To Know Where You're Going, You Have to Know Where You've Been
By Kerri Belen
I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a teacher. I used to take materials my teachers were discarding at the end of the year and use them to play school with my friends. I also visited classrooms in high school to learn about teaching and classroom management. I began taking classes for my science and teaching majors before my acceptance into the College of Education because I was eager to start my teaching career as soon as possible. It has been a relatively short amount of time since beginning my teaching program, but when I look back at how much the education system and instructional materials have changed since then, I am awestruck. In my undergraduate program we used some technology like Microsoft Power Point and Dreamweaver to create lessons and websites. When I created my first resume I thought I was pretty “high-tech” because I had these items listed under “Technology.” The two years I spent doing my internship and substitute teaching began to change my perception of what it meant to be technologically savvy. I was introduced to “SMART Technology,” document cameras, projectors, using laptops in the classroom, educational websites for students, and ways to enhance student learning and engagement through technology.
As I began my journey in education I felt well prepared for what I was being asked to do. I had taken numerous classes in many subject areas and I understood my content well. I was vaguely familiar with a variety of technology tools and knew how to incorporate them into my curriculum. In addition to this, I had learned “new and improved” teaching strategies from my undergraduate degree at Michigan State University. About halfway through my first year teaching much of my confidence had faded and I realized how much more I had to learn. I was taking professional development courses and meeting people from other districts who were relatively new teachers. When they talked about the technology they were using in their classrooms and the way they were helping their students make connections to the world, I was amazed. I wondered how I could do those things in my classroom. Ultimately, I decided furthering my education through a master’s degree was my best option.
I began my Master of Arts in Education (MAED) from Michigan State University in the fall of 2009. I had one year of teaching under my belt and was both excited nervous to begin my first class. I knew it would be a difficult task to balance graduate class work, a new year of teaching, new grade level, as well as my life outside of school. However, I also knew if I could learn how to improve my students’ understanding and engagement early on, then I would have a more successful teaching career. I seized numerous opportunities for growth and improvement in my teaching from the courses I took. Although each of my classes had something unique to offer, there were a few that directly impacted my teaching philosophy and therefore, my classroom.
The first course I took in my MAED program was ED 800. This course examined the history of the education system in the United States and the opposing teaching philosophies that have existed since its creation. I found the readings, videos, and informational websites from this course to be extremely interesting. As the title of this essay indicates, I am a true believer that in order to know where you are going, you have to know where you have been. Going back to the start of the public education system gave me a different perspective of what teaching and learning are all about. Reading John Dewey’s ideas about school and the way students learn struck a chord with me. I have always thought that students come into school with certain conceptions and ideas that can either help or hinder their process of learning new material. I believe that students are sponges that “soak up” information, however, that does not mean they are passive learners. They are not blank slates to which I can write everything they need to know. Through the resources in ED 800 I was able to examine my teaching style and see if I identified more with the progressive, traditional or constructivist view of education, or if I fell somewhere in the middle. I saw that I used aspects of all of these educational views to create a balanced opportunity for my students. I believe that there is value in each of these philosophies of teaching, but that none of them fully address the needs of all children. I felt I must take the best aspects of each to meet the needs of my classroom.
For instance, the traditionalist view focuses on the basics of education and teaching isolated facts through practice and drill. Constructivist belief says students must ask questions, make observations, assess what they know, and reflect on this information in order to create knowledge. Progressive education focuses on making schools more efficient, socially oriented, and geared toward meeting students’ individual needs. I want my students to be able to successfully and quickly compute basic math facts so they can focus on the more complex ideas. This means they must practice their basic facts until they no longer have to compute them. I also want them to understand why mathematics works and how it applies to their daily life. They will not be successful in only knowing their facts or knowing how to solve a problem, but it is a combination of the two that allows them to make sense of mathematics. Also, I believe that students learn as much from their peers as they do from me, so allowing them to work together and help each other is important in my lesson planning. These same ideas hold true in my reading instruction. Teaching the basic components of language, sight words and vocabulary are just as important as teaching students to ask questions as they are reading to build comprehension. If they cannot read a word they cannot put it context and make sense of it. This class encouraged me to look more closely at the educational system as a whole, how I presented material to my students, and how that fit with my philosophy as an educator.
This course was also my first exposure to teacher research and the process educators go through to improve their teaching. The book, The Girl with the Brown Crayon, by Vivian Paley was an insightful journey of self-discovery where the author examined the thoughts and comments of her students. She had realized, through her years of teaching, that many things students say and do are discarded and seen as unimportant by the teacher. She decided to tape lessons and students working in groups to hear what they were actually saying. After transcribing the tapes of students’ comments Paley understood that these interjections came from some prior experience, misunderstanding or knowledge the student had. This gave her the opportunity to revisit the topic and clear up misconceptions in the future.
There were two ideas that resonated with me long after reading the book. The first was the notion that I had the ability to do something like this in my classroom as well. It was very inspiring to see how Vivian was able to focus on an aspect of her teaching and change it to fit the needs of her students. She remained flexible and continued learning throughout her entire career as a teacher. I want to strive to stay committed to my students in that way. I am sure there are times when I put words in a students mouth, assuming that is what they are trying to say. However, if I listened more closely to their words I would have realized they were telling me something completely different. The second idea was about the difference I can make in the lives of my students by discovering this resource so early in my career. Sadly, Vivian did not do teacher research until the final year of her teaching when she could not use it to improve her future teaching. If I can analyze my teaching and make adjustments early in my career I believe it help me to be the best educator I can be.
Where ED 800 took me back to the beginning of education TE 831 brought me to the future. From my very first moment in the course, I knew that “Teaching School Subject Matter with Technology” was going to be a challenging and rewarding experience for me. As I stated previously, I knew I had a lot to learn when it came to technology. However, when I looked at the syllabus for TE 831 I felt completely out of my element. I didn’t know half of the tools listed on the syllabus existed; let alone how to use them. Luckily, my instructor, Erik Byker, started off the class by telling everyone he understood we were all at different levels and he would help us meet our goal, no matter where we started. Throughout the course we were introduced to many different technological tools such as Google docs, wikis, websites, voice threads, blogs, and photo stories.
The part of the course that I found most beneficial was how each of the technologies we worked with were not originally intended for use in the classroom, but had been re-purposed to fit student needs. Some examples of this are using cell phones or tablets in the classroom. It seems intuitive now, but when I took this course in 2010, tablets were just coming out. A war against smart phones was being waged in schools, with no end in sight. The idea behind re-purposing technology seems to reflect the saying, “if you can’t beat them, join them.” Through TE 831 I was able to see the practical applications for these new technologies in the classroom. As I learned about creating photo stories I was able to immediately apply my knowledge to my classroom. I created science and social studies photo stories that incorporated the information we were learning into a fun, interesting, and engaging “movie like” lesson. The students loved watching them and I could save them for years to come. I created blogs for my students to do book talks, wikis to help them find information for their animal reports and even made "wordle" word clouds with their name and characteristics as a year-end project. I had many staff member ask me about my website and how they could make one. In fact, I used many of the tools I learned about in TE 831 to teach other staff members about the benefits of incorporating technology into the classroom. I am now seen as one of the “go to” people for technology in my district and I know that would not be possible without having taken TE 831.
Another wonderful aspect of TE 831 was that Mr. Byker recommended as many free and inexpensive resources as he could find. Every district is looking to make budget cuts, so having the ability to enrich students’ learning without increasing the bottom line is a win-win for everyone. Free resources do not always have the same “bells and whistles” as purchased ones, but they are usually sufficient. I create Google documents and presentations for grade level materials so my colleagues and I can collaborate. I also share the photo stories and wikis across the grade level so all of the students in 3rd grade can have the same experience.
After learning about the great technologies out there for literacy, science and social studies I wanted to learn about what else I could be doing in my mathematics lessons to get the students more engaged. I hate the idea of lecturing because I don’t think students are actively engaged in education, but I didn’t know what types of resources were out there for math. CEP 805 was a class offered for “Learning Mathematics with Technology,” so I figured it was right up my alley.
This course was beneficial to my continued education in numerous ways. Not only did it give resources to help students conceptualize abstract mathematical ideas, but it also required the teachers to review or relearn the mathematical concepts in a way children would understand. One of the resources used in CEP 805 was the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, or NCTM. This council has released numerous standards and principles for the math ideas students from kindergarten through 12th grade should understand. The standards and principles are broken down by grade level, content area, and focal points. In addition to being able to brush up on my elementary math skills, with the NCTM website, I could access hundreds of math games and activities that help strengthen student understanding and motivation to learn math.
There were some down sides to the materials and resources found in this course as well. To access the standards and principles information you have to be a paying member of the NCTM, or have a trial membership. There have been times since completing CEP 805 that I have wished I still had the NCTM standards document as a resource, but do not wish to pay between $40 and $80 per year to have it. The other downfall within the course was the quality of some of the resources. As with everything free, sometimes you get what you pay for. There were many resources that would not have been beneficial for students to use or would cause more confusion than clarity on math topics. In preparation for this, part of the CEP 805 course taught how to determine the value of mathematical resources. I learned specific aspects to look for and how to evaluate the effectiveness of websites, applets, games, activities, and more. It was difficult at first, but after comparing numerous resources I can select appropriate tools based on these criteria.
In addition to finding ways to enhance my teaching, I also wanted to improve the way I instruct students. To do this I needed to take a class that focused on reflecting on my teaching and generating new ideas. I participated in TE 861C, Action Research in the Math and Science Classroom, during the summer of 2010. This course taught the steps an educator goes through to complete Action Research, the study of one’s own teaching practice. This stems from the idea that teachers do not need to rely on outside sources and research to tell them how to improve the activities and learning that take place in their classroom. Action research gives them the ability to discover it for themselves.
TE 861C asked teachers to look at their classroom and determine areas that were a challenge or concern for them. After identifying the concern a teacher must brainstorm ways to remedy the situation. When a possible solution has been devised it is implemented and data is collected to determine its effectiveness. If the solution does not work, the brainstorming begins again. This is repeated until the desired result is achieved. I have used this cycle many times to resolve issues in my classroom, both academic and with classroom management. The specific section I took focused more on mathematics, however, the process can be applied to any subject area or aspect of a teacher’s classroom that needs improvement.
Although this is not a complete synopsis of the coursework I completed during my MAED program, it gives an effective view into the journey I have traveled. I know that I still have a great deal to learn about teaching, but my master’s degree has created a strong foundation for the rest of my experience to be built upon.
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As I began my journey in education I felt well prepared for what I was being asked to do. I had taken numerous classes in many subject areas and I understood my content well. I was vaguely familiar with a variety of technology tools and knew how to incorporate them into my curriculum. In addition to this, I had learned “new and improved” teaching strategies from my undergraduate degree at Michigan State University. About halfway through my first year teaching much of my confidence had faded and I realized how much more I had to learn. I was taking professional development courses and meeting people from other districts who were relatively new teachers. When they talked about the technology they were using in their classrooms and the way they were helping their students make connections to the world, I was amazed. I wondered how I could do those things in my classroom. Ultimately, I decided furthering my education through a master’s degree was my best option.
I began my Master of Arts in Education (MAED) from Michigan State University in the fall of 2009. I had one year of teaching under my belt and was both excited nervous to begin my first class. I knew it would be a difficult task to balance graduate class work, a new year of teaching, new grade level, as well as my life outside of school. However, I also knew if I could learn how to improve my students’ understanding and engagement early on, then I would have a more successful teaching career. I seized numerous opportunities for growth and improvement in my teaching from the courses I took. Although each of my classes had something unique to offer, there were a few that directly impacted my teaching philosophy and therefore, my classroom.
The first course I took in my MAED program was ED 800. This course examined the history of the education system in the United States and the opposing teaching philosophies that have existed since its creation. I found the readings, videos, and informational websites from this course to be extremely interesting. As the title of this essay indicates, I am a true believer that in order to know where you are going, you have to know where you have been. Going back to the start of the public education system gave me a different perspective of what teaching and learning are all about. Reading John Dewey’s ideas about school and the way students learn struck a chord with me. I have always thought that students come into school with certain conceptions and ideas that can either help or hinder their process of learning new material. I believe that students are sponges that “soak up” information, however, that does not mean they are passive learners. They are not blank slates to which I can write everything they need to know. Through the resources in ED 800 I was able to examine my teaching style and see if I identified more with the progressive, traditional or constructivist view of education, or if I fell somewhere in the middle. I saw that I used aspects of all of these educational views to create a balanced opportunity for my students. I believe that there is value in each of these philosophies of teaching, but that none of them fully address the needs of all children. I felt I must take the best aspects of each to meet the needs of my classroom.
For instance, the traditionalist view focuses on the basics of education and teaching isolated facts through practice and drill. Constructivist belief says students must ask questions, make observations, assess what they know, and reflect on this information in order to create knowledge. Progressive education focuses on making schools more efficient, socially oriented, and geared toward meeting students’ individual needs. I want my students to be able to successfully and quickly compute basic math facts so they can focus on the more complex ideas. This means they must practice their basic facts until they no longer have to compute them. I also want them to understand why mathematics works and how it applies to their daily life. They will not be successful in only knowing their facts or knowing how to solve a problem, but it is a combination of the two that allows them to make sense of mathematics. Also, I believe that students learn as much from their peers as they do from me, so allowing them to work together and help each other is important in my lesson planning. These same ideas hold true in my reading instruction. Teaching the basic components of language, sight words and vocabulary are just as important as teaching students to ask questions as they are reading to build comprehension. If they cannot read a word they cannot put it context and make sense of it. This class encouraged me to look more closely at the educational system as a whole, how I presented material to my students, and how that fit with my philosophy as an educator.
This course was also my first exposure to teacher research and the process educators go through to improve their teaching. The book, The Girl with the Brown Crayon, by Vivian Paley was an insightful journey of self-discovery where the author examined the thoughts and comments of her students. She had realized, through her years of teaching, that many things students say and do are discarded and seen as unimportant by the teacher. She decided to tape lessons and students working in groups to hear what they were actually saying. After transcribing the tapes of students’ comments Paley understood that these interjections came from some prior experience, misunderstanding or knowledge the student had. This gave her the opportunity to revisit the topic and clear up misconceptions in the future.
There were two ideas that resonated with me long after reading the book. The first was the notion that I had the ability to do something like this in my classroom as well. It was very inspiring to see how Vivian was able to focus on an aspect of her teaching and change it to fit the needs of her students. She remained flexible and continued learning throughout her entire career as a teacher. I want to strive to stay committed to my students in that way. I am sure there are times when I put words in a students mouth, assuming that is what they are trying to say. However, if I listened more closely to their words I would have realized they were telling me something completely different. The second idea was about the difference I can make in the lives of my students by discovering this resource so early in my career. Sadly, Vivian did not do teacher research until the final year of her teaching when she could not use it to improve her future teaching. If I can analyze my teaching and make adjustments early in my career I believe it help me to be the best educator I can be.
Where ED 800 took me back to the beginning of education TE 831 brought me to the future. From my very first moment in the course, I knew that “Teaching School Subject Matter with Technology” was going to be a challenging and rewarding experience for me. As I stated previously, I knew I had a lot to learn when it came to technology. However, when I looked at the syllabus for TE 831 I felt completely out of my element. I didn’t know half of the tools listed on the syllabus existed; let alone how to use them. Luckily, my instructor, Erik Byker, started off the class by telling everyone he understood we were all at different levels and he would help us meet our goal, no matter where we started. Throughout the course we were introduced to many different technological tools such as Google docs, wikis, websites, voice threads, blogs, and photo stories.
The part of the course that I found most beneficial was how each of the technologies we worked with were not originally intended for use in the classroom, but had been re-purposed to fit student needs. Some examples of this are using cell phones or tablets in the classroom. It seems intuitive now, but when I took this course in 2010, tablets were just coming out. A war against smart phones was being waged in schools, with no end in sight. The idea behind re-purposing technology seems to reflect the saying, “if you can’t beat them, join them.” Through TE 831 I was able to see the practical applications for these new technologies in the classroom. As I learned about creating photo stories I was able to immediately apply my knowledge to my classroom. I created science and social studies photo stories that incorporated the information we were learning into a fun, interesting, and engaging “movie like” lesson. The students loved watching them and I could save them for years to come. I created blogs for my students to do book talks, wikis to help them find information for their animal reports and even made "wordle" word clouds with their name and characteristics as a year-end project. I had many staff member ask me about my website and how they could make one. In fact, I used many of the tools I learned about in TE 831 to teach other staff members about the benefits of incorporating technology into the classroom. I am now seen as one of the “go to” people for technology in my district and I know that would not be possible without having taken TE 831.
Another wonderful aspect of TE 831 was that Mr. Byker recommended as many free and inexpensive resources as he could find. Every district is looking to make budget cuts, so having the ability to enrich students’ learning without increasing the bottom line is a win-win for everyone. Free resources do not always have the same “bells and whistles” as purchased ones, but they are usually sufficient. I create Google documents and presentations for grade level materials so my colleagues and I can collaborate. I also share the photo stories and wikis across the grade level so all of the students in 3rd grade can have the same experience.
After learning about the great technologies out there for literacy, science and social studies I wanted to learn about what else I could be doing in my mathematics lessons to get the students more engaged. I hate the idea of lecturing because I don’t think students are actively engaged in education, but I didn’t know what types of resources were out there for math. CEP 805 was a class offered for “Learning Mathematics with Technology,” so I figured it was right up my alley.
This course was beneficial to my continued education in numerous ways. Not only did it give resources to help students conceptualize abstract mathematical ideas, but it also required the teachers to review or relearn the mathematical concepts in a way children would understand. One of the resources used in CEP 805 was the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, or NCTM. This council has released numerous standards and principles for the math ideas students from kindergarten through 12th grade should understand. The standards and principles are broken down by grade level, content area, and focal points. In addition to being able to brush up on my elementary math skills, with the NCTM website, I could access hundreds of math games and activities that help strengthen student understanding and motivation to learn math.
There were some down sides to the materials and resources found in this course as well. To access the standards and principles information you have to be a paying member of the NCTM, or have a trial membership. There have been times since completing CEP 805 that I have wished I still had the NCTM standards document as a resource, but do not wish to pay between $40 and $80 per year to have it. The other downfall within the course was the quality of some of the resources. As with everything free, sometimes you get what you pay for. There were many resources that would not have been beneficial for students to use or would cause more confusion than clarity on math topics. In preparation for this, part of the CEP 805 course taught how to determine the value of mathematical resources. I learned specific aspects to look for and how to evaluate the effectiveness of websites, applets, games, activities, and more. It was difficult at first, but after comparing numerous resources I can select appropriate tools based on these criteria.
In addition to finding ways to enhance my teaching, I also wanted to improve the way I instruct students. To do this I needed to take a class that focused on reflecting on my teaching and generating new ideas. I participated in TE 861C, Action Research in the Math and Science Classroom, during the summer of 2010. This course taught the steps an educator goes through to complete Action Research, the study of one’s own teaching practice. This stems from the idea that teachers do not need to rely on outside sources and research to tell them how to improve the activities and learning that take place in their classroom. Action research gives them the ability to discover it for themselves.
TE 861C asked teachers to look at their classroom and determine areas that were a challenge or concern for them. After identifying the concern a teacher must brainstorm ways to remedy the situation. When a possible solution has been devised it is implemented and data is collected to determine its effectiveness. If the solution does not work, the brainstorming begins again. This is repeated until the desired result is achieved. I have used this cycle many times to resolve issues in my classroom, both academic and with classroom management. The specific section I took focused more on mathematics, however, the process can be applied to any subject area or aspect of a teacher’s classroom that needs improvement.
Although this is not a complete synopsis of the coursework I completed during my MAED program, it gives an effective view into the journey I have traveled. I know that I still have a great deal to learn about teaching, but my master’s degree has created a strong foundation for the rest of my experience to be built upon.
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