When I began my Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program with a concentration in Technology and Learning, I entered with the goals of building on my teaching endorsements and on my skills with integrating technology. As I discuss in “From Within to Beyond My Classroom Walls,” I also developed the goal of being a leader in technology integration. The cycle of reflection, preparation, and instruction were and continue to be key elements toward my progress on these goals.
This page showcases work I completed throughout my studies in Michigan State University’s MAED program. In my Reflection section, you will read on how I am able to thoughtfully reflect on my past practices and teaching tools in order to strengthen them moving forward. In Preparation, you will see how I use my knowledge of technology, assessment theory, and math to prepare resources for my students, my students’ families, and other teachers. Finally, in Instruction, my reflection and planning stages come together to create resources that I use directly with my students. My showcase conveys how I have used this cycle of reflection, preparation, and instruction throughout my MAED program to deepen the knowledge and skills that I bring to the classroom.
In order to view each piece in more detail, click on either the hyperlinked text or the image/document/video. To read information about each course in my MAED program, please view my Annotated Transcript.
This page showcases work I completed throughout my studies in Michigan State University’s MAED program. In my Reflection section, you will read on how I am able to thoughtfully reflect on my past practices and teaching tools in order to strengthen them moving forward. In Preparation, you will see how I use my knowledge of technology, assessment theory, and math to prepare resources for my students, my students’ families, and other teachers. Finally, in Instruction, my reflection and planning stages come together to create resources that I use directly with my students. My showcase conveys how I have used this cycle of reflection, preparation, and instruction throughout my MAED program to deepen the knowledge and skills that I bring to the classroom.
In order to view each piece in more detail, click on either the hyperlinked text or the image/document/video. To read information about each course in my MAED program, please view my Annotated Transcript.
Reflection
Reflecting on Google Classroom A Critical Look at Google Classroom Since I have used Google Classroom as my Content Management System throughout my teaching career, I created this blog post to communicate to fellow educators my identification of Google Classroom’s affordances and constraints. My reflection on Google Classroom supported my ability to purposefully use its various features in order to enhance student learning and assessment. |
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Reflecting on Writing Instruction What a Writer Needs Book Review In my book review of Ralph Fletcher’s What a Writer Needs, I reflect on how I will use this text to evolve my writing instruction. I demonstrate my ability to take ideas from professional development resources and translate them into concrete steps I will take in my classroom. I highlight several elements that I find valuable in the writing classroom: being a writing mentor, incorporating best practices for teaching craft moves, and encouraging risk-taking. |
Reflecting on A Writing Rubric Revisiting a Writing Rubric In this blog post, I used my research on assessment theory to reflect on an opinion writing rubric I had created two years ago. By critically evaluating this past summative assessment, it led me to new realizations, such as how I could have included a feedback section to emphasize the importance of the writing cycle. Through my active reflection on how I can improve my assessments, I am able to continuously use my professional knowledge to create meaningful assessments that further my students’ development. |
Preparation
Preparing for Classroom Communication Ms. Aron's Class Website My class website serves as a tool for my students and their families throughout the year. I carefully developed a professional, yet approachable resource that includes important information. For example, my curated list of “Learning at Home” websites supports my students’ learning outside of the classroom. This website emphasizes both my technology skills and my value of connecting home and school. |
Preparing for Assessments Assessment Design Checklist My Assessment Design Checklist consists of six questions I ask myself as I prepare for delivering quality assessments. I deepened my knowledge of assessment theory through research, and then I synthesized everything by forming these meaningful questions with their accompanying rationale (referred to as "Evidence of Understanding"). By learning about best practices when it comes to the steps in the assessment design process, I am equipped to create purposeful assessments for my students. |
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Preparing for Math Instruction Online Math Resource Library for Teachers My online math resource library is for teachers to use to support their math instruction. Using my technology and research skills, I collected online technology tools and resources that focused on the grades 3-5 Common Core State Standards for Number & Operations in Base Ten and Number & Operations - Fractions. My experience as an upper elementary school teacher informed my decisions in selecting the technology tools and resources that would be beneficial for students in this grade band. |
Preparing for Fractions Instruction Creatively Teaching Fractions In this video, I discuss my creation of practical, accessible ways that teachers can reimagine fraction instruction for their students. Upon reading Sparks of Genius: The 13 Thinking Tools of the World’s Most Creative People by Robert and Michèle Root-Bernstein, I synthesized six of the thinking tools (play, perceiving, abstracting, modeling, patterning, and embodied thinking) with the context of upper elementary fraction concepts. I pushed myself beyond the typical ways of thinking about fractions into how I can use different cognitive thinking tools to further students’ conceptual understandings of fractions. |
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Instruction
Teaching Math Review Weekly Math Review Assessment Using my knowledge of math Common Core State Standards, formative assessment design, and digital technology, I developed a Weekly Math Review Google Form. I include both math content and self-reflection questions because those two elements are important to me to inform my post-assessment instruction. For a thorough breakdown of my preparation and reflections that went into creating this formative assessment prototype, please view my three blog posts detailing my process. |
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Teaching Writing Google Classroom Writing Rubric This video goes through my creation of a biography writing rubric, combining my knowledge of assessment theory with my skills in using the affordances of Google Classroom’s rubric feature. I implemented the principles of my previously mentioned Assessment Design Checklist to develop this summative assessment. My students already use Google Classroom to complete Google Doc assignments, so my inclusion of the rubric feature streamlines my students’ ability to conveniently access the rubric at any time to support their writing. |
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