on particular areas of interest, I chose to consider the specific ways in which historical topics are taught to high schoolers. How do the ways that certain people are taught within history curriculum impact the framework of the subject matter itself? Does history as a discipline inadvertently create distinct heroes and villians?
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TE 802--Reflections & Inquiries in Teaching Practice I
(fall 2007)
Avner Segall
Students were encouraged to deeply consider the impact of educational curriculum, personal and professional inquiry, as well as student acheivement within the public academic sphere. Students took part in graduate lessons that utilized experience as a tool for teacher-education. For example, course curriculum included simulated examples of possible lesson plans, the employment of socratic discussions, as well as incorporating student-centered approaches to content. Written assignments often took the form of journal entries (Pedagogy Developer Journal) in order to cultivate teaching inquiry.
TE 802--Reflections & Inquiries in Teaching Practice I
(fall 2007)
Avner Segall
Students were encouraged to deeply consider the impact of educational curriculum, personal and professional inquiry, as well as student acheivement within the public academic sphere. Students took part in graduate lessons that utilized experience as a tool for teacher-education. For example, course curriculum included simulated examples of possible lesson plans, the employment of socratic discussions, as well as incorporating student-centered approaches to content. Written assignments often took the form of journal entries (Pedagogy Developer Journal) in order to cultivate teaching inquiry.
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TE 803--Professional Roles & Teaching Practice II
(spring 2008)
Tom Bird
Visual History Research
Using research methods within the internship field placement, students were instructed to think critically about specific disciplinary curriculum practices (i.e. social studies). Students did not simply reflect on experiences within personal journals--the course required that multiple forms of evidence be used to form pedagogical outlooks. The information gathered during the internship was then used to formulate opinions grounded in professional inquiry, practice in identifying the stakes, crafting possible changes to practice, and finally evaluating the impact of such responses.
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TE 804--Reflections & Inquiries in Teaching Practice II
(spring 2008)
Avner Segall
Learning through example was the central method of this course. Instead of a professor-led class, this course utilized the skills and experiences of enrolled students. TE 804 incorporated a student-driven curriculum in which intern teacher-students showcased lessons to others in the course. Readings, class discussions, journals, and papers were also important tools of learning as they related to both the internship placement and experiences within the course itself. In order to promote a more deeper understanding of discipline-specific educational reflection, a Self-Reflective Questionnaire was completed.
TE 804--Reflections & Inquiries in Teaching Practice II
(spring 2008)
Avner Segall
Learning through example was the central method of this course. Instead of a professor-led class, this course utilized the skills and experiences of enrolled students. TE 804 incorporated a student-driven curriculum in which intern teacher-students showcased lessons to others in the course. Readings, class discussions, journals, and papers were also important tools of learning as they related to both the internship placement and experiences within the course itself. In order to promote a more deeper understanding of discipline-specific educational reflection, a Self-Reflective Questionnaire was completed.
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CEP 815--Technology and Leadership
(summer 2011)
L. Wolf; N. Sheltrown
Technology Policy Brief
How can technology be used as a tool to promote learning within high school classrooms? That was the focus of CEP 815, which introduced students to various technological tools, the writings of field professionals, as well as incorporating authentic assignments to be used by technology leading teaching staff. An example of this was a policy brief which allowed students to write a realistic technology argument, using John Hattie's six educational factors, to school administrators.
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CEP 882--Socio-Emotional Development of School-Age Youth
(summer 2011)
Cary Roseth
Peer Influence Paper
Making the argument against a dichotomous view of nature and nurture within childhood development, CEP 882 used extensive research articles and techniques to educate students. Lessons stressed the importance of various factors in the devlopment of the school-aged mind with a well-rounded introduction to multiple disciplinary arguments, as well as opportunities to reflect on such information.
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TE 846--Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners
(summer 2011)
C. Waldron; R. Stanulis
Alternative education and Literacy case study
Each assignment in this course prepared students for the final project: a comprehensive case study of a literacy learner. Specifically tailored to meet the needs of individual teacher situations, lessons required students to incorporate the demographics, experiences, and application of material to a particular literacy learner with either suspected or diagnosed signs of learning difficulties. The final case study used background information, environmental factors, and actual teaching practices to be used in order to aid the student on his/her literary journey.
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CEP 818--Creativity in Teaching & Learning
(fall 2011)
K. Kereluik; Punya Mishra
Increasing curricular creativity website
As more states push for standardized education, is there still room for creativity within the classroom? This course, based on the writings of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Enhancing Personal Creativity) and Robert and Michele Root-Bernstein (Sparks of Creativity), gave students a platform with which to try various forms of creativity while enhancing disciplinary curriculum.
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ED 800--Concepts in Educational Inquiry
(fall 2011)
S. Weiland
In a highly systematic manner, students were exposed to an array of professional and literary texts related to various aspects of educational teacher inquiry. Ranging in topics from traditional and progressive techniques, the education of famous Americans in history, to the practices of renowned teachers and academic thinkers, students interacted with the topic of "educational inquiry" to its fullest extent. Writing assignments (such as an Educational Warfare Essay) fostered this teacher inquiry in students.
ED 800--Concepts in Educational Inquiry
(fall 2011)
S. Weiland
In a highly systematic manner, students were exposed to an array of professional and literary texts related to various aspects of educational teacher inquiry. Ranging in topics from traditional and progressive techniques, the education of famous Americans in history, to the practices of renowned teachers and academic thinkers, students interacted with the topic of "educational inquiry" to its fullest extent. Writing assignments (such as an Educational Warfare Essay) fostered this teacher inquiry in students.
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CEP 820--Teaching K12 Students Online
(spring 2012)
M. Schira Hagerman, L. Wolf
Social studies online course module creation
Increasingly, college courses are being taught online. What better way to prepare high school students for university life than to incorporate online learning to existing curriculum? In this particular course, students develop and put into practice their own online course module--which includes the important elements of teacher-student interaction, student collaboration, forums, readings, and assignments associated with the topic of study. Click here to read more about my experiences creating online curriculum.
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ED 870--Capstone Seminar
(spring 2012)
S. Leahy, A. Zellner, M. Koehler
Michigan State University's Capstone course is intended as a reflection and culmination of all the classes taken during one's Master's program. This website is the result of assignments from that course and is meant to showcase the work I completed on that journey.
ED 870--Capstone Seminar
(spring 2012)
S. Leahy, A. Zellner, M. Koehler
Michigan State University's Capstone course is intended as a reflection and culmination of all the classes taken during one's Master's program. This website is the result of assignments from that course and is meant to showcase the work I completed on that journey.
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