Annotated Transcript
Below are descriptions of classes I completed as part of the Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program at Michigan State University (MSU).
Key for Class Names
*TE = Teacher Education * CEP = Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education * ED = Education *
*TE = Teacher Education * CEP = Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education * ED = Education *
SUMMER 2017
CEP 840- Policies, Practices, and Procedures in Special Education
-Dr. Carol Sue Englert- -TA: Julie Brehmer- This was the first course I took as a graduate student. I completed this course, along with CEP 883, during the summer after my first year teaching. In this course, we explored different policies, practices, and procedures in special education. As an Early Childhood Special Education minor, I was interested to learn more about ways I could develop an inclusive classroom, now that I had a class of my own. We completed a case study and wrote our own Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), researched and developed a webpage about assistive technology, and created a professional website used to serve as a resource for ourselves and fellow teachers. Throughout this course, I gained a deeper understanding of the inclusive classroom and left with ideas and strategies I still use today. |
CEP 883- Psychology of Classroom Management
-Dr. My T. Lien- I took this course because I had always been interested in the psychology side of the classroom. It was a unique experience to learn about the classroom from the perspective of a school psychologist as opposed to the more typical perspective of a classroom teacher. Our focus varied from student motivation, positive behavior support, and data-based decision making. This course challenged me more than I expected, because the field of psychology has a lot of gray area. In many of the assignments, there was not one correct answer. We were encouraged to think outside the box. For our final project, I created a comprehensive classroom management plan that I have revised and used with every new school year since. |
FALL 2017
CEP 804A- Literacy Instruction for Students with Mild Disabilities
-Dr. Carol Sue Englert- This was my second course with the wonderful Carol Sue, and wouldn't have been my last if she taught any more courses. In this course, we again focused on inclusive classroom instruction, but from solely a literacy lens. We experimented with various types of literacy assessments, collected and analyzed actual student data based off these assessments, and created remediation plans for students who struggled. Throughout this course, I became extremely familiar with administering and analyzing literacy assessments. When I worked as a Literacy Interventionist last Spring, this knowledge helped me truly understand my students' needs on a deeper level, and allowed me to create meaningful goals for them. |
ED 800- Concepts of Educational Inquiry
-Dr. Steven Weiland & Nathan Clason- In this self-paced, introductory course, we focused on inquiry as it relates to education. Specifically, we learned about six kinds of inquiry done by teachers including: philosophical thought, empirical and reflective work, ethnographic and autobiographical reflection, biography, curriculum organization, and the impact of technology on education and learning. We read accompanying articles, novels, and watched educational videos to deepen our understanding of each topic. For each unit, we were asked to write a reflective essay on the type of inquiry studied in that module. |
SPRING 2018
TE 836- Awards and Classics in Children's Literature
-Dr. Bena Hartman- This course turned out to be completely different than I expected, but also one of my favorites. I took a Children's Literature class during my undergrad, in which we analyzed popular children's books to determine their overall quality. This course, however, explored underrepresented groups of people in children's literature. Some of the communities we explored were Asian-Americans, children and adults with disabilities, and LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) individuals. During each module, we read a selection of children's books featuring a specific population, and researched about their current representation in literature. For our final project, I created a 4-week disabilities awareness unit using picture books featuring characters with physical, social, and intellectual disabilities. |
SUMMER 2018
TE 842- Elementary Reading Assessment and Instruction
-Dr. Lisa Domke- This course gave me the opportunity, once again, to gain experience in administering and evaluating literacy assessments. I took this course after my semester working as a Literacy Interventionist, which made this course extremely relevant for me. We also had the chance to participate in a virtual "book club" focusing on key areas of elementary reading assessment and instruction including word study, vocabulary instruction, project-based instruction, and English Language Learners. I chose to further study PreK-2 vocabulary instruction. We also explored best practices in phonological awareness, phonics, narrative and informational comprehension, fluency, reading motivation, and more. |
CEP 841- Classroom Management in the Inclusive Classroom
-Dr. Troy Mariage- This course, like CEP 883, looked at the classroom from a psychological perspective, but considering special education learners, as well. We researched Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, conducted Functional Behavioral Assessments, and looked at the implementation of Behavior Intervention Plans. We also gained awareness about learning differences in our own schools, and identified various functions of behavior. We had the opportunity to research and create a resource on a topic of our choice that could be used as a professional development for other educators. |
TE 846- Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners
-Amy Perrien- This course allowed me to put everything I'd learned about literacy assessment and instruction to the test. The majority of this course focused on a Literacy Learners Analysis Project. In this project, we chose a student we knew struggled in reading and/or writing. I chose to study a student I was tutoring at the time. We looked at environmental, educational, and cultural factors, collected and analyzed pre and post assessment data, and created a plan for the student's teacher and parents. Once again, we looked at best practices in literacy instruction as a guide in determining lessons for our focus student. |
FALL 2018
TE 855- Teaching School Mathematics
-Lisa Hawley- I chose this course as an elective to add some diversity to my program. Since majority of my courses are literacy related, I wanted to integrate another content area to my graduate study. In this course, we explored different issues, trends, and research in mathematics education. In this course, we looked at the difference between civil and community mathematics and shared standards-based lesson ideas based on these categories. I also had the opportunity to research the importance of closing mathematics lessons and implemented an intervention based on this research in my own classroom. |
ED 870- Capstone Portfolio Course
-Dr. Matthew Koehler- -TAs: Sarah Keenan-Lechel, Aric Gaunt, & Sukanya Moudgalya- The main focus of this final course in the Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program was creating an online digital portfolio. This portfolio (which you are viewing now) showcases my experience as an educator and work as a graduate student. In this course, I had the opportunity to reflected upon my work over the past year and a half, collaborate with other educators in the program, and ultimately create a living professional resource to accompany me throughout my career. This course also helped me advance my educational technology skills and learn more about website development. |