Sarah Higgs-James
An Online Portfolio
Annotated Transcript
I chose to complete my Master's of Art in Educational Technology at Michigan State University because I wanted a course of study that was related to the modern world of education. Technology has huge implications for education, and I want to be a modern educator. On this page, you can find a detailed list of the specific courses I completed in order to advance and diversify my career.
CEP 822, Approaches to Educational Research
Daniel Freer, Ha Nguyen
This course focused on the changing field of educational research. CEP 822 focused on mastering skills necessary to effectively navigate and analyze modern educational research. It reintroduced me to descriptive and inferential statistics as well as how to analyze both qualitative and quantitative data. With research projects ranging from quick searches to mini research to a literature review on a topic of my choosing, this course did a good job of exposing me to what it means to be a modern researcher in education.
CEP
822
CEP 820, Teaching Students Online
Anne Heintz, Tracy Beeker
"Teaching Students Online" was one of my favorite courses in the MAET program and focused directly on online learning environments across a variety of different perspectives. It is easy to say, "Oh just do it online," but managing an online course is more complex and requires a lot of knowledge. This course did a great job contextualizing different types of online learning environments and communications, as well as giving me direct hands on experience designing an online course of my choosing.
Summer 2015
CEP
815
CEP 815, Technology and Leadership
Ben Gleason, Sarah Keenan
CEP 815 focused on how technology has changed education and how educational leadership can drive or hinder progress. Examining different perspectives, including classroom instruction, professional development and administration, allowed me to learn about the relationships that exist between all people in education and how they are affected by technology and its implementation. In addition to having a sub-focus on lifelong learning, this course helped me clarify my own strengths and weaknesses as an educator and as a leader.
CEP
820
CEP
811
CEP 810, Teaching for Understanding with Technology
Missy McCarthy, Allison Keller
This was my first course of my MAET and introduced me to relevant learning theory, educational mindsets, professional learning networks and Technology, Pedagogy and Content Knowledge (TPACK). I was able to explore the possibilities and restrictions of learning from the web, and was able to put names to concepts I had been considering and implementing throughout my career. In addition to getting me started blogging, this course had many learning experiences that opened my eyes to current uses and potential of educational technologies.
CEP
810
Fall 2014
CEP 811, Adapting Innovative Technologies in Education
Amy Pietrowski, Mary Wever
CEP 811 continued where CEP 810 left off, and really got into the complexity and simplicity of TPACK. This course was full of creative learning tasks that enabled me to expand my knowledge of technologies available for educational purposes, but also how to remix and manipulate existing media and technologies. Learning about the TPACK framework has taught me how to repurpose existing technology for educational purposes and introduced me to the Maker Movement. This course was about exploration, both of technology and of my understanding.
CEP
812
CEP 800, Learning in School and Other Settings
Dianna Campbell, Sarah Keenan
"Learning in School and Other Settings" explored education in a variety of contexts, both relevant to modern education, as well as the research that built the foundations. What is interesting about CEP 800 is that it approaches education from different perspectives: in school, in your career and in your life. This course had me reflect on my learning experiences within those perspectives and throughout my life to help inform me on issues like misconceptions, metacognition and lifelong learning.
CEP
800
Spring 2015
CEP 812, Applying Educational Technology to Issues of Practice
Andrew Steinman
In this final course of the graduate certificate program, I was able to get a well rounded view of the TPACK framework by applying it to several issues in education. Exploration of issues relevant to modern education provides an excellent perspective to approach technology, I read "The Anti-Education Era: Creating Smarter Students through Digital Learning" by James P. Gee. CEP 812 allowed me to explore general issues in modern education with the aim that any issue, no matter how wicked it may seem, can be tackled in one way or another.
CEP 807, Proseminar in Educational Technology
Matthew Koehler, Sarah Keenan, Joshua Rosenberg, Spencer Greenhalgh
In this final course of my MAET program, I have reflected on my experiences as a learner and published those experiences in my first online portfolio. Synthesizing my time as a MSU graduate student included activities such as a series of reflective essays, an analysis of my professional presence, a showcase of my coursework and concluded with a synchronized exhibition of my portfolio. This course has reminded me of where I started, helped me understand where I want to go and shown me I have the tools to do so.
CEP
807
CEP 818, Creativity in Teaching & Learning
Carmen Richardson, Jon Good, Punya Mishra
"Creativity in Teaching and Learning" was all about creativity's place in education. Tackling issues like defining and cultivating creativity, this course loosely follows the teachings found in "Sparks of Genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World's Most Creative People," co-authored by Robert & Michele Root-Bernstein, with aims to provide insight into how complex creativity is. In addition to a self-guided study on a topic of my choosing, this course offers a memorable set of tasks designed to develop creativity and to re-imagine learning experiences.
Fall 2015
CEP
816
CEP 816, Technology, Teaching, and Learning Across the Curriculum
Paul Morsink, Ha Nguyen, Ian Clemente
The Fall 2015 section of CEP816 focused on literacy and utilized the book "Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement," co-authored by Lynne Schrum and Barbara Levin. This course did a great job covering the differing perspectives on digital literacy and technologies. In addition to learning projects directly related to digital literacy and a final exhibition, CEP 816 also allowed for self-guided study on a topic of my choosing, allowing for a hands on experience implementing new media tools for digital literacy.