Graduate Level Showcase
Welcome to my graduate school showcase! The experiences I had, during this journey were some of the most rewarding in my professional career! Take the time to explore the steps I took to receive my Masters in Education, and please do not hesitate to e-mail me with any questions!
Michigan State University Internship
August 2006 - May 2007
Dwight Rich Middle School
Lansing, Michigan
Michigan State University has a unique (and very rewarding) internship requirement, that spans the duration of nearly one full school year. From the beginning of August, through the beginning of May, a novice teacher has probably one of the greatest learning curves within their entire career. The responsibilities that an intern has, slowly increases throughout the year. Substituting teaching can also provide interns the opportunity to spread their wings for one day at a time. Approximately 30% of my internship was comprised of substitute teaching, and while the experiences were stressful, I would not be the teacher I am today without them! I learned to take one day at a time, strive every day to meet the academic, social and behavioral needs of every student and support those students in every way. The passion I have for teaching and helping those in need kept me striving to do my best every day during my internship. This passion is what continues to motivate me to give every student 110% and strive to fulfill the title of "A Life-long Learner."
Lansing, Michigan
Michigan State University has a unique (and very rewarding) internship requirement, that spans the duration of nearly one full school year. From the beginning of August, through the beginning of May, a novice teacher has probably one of the greatest learning curves within their entire career. The responsibilities that an intern has, slowly increases throughout the year. Substituting teaching can also provide interns the opportunity to spread their wings for one day at a time. Approximately 30% of my internship was comprised of substitute teaching, and while the experiences were stressful, I would not be the teacher I am today without them! I learned to take one day at a time, strive every day to meet the academic, social and behavioral needs of every student and support those students in every way. The passion I have for teaching and helping those in need kept me striving to do my best every day during my internship. This passion is what continues to motivate me to give every student 110% and strive to fulfill the title of "A Life-long Learner."
TE 861C: Action Research within the K-12 Math/Science Classroom
Summer 2010
Flickr.com user: NASBA
In a time of economic hardships, we as teachers need to develop innovative ways to improve our profession. Action research is the key! Since the teacher or a group of teachers can control this research, it often times requires no additional financial support. Action research also provides educators a degree of flexibly. One can research anything from the effects of questioning styles on assessments to strategies to help defiant students be more successful within the classroom setting. Review some of the research I have conducted on making Cooperative Learning Tasks successful within any classroom.
TE 855: Teaching School Mathematics
Fall 2010
"Marvellous insight into the teacher's craft... A well-craftend modest, richly pleasurable, even gripping, book, that says more about the challenges and pleasures of teaching (and learning) than a host of manuals could."
-Michael Duffy, Times Educational Supplement
When we think of "teaching" math, some teachers often think about teaching a certain list of content objectives before a test at the end of the year. However, teaching mathematics effectively requires a deeper level of thinking from both teachers and students. What does it take to design a lesson that will require students to use higher order thinking skills? What does a teacher do if a student has a question or is stuck? How can mathematical reasoning within the classroom raise assessment scores? When a teacher attempts to seek the answer to these questions, immediately the focus turns from a list of content objectives to a way for students to make sense of math and its applications.
-Michael Duffy, Times Educational Supplement
When we think of "teaching" math, some teachers often think about teaching a certain list of content objectives before a test at the end of the year. However, teaching mathematics effectively requires a deeper level of thinking from both teachers and students. What does it take to design a lesson that will require students to use higher order thinking skills? What does a teacher do if a student has a question or is stuck? How can mathematical reasoning within the classroom raise assessment scores? When a teacher attempts to seek the answer to these questions, immediately the focus turns from a list of content objectives to a way for students to make sense of math and its applications.
TE 831: Teaching Subject Matter with Technology
Fall 2010
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge
What does it mean to prepare 21st century learners? How do we connect with these digital natives when we did not grow up in a time of cell phones, iPods, mP3 players, etc. There must be a "secret" to reaching these students, in order to better motivate them in school. That secret is Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK). When a teacher works within the core of TPACK, technology is flawlessly integrated within the lesson to teach the content. Technology becomes a way to communicate with 21st century learners, in a way that they understand. We, in turn, speak their language and they will respond to the content much more quickly. Take a look at a digital story I designed to teach students the different applications of scale factors.
CEP 832: Educating Students with Challenging Behavior
Spring 2011
We have all had these students whom, no matter what we do, we cannot get them to behave in our classroom. When you have tried everything, where else do you turn? The first step is identifying what "type" of student you are trying to reach. Is this student aggressive, defiant, low-achieving, etc.? Once one pinpoints the behavior, the cause of the behavior is much more challenging to determine. However, the historical background will eventually allow us to make informed decisions on how to react to better reach the student. When you experience a child breaking out of his/her shell, working with challenging students, and trying to "figure them out" will become a personal challenge versus a frustration in your classroom. Take a look at the research that I completed with an extremely defiant student. I combined both behavioral and academic strategies in order to meet his social and educational needs.
ED 800: Concepts of Educational Inquiry
Spring 2011
How do we learn? How do we teach? Who do we learn from? All these questions require great levels of inquiry within ourselves, our profession and our culture. Concepts of Educational Inquiry explores the multiple forms of inquiry that one can use to attempt to answer these thought provoking questions. For example, Whale Rider can be viewed from an ethnographic participant observation perspective, in order to better understand the culture and the educational expectations of the Maori Tribe. Another form of inquiry that is used within the educational field can be seen in "A Girl With the Brown Crayon" by Vivian Paley. (I highly recommend this book! It is a great read and you can't help but to become engrossed in the interactions that Paley shares with her kindergarten students.)
ED 870: Capstone Portfolio Course
Summer 2011
The demanding requirements of graduate school often times leaves one in a whirlwind of papers, research within and without of our own classroom, viewing our profession from a critical eye, etc... When do we have time to take it all in? Capstone Portfolio Course provided that opportunity! Obtaining my Masters in Education through Michigan State has honestly been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. The knowledge I have gained, every step along the way is priceless! Capstone enabled me to bring some of the most rewarding advances together in one place, while still teaching me how to create a website of my own. This website is the product of the Capstone Portfolio Course. I hope you are enjoying it!