Putting It All Together
Education has always been a part of my life. My mother was an educator for over thirty years, teaching special education and working in policy. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized that it was strange that I thought of my teachers, all of whom were friends with my mother, as normal people who just happened to teach- unlike my students who often view their teachers as a separate species. My step-father just retired this year as a social work professor and made discussions about education and the importance of it a regular dinnertime event. However, I never thought I’d teach despite being surrounded by teachers and educators. I majored in history and political science in addition to education but my education degree was only intended as a fallback position. I wanted to be to work in policy. A background in education would make me a more effective communicator when advocating positions but that was expected to be the end of its utility. Then I began to take higher level history classes and I learned that truth and facts were just interpretations. In government classes I learned that whatever policy I advocated, no matter how good it was, would probably never come to fruition, especially in the form that I advocated.
As I grew disillusioned, I realized that education was a place where ideas and theories could be applied and evaluated in real time. Parker J. Palmer in his book, The Courage to Teach, discusses the importance of identity and integrity in teaching. The idea is that teachers (and in fact all people) must be aware of all facets of themselves and then work to discern what is integral to their self-hood to become more whole. My identity is that of a learner. Since 2003, I have worked in the classroom to learn new things and bring them to my students. The goal is not only to dispense information through content but also to give information about new ideas and challenge my students to think of things in new ways. Since I have lived overseas it is important that I am mindful of the work I have to do expose myself to new teaching ideas. In 2015, I found myself stagnating and felt a need to improve myself. Once again I would focus on exposing myself to new ideas and their application.
As I grew disillusioned, I realized that education was a place where ideas and theories could be applied and evaluated in real time. Parker J. Palmer in his book, The Courage to Teach, discusses the importance of identity and integrity in teaching. The idea is that teachers (and in fact all people) must be aware of all facets of themselves and then work to discern what is integral to their self-hood to become more whole. My identity is that of a learner. Since 2003, I have worked in the classroom to learn new things and bring them to my students. The goal is not only to dispense information through content but also to give information about new ideas and challenge my students to think of things in new ways. Since I have lived overseas it is important that I am mindful of the work I have to do expose myself to new teaching ideas. In 2015, I found myself stagnating and felt a need to improve myself. Once again I would focus on exposing myself to new ideas and their application.
Relearning and Revising Old Skills
In the summer of 2017 I took TE 848, Writing Assessment and Instruction, with Scott Jarvie. I have always found my writing to be relatively weak and for this reason I always preferred to work orally or through video or film as a young learner. The class, which forced me to work on my skills, focused on new writing techniques such as writing using media and empowering writers to write from their hearts. The class moved away from the writing of inauthentic five paragraph essays and encouraged writers to compose texts across media and genre. This was the big change for many of my students, who were used to writing essays only for standardized tests.
This work affected me in several ways. First of all, I was able to implement more writing into my classes. I had students begin to write flash fiction in class and to create their own stories. We also begin using the concept of rewrites to create better stories and allow more experimentation. This slowly morphed into a writing program which allowed the students to create stories which became fully formed short stories and novellas. Work such as this improved my students writing in a general sense. The class involved constantly revising writing so better work could be produced and chances could be taken. It also led to better self-reflection about work and learning methods. In Korea’s “hurry, hurry” culture this was an important lesson for my students to learn. The class changed the way I thought about writing and my students about writing as well. Now the students can take chances make mistakes and become better writers.
Additionally, we found ways to reinvigorate the debate program by creating multi-media debates and which students use writing video and for graphs and other formats to create work that was interesting to them and also leverage their research skills and creativity in addition to the English skills. The idea that there can be many types of writing empowered students to try new things and use writing more in class.
This work affected me in several ways. First of all, I was able to implement more writing into my classes. I had students begin to write flash fiction in class and to create their own stories. We also begin using the concept of rewrites to create better stories and allow more experimentation. This slowly morphed into a writing program which allowed the students to create stories which became fully formed short stories and novellas. Work such as this improved my students writing in a general sense. The class involved constantly revising writing so better work could be produced and chances could be taken. It also led to better self-reflection about work and learning methods. In Korea’s “hurry, hurry” culture this was an important lesson for my students to learn. The class changed the way I thought about writing and my students about writing as well. Now the students can take chances make mistakes and become better writers.
Additionally, we found ways to reinvigorate the debate program by creating multi-media debates and which students use writing video and for graphs and other formats to create work that was interesting to them and also leverage their research skills and creativity in addition to the English skills. The idea that there can be many types of writing empowered students to try new things and use writing more in class.
Augmentation of Skills
In the Fall of 2018, I took CEP 813 with Spencer Greenhalgh and Colin Gallagher. The class built upon what I had learned about creating multimedia texts the use of hypermedia in TE 848 and expanded those concepts to all facets of education, including digital tools that could be used in any context and content management systems.
CEP 813 was invaluable to both my knowledge of assessment and my ability to use of technology in the classroom. It made me a better teacher by creating helping me create checklists to create better assessments. These assessment benchmarks are now used by me in my Youngsan and Kyungsang University classes as well as at YC College. I've worked with other teachers to ensure that assessments are formative, include time for self-assessment, and use technology.
The class also introduced me to backwards design as explained by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in their book Understanding by Design. Concepts in the book have allowed me to revitalize some programs within my current work contexts. I have introduced outcomes-based teaching to several of the programs at YC College which should hopefully lead to better transfer among students. As I wrote on my CEP 813 Blog, I have been guilty of choosing content based on what students will enjoy instead of what they need to reach the explicit outcomes for the class.
Another change that CEP 813 has made in my teaching is it has made me do a better job of embracing technology. Since 2008 I have worked for Chungdahm Learning, a private education company based in Korea. In my classes we use our own proprietary CMS and digital tools. This made CEP 813 a struggle for me, especially when learning about digital tools. However, I have been able to integrate the content from the class into my own classes. For example, in one of my classes at Youngsan University here in Busan I have 40 first year English students. Organizing the class was very difficult and involved mainly paper attendance sheets and Excel spreadsheets. It was very hard to learn about students’ needs and even their names. However by using Google Classroom as a content management system I am able to learn more about my student by giving them a place to share their work and themselves. Technology has also impacted my work in other ways. I've become more creative in my use of technology have begun using Kahoot! and Padlet. This is all possible because of the database that we built in CEP 813 that explained the various uses of digital tools. These may seem like obvious things to teachers in secondary classrooms but the majority of post-secondary instructors still rely on lecture and other direct instruction formats for the majority of their classes.
CEP 813 was invaluable to both my knowledge of assessment and my ability to use of technology in the classroom. It made me a better teacher by creating helping me create checklists to create better assessments. These assessment benchmarks are now used by me in my Youngsan and Kyungsang University classes as well as at YC College. I've worked with other teachers to ensure that assessments are formative, include time for self-assessment, and use technology.
The class also introduced me to backwards design as explained by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in their book Understanding by Design. Concepts in the book have allowed me to revitalize some programs within my current work contexts. I have introduced outcomes-based teaching to several of the programs at YC College which should hopefully lead to better transfer among students. As I wrote on my CEP 813 Blog, I have been guilty of choosing content based on what students will enjoy instead of what they need to reach the explicit outcomes for the class.
Another change that CEP 813 has made in my teaching is it has made me do a better job of embracing technology. Since 2008 I have worked for Chungdahm Learning, a private education company based in Korea. In my classes we use our own proprietary CMS and digital tools. This made CEP 813 a struggle for me, especially when learning about digital tools. However, I have been able to integrate the content from the class into my own classes. For example, in one of my classes at Youngsan University here in Busan I have 40 first year English students. Organizing the class was very difficult and involved mainly paper attendance sheets and Excel spreadsheets. It was very hard to learn about students’ needs and even their names. However by using Google Classroom as a content management system I am able to learn more about my student by giving them a place to share their work and themselves. Technology has also impacted my work in other ways. I've become more creative in my use of technology have begun using Kahoot! and Padlet. This is all possible because of the database that we built in CEP 813 that explained the various uses of digital tools. These may seem like obvious things to teachers in secondary classrooms but the majority of post-secondary instructors still rely on lecture and other direct instruction formats for the majority of their classes.
Learning New Skills
Ted Talk on Boosting Agency by Anindya Kundu
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In the summer of 2017 I took EAD 877, Program Planning and Evaluation with Dr. Bill Arnold. The class was incredibly challenging because I had never done any real program evaluation prior to joining the class. The class allowed me to see my own ignorance of the evaluation process and see why certain programs that I had been a part of had failed. The class helped me learn how to avoid such failures by planning programs for adults by creating systems that respect learners and stakeholders. Caffarella and Daffron‘s Program Planning for Adult Learners discusses how to create programs took into account the opinions of the participants before the programs had begun. Cervero and Wilson’s Working the Planning Table also helped me learn about the process of how evaluations can occur throughout the development of the process. These reiterative processes, not dissimilar from the continued revision of work found in TE 846 and CEP 813, allow program planners to make informed choices about their classes. |
The most important takeaway was related to power and the use of it within a program. A program planner should make judgments about who should be involved as well as how to create conditions that allow substantive participation for those who have been invited to the planning table. Within my context, I have been able to use this idea to leverage the power of important stakeholders in the program, such as management. However, I have also managed to bring in the opinions of learners and teachers who actually have to work with the material. This has led to a number of developments within the program that have led to changes the empower teachers to make choices that respond to their students’ needs. We have collected a database of sources that teachers can use the plan lessons. We also have created more responsive forms of assessments based upon what students felt they should have known before moving to the next level. All of this helps us know if our programs are working. Going forward we will also be able to use data from students who return from their study abroad and working holiday programs to make necessary adjustments.
I have also transferred the lessons from this class to my own classroom. I have begun focusing on agency in my adult classroom and helping learners to be aware of agency and power in their own lives. We focus on identifying sources of power in our lives and how to work with them. (insert ted talk) As many of my learners are recent university graduates or people looking to return to full-time employment, developing agency is very important for them. Having them build networks of agency gives them a place to start their job search process by giving them a community to draw from as well as give them support.
I have also transferred the lessons from this class to my own classroom. I have begun focusing on agency in my adult classroom and helping learners to be aware of agency and power in their own lives. We focus on identifying sources of power in our lives and how to work with them. (insert ted talk) As many of my learners are recent university graduates or people looking to return to full-time employment, developing agency is very important for them. Having them build networks of agency gives them a place to start their job search process by giving them a community to draw from as well as give them support.
Final Thoughts
The three classes discussed above are part of a larger picture of how the MAED program has helped me as an educator and as a person. All of the skills that I have learned over the past 18 months have benefited me as a teacher. I feel that I have done a good job of learning ways to improve student-centered learning, create programs and integrate current technologies in learning. These ideas can also be synthesized such as the constant assessment of programs suggested by Caffarella and Daffron being combined with the outcomes based methods of Wiggins and McTighe.
Specifically, the skills discussed above aided me in the creation of complex, iterative formative assessments. Having a better understanding of power dynamics has allowed me to gain the trust of my students and motivate them to try more complex work. This complex work is also possible because of technology such as Google Classrooms that let students keep track of their work. This work can then be used for students as portfolio assessments.
Many of the lessons that I have learned and passed onto my students through content and methodologies learned in the program have also impacted me as a learner. I have also sought to improve my work by increasing my own agency. The use of Twitter in CEP 813 showed me that though I am physically isolated from many professional development opportunities, I don’t need to be isolated from them. Being a lifelong learner has always been important part of my choices in life. Completing my MAED degree is evidence of this but is merely a jumping off point to more learning. One of the strengths of my identity of as an educator is my ability to be show interest in learning and cultivate in my students. The MAED program and Michigan State University have helped me bolster that identity.
Specifically, the skills discussed above aided me in the creation of complex, iterative formative assessments. Having a better understanding of power dynamics has allowed me to gain the trust of my students and motivate them to try more complex work. This complex work is also possible because of technology such as Google Classrooms that let students keep track of their work. This work can then be used for students as portfolio assessments.
Many of the lessons that I have learned and passed onto my students through content and methodologies learned in the program have also impacted me as a learner. I have also sought to improve my work by increasing my own agency. The use of Twitter in CEP 813 showed me that though I am physically isolated from many professional development opportunities, I don’t need to be isolated from them. Being a lifelong learner has always been important part of my choices in life. Completing my MAED degree is evidence of this but is merely a jumping off point to more learning. One of the strengths of my identity of as an educator is my ability to be show interest in learning and cultivate in my students. The MAED program and Michigan State University have helped me bolster that identity.
Printing Press via Pixabay, Google Classrooms logo via google.com, and video via YouTube. Header image was taken by author.