Amy LaPonsie
21st Century Educator
Annotated Transcript
TE 861C
SUM 2014
Action Research in the K-12 Math and Science Classroom
Course instructor: Sarah Stapleton
This was my first course in the Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program. In this course my colleagues and I were challenged to become teacher researchers. I conducted a research study using my Kindergarten students and their ability to read and comprehend nonfiction science texts. Using action research taught me new ways to use assessment to plan subsequent lessons. After taking this course, I understand how valuable teacher-created formative and summative assessment is to help teachers plan subsequent lessons.
ED 800
SUM 2014
Concepts in Educational Inquiry
Course instructor: Dr. Steven Weiland and Nathan Clason
This is an introductory course in the MAED program. In this course we focused on educational philosophy, teacher inquiry, reflection, history of education and educational theories. I felt like this course was very beneficial to learn about the foundations of our education system in America. This course was self-paced and featured hypermedia, with writing assignments at the end of each module. I gained a better understanding of how previous trends in education have influenced the American education system we are part of today.
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CEP 804A
FALL 2014
LIteracy Instruction for Students with Mild Disabilities
Course instructor: Dr. Carol Sue Englert, Maryl Randel, Karen Hicks
The focus of this course was to identify the literacy strengths and weakness of a child with a mild disability. We focused on the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics/word study, fluency, comprehension, and composition. Each week we completed an assessment project using one student or a group of students with similar literacy needs. After taking this course, I have learned to appropriately differentiate my instruction to meet the needs of all students. I have also gained skills in giving assessments and choosing appropriate assessments for individual students.
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TE 846
FALL 2014
Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners
Course instructor: Dr. Patricia Edwards
This course was required to earn the professional teaching certificate in Michigan. In this course we focused on reading and writing instruction and assessment. We used assessments to drive our literacy instruction. Our main project in this course was the Literacy Learner Analysis, in which we focused on one student and created a plan based off of assessment data and progress monitoring. As a result of this course, my skills in the area of assessment have increased and I learned how to use assessment data to drive small group instruction for students. I learned to create groups of students to target specific skills, rather than always teach small groups of students at the same reading level.
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TE 831
SPRING 2015
Teaching School Subject Matter with Technology
Course instructor: Jon M. Wargo
This course had a profound impact on my degree program. It was because of this course that I changed my concentration from special education to educational technology. In this course I was introduced to the TPACK framework - technological, pedadogical and content knowledge. This course taught the importance of aligning teaching methods, content knowledge and the technology we use during lessons. This course took an authentic approach to learning as we used TPACK to solve a problem of practice in our classrooms. ​
TE 861A
SPRING 2015
Teaching Science for Understanding
Course instructor: Tamara Heck
This course was beneficial to me as I learned a great deal about inquiry-based learning and the Next Generation of Science Standards (NGSS). During this course, I revamped the current curriculum I was using to teach my third grade students science. I planned a unit about the functions of plant parts and used journaling as a method of assessment. In this project, students used different colors of colored pencils while journaling to represent pre- and post-knowledge. As a result of this course my students were much more engaged in science and they were able to show understanding of the material, rather than memorization.
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CEP 810
SPRING 2016
Teaching for Understanding with Technology
Course instructor: Emily Stone and Ron Houtman
This course was the first in the series of courses required by MSU to earn the Certificate in Educational Technology. In this course we were challenged by the Networked Learning Project, where we learned to do something using only YouTube videos and help forums online, which was an interesting way to learn! I also had the opportunity to work with Popplet, Evernote, and Wordpress. I increased my skills in numerous online platforms and learned about how educational technology can deeply impact my students' progress with content in all subject areas.
CEP 811
SPRING 2016
Adapting Innovative Technology to Education
Course instructor: Stacy Schuh and Melissa White
My colleagues and I were introduced to the Maker Education movement in this course. I used the MakeyMakey to create a carrot piano and a number recognition and counting lesson for my daycare students. We had the opportunity to learn the SketchUp software to rearrange our classrooms to be more conducive to research-based management technoques. I also learned to create infographics using the website Venngage. The skills I learned in this course have been beneficial to me as I return to teaching and have a more professional online prescence.
CEP 812
SUM 2016
Applying Educational Technology to Practice
Course instructor: Andrew Steinman
This was my final course in the Certificate in Educational Technology. In this course we analyzed how using technology in lessons enhanced the learning of our students. A small group of my colleagues and I took on the challenge to solve the wicked problem - a problem with no clear solution - of Reimagining Online Learning. From our research we proposed using personalized learning as a solution to the problem. Another noteable project in this course was a technology survey of our colleagues where we proposed ideas of how to help our colleagues with technology issues in their classrooms. As a result of this course, I have a better understanding about the technology issues my colleagues have as well as a new perspective about online education. I feel I am more informed to help others address issues with technology. I also learned about the benefits of using personalized learning in the classroom.
ED 870
SUM 2016
Course instructor: Dr. Matthew Koehler, Sarah Keenan, Spencer Greenhalgh, Brittany Dillman
The capstone course was a great opportunity to reflect on everything I have accomplished during my time at Michigan State University. In this course we were asked to reflect on how our goals changed and what we hoped our future careers as educators would hold. I appreciated the chance to increase my skills in website design and to learn a new design platform, Wix. One other benefit of taking the capstone course was the interaction I had with other MAED/MAET students. We learned to thinking critically about our colleagues' work and give appropriate critical feedback about their work.