My Experiences as an MAET Student
My Experiences as an MAET Student
By Tom Gunnells
I’m nearing the completions of a two year long journey. I started in the fall of 2010, beginning a program to earn a master’s degree in educational technology. Over the last few months I have learned a great deal about becoming a great teacher, and how to teach students to the best of their ability. As a student in the Masters of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) at Michigan State University, I have learned a great deal of skills that I have been able to put in place in my classroom that have changed the way I teach. I’ve learned and understood so much about teaching, and teaching with technology, that it’s hard to put into words what the MAET Program is, or how much it has helped me. But truly, each concept has greatly influenced how I do my job and had helped me become the teacher that I am.
One of the key concepts that I’ve learned about as a member of this program is how much there is to learn in the field of educational technology. When I started this program, I thought that I was a master in technology. I knew of the websites, I understood social networking, and I had a good idea of how to use technology effectively in my classroom. But soon after joining the MAET program, I realized how wrong I really was. There was a great deal of information that I did not know. Technologies like Jing allowed me to create screen casts of my units to share with students, or to create informational guides that walked students through reviews. Some of the skills that I learned helped me better understand programs that I had used before, but not to their full potential. Creating interactive PowerPoint presentations that had customized feedback was something that I never knew existed. I also learned skills that I’ve always wanted to do, but never fully understood how. I’ve created podcasts and edited videos – and these things have allowed me create projects that I never thought were possible. I’ve learned all of these skills, some that I never thought were possible, just two years ago. But more than just learning new technologies, the MAET program opened my mind to new ways of thinking. The MAET program made me feel different about being an educator, and has allowed me to teach my classes in different ways.
One of the most useful classes that I took as a part of the MAET program was not a class where I learned a technology. It was a class where I learned about a new way to think. The Technology and Leadership course that I took made me think about technologies and how they should be put into place in my classroom. A very important concept that I began to understand throughout the course was instrumental and missional thinking. These concepts are important in teaching, and very important when teaching with technology. Simplified, there are two ways to use or incorporate technology in a classroom. Teachers can do this missionally or instrumentally. Missional thinking is incorporating a technology in a classroom to obtain a goal, or help students master a skill. Instrumental thinking is incorporating a technology for the sake of using it.
Why is this important? What’s vital about using technology in a classroom is using it the right way. As new software, technologies and hardware come out daily, how are they being put into place in a classroom? A great example of this is something that I experienced as a new teacher. Out district has purchased a Smart Board and many administrators were excited to use it in the classroom. The main point was,” Hey, we have this great technology, use it”. The problem is, using a technology for the sake of using it is Instrumental thinking – there was no plan on how to implement it, how to train teachers on how to use it , or thoughts about how it would directly impact student learning and achievement. A better approach would be missional thinking. Missional thinking can still involve technology, but there is planning that must come first.
When teachers, administrators and districts think about the needs of their districts, they are thinking missionally. By thinking about what needs to be improved, and then finding specific applications of technology to meet your goals, districts are thinking missionally.
My technology and leadership course helped me think missionally about technology. What are the needs of my district, and what can I use to meet those needs? While this isn’t to say that technology isn’t good, it’s saying that technology must be applied correctly if districts want to see a gain. I feel that in our world where technology is being combined with every aspect of life, it’s very important to not get lost in the rush of creativity – and not to waste money. Teachers must think missionally!
Another key part of the MAET course that helped me change my thinking was a Research course that I took in the summer of 2011. Learning how to research, and studying educational research topics helped frame my understanding of technology use, and my pedagogical approach as a teacher. As I began to research the use of technology in the classroom I began to understand many aspects of educational research. These new understandings have helped me change the way that I teach, and change the way that I implement new ideas into my classroom.
One of the most important aspects that I’ve come to understand is the difference between hard research and soft research. Hard research is science, it’s proving theories and solving mathematical equations. These ideas and solutions are based on facts and findings, and rarely, if ever change. However, educational research is not hard research. Educational research is soft research. This means that there is not hard evident that can be taken as fact and applied to every situation.
An example of this soft research is seen when implementing new technologies and ideas into a classroom. There are many things that teachers can do to help their students learn. However, not all ideas and strategies are going to work for all students. These ideas are applicable to some and sometimes most students, but what is important is that there is not one set of skills, not one strategy that is applicable to all students in all situations.
This is something of dire importance, and something that administrators, teachers and lawmakers need to understand. Students learn best in a combination of strategies, and all students do not learn in the same way. When understanding that educational research is a soft science, it becomes obvious that new technologies cannot be randomly applied to all situations. With this understanding, teachers can become more effective, and not reliant on every new study and every technology created. As a teacher, I have begun to think about how soft science affects what I do in my classroom, and how I can apply new ideas correctly. I’ve realized that in my class I can try a number of strategies, but they are not going to work for all students. New techniques are great, but they’re not going to work for all students – and having the flexibility the ability to adapt and implement parts of lessons are qualities that good teachers need.
Another key idea that I learned about as a part of the MAET program was distance learning. Obviously, being an online program, I learned a lot about sitting in front of a computer. I also had the opportunity to learn about how to teach with a computer. As technology grows and changes, so does the job that we, as teachers as asked to do. Not only that, but how we are asked to teach, and the students that we are to instruct are changing. Twenty years ago, online courses were not offered, and only in the past few years have there been reputable programs that have begun to develop online courses.
But as the internet has grown, the ability to communicate instantly has become more readily available to people worldwide, the concept of a dynamic, engaging online education is something that is becoming more and more possible. As a beginning teacher, I envision the future where teachers are asked to teach students online, and at a distance. Teachers will be asked to create dynamic courses, ones that offer feedback and have the ability to teach students as well as in-class instruction. Teachers in the not to distant future will be asked to do this, and to stay competitive; teachers need to have these skills. In the MAET program I not only learned how students learn online, but I understood the essential elements that are essential in online courses.
In the fall of 2011, I took a course titled “Teaching K-12 Students Online”. In this course, I created a fully functional online course that I could put in place to help teach students at a distance. The assignment was more than just uploading lesson plans to a website, or creating readings with answers, creating an online course requires teachers and students to showcase their knowledge and creativity.
My completed project was a fully functional course hosted by Moodle. This would allow me to teach a summer school course, not only to student at Napoleon Middle School, but to students all over Jackson County (and beyond). Not only did I learn how to use course management software like Moodle, I learned essential course design information. For students to be engaged and active in classes, the course must be formatted correctly. Courses need to contain interactive materials, creative ways for students to learn, and share work, and essentially meet the multiple pathways of learning. Creating an online course of pure text would be ineffective. I learned in this course how to use dynamic multimedia, videos, podcasts, PowerPoint’s and screencasts to teach at a distance. These can provide feedback to students and give them a wealth of information. Almost as important, I learned how to effectively manage online courses, as in grading and providing feedback to students. With the use of Google Docs, specifically spreadsheets and forms, I can easily communicate with my students and provide adequare feedback in a timely and organized manor.
In conclusion, the MAET program at Michigan State University was amazing. I cannot sum up my education experiences in a narrative, or on a website. Being a part of the MAET program changed the way that I approach my job as a teacher. It changes the way that I interact with students, and most importantly, it changed the way that I teach my students every day. It’s always hard to think about the practicality of college courses. There’s no doubt in my mind that the MAET program is worth its weight in gold. Each day I start by adding my agenda to my Google Calendar. This Google calendar is prominently featured on my class website. The class website has course outlines, lists of benchmarks and standards that are covered, links to interesting information, and a bank of information that can be used for students who have misplaced assignments. These are all updated daily – and then distributed to students, parents and co-workers via Twitter and Facebook. Students can check my blog to stay up to date with fun news facts and interesting stories, post questions on my Facebook Fan page, or ask questions via Twitter. I’ve screencasted lessons that students have then watched at home, and re-watched when they’ve needed help, and I’ve created podcasts that are timeless resources to help students study and review. Big or small, each aspect of the MAET course has come together
This program has changed the way that I use technology, it’s changed the way that I teach and it’s changed the way that I work. By using these technologies, implementing them effectively and using them efficiently in the classroom, I have not only become a better teacher, but I have helped my students learn more.
By Tom Gunnells
I’m nearing the completions of a two year long journey. I started in the fall of 2010, beginning a program to earn a master’s degree in educational technology. Over the last few months I have learned a great deal about becoming a great teacher, and how to teach students to the best of their ability. As a student in the Masters of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) at Michigan State University, I have learned a great deal of skills that I have been able to put in place in my classroom that have changed the way I teach. I’ve learned and understood so much about teaching, and teaching with technology, that it’s hard to put into words what the MAET Program is, or how much it has helped me. But truly, each concept has greatly influenced how I do my job and had helped me become the teacher that I am.
One of the key concepts that I’ve learned about as a member of this program is how much there is to learn in the field of educational technology. When I started this program, I thought that I was a master in technology. I knew of the websites, I understood social networking, and I had a good idea of how to use technology effectively in my classroom. But soon after joining the MAET program, I realized how wrong I really was. There was a great deal of information that I did not know. Technologies like Jing allowed me to create screen casts of my units to share with students, or to create informational guides that walked students through reviews. Some of the skills that I learned helped me better understand programs that I had used before, but not to their full potential. Creating interactive PowerPoint presentations that had customized feedback was something that I never knew existed. I also learned skills that I’ve always wanted to do, but never fully understood how. I’ve created podcasts and edited videos – and these things have allowed me create projects that I never thought were possible. I’ve learned all of these skills, some that I never thought were possible, just two years ago. But more than just learning new technologies, the MAET program opened my mind to new ways of thinking. The MAET program made me feel different about being an educator, and has allowed me to teach my classes in different ways.
One of the most useful classes that I took as a part of the MAET program was not a class where I learned a technology. It was a class where I learned about a new way to think. The Technology and Leadership course that I took made me think about technologies and how they should be put into place in my classroom. A very important concept that I began to understand throughout the course was instrumental and missional thinking. These concepts are important in teaching, and very important when teaching with technology. Simplified, there are two ways to use or incorporate technology in a classroom. Teachers can do this missionally or instrumentally. Missional thinking is incorporating a technology in a classroom to obtain a goal, or help students master a skill. Instrumental thinking is incorporating a technology for the sake of using it.
Why is this important? What’s vital about using technology in a classroom is using it the right way. As new software, technologies and hardware come out daily, how are they being put into place in a classroom? A great example of this is something that I experienced as a new teacher. Out district has purchased a Smart Board and many administrators were excited to use it in the classroom. The main point was,” Hey, we have this great technology, use it”. The problem is, using a technology for the sake of using it is Instrumental thinking – there was no plan on how to implement it, how to train teachers on how to use it , or thoughts about how it would directly impact student learning and achievement. A better approach would be missional thinking. Missional thinking can still involve technology, but there is planning that must come first.
When teachers, administrators and districts think about the needs of their districts, they are thinking missionally. By thinking about what needs to be improved, and then finding specific applications of technology to meet your goals, districts are thinking missionally.
My technology and leadership course helped me think missionally about technology. What are the needs of my district, and what can I use to meet those needs? While this isn’t to say that technology isn’t good, it’s saying that technology must be applied correctly if districts want to see a gain. I feel that in our world where technology is being combined with every aspect of life, it’s very important to not get lost in the rush of creativity – and not to waste money. Teachers must think missionally!
Another key part of the MAET course that helped me change my thinking was a Research course that I took in the summer of 2011. Learning how to research, and studying educational research topics helped frame my understanding of technology use, and my pedagogical approach as a teacher. As I began to research the use of technology in the classroom I began to understand many aspects of educational research. These new understandings have helped me change the way that I teach, and change the way that I implement new ideas into my classroom.
One of the most important aspects that I’ve come to understand is the difference between hard research and soft research. Hard research is science, it’s proving theories and solving mathematical equations. These ideas and solutions are based on facts and findings, and rarely, if ever change. However, educational research is not hard research. Educational research is soft research. This means that there is not hard evident that can be taken as fact and applied to every situation.
An example of this soft research is seen when implementing new technologies and ideas into a classroom. There are many things that teachers can do to help their students learn. However, not all ideas and strategies are going to work for all students. These ideas are applicable to some and sometimes most students, but what is important is that there is not one set of skills, not one strategy that is applicable to all students in all situations.
This is something of dire importance, and something that administrators, teachers and lawmakers need to understand. Students learn best in a combination of strategies, and all students do not learn in the same way. When understanding that educational research is a soft science, it becomes obvious that new technologies cannot be randomly applied to all situations. With this understanding, teachers can become more effective, and not reliant on every new study and every technology created. As a teacher, I have begun to think about how soft science affects what I do in my classroom, and how I can apply new ideas correctly. I’ve realized that in my class I can try a number of strategies, but they are not going to work for all students. New techniques are great, but they’re not going to work for all students – and having the flexibility the ability to adapt and implement parts of lessons are qualities that good teachers need.
Another key idea that I learned about as a part of the MAET program was distance learning. Obviously, being an online program, I learned a lot about sitting in front of a computer. I also had the opportunity to learn about how to teach with a computer. As technology grows and changes, so does the job that we, as teachers as asked to do. Not only that, but how we are asked to teach, and the students that we are to instruct are changing. Twenty years ago, online courses were not offered, and only in the past few years have there been reputable programs that have begun to develop online courses.
But as the internet has grown, the ability to communicate instantly has become more readily available to people worldwide, the concept of a dynamic, engaging online education is something that is becoming more and more possible. As a beginning teacher, I envision the future where teachers are asked to teach students online, and at a distance. Teachers will be asked to create dynamic courses, ones that offer feedback and have the ability to teach students as well as in-class instruction. Teachers in the not to distant future will be asked to do this, and to stay competitive; teachers need to have these skills. In the MAET program I not only learned how students learn online, but I understood the essential elements that are essential in online courses.
In the fall of 2011, I took a course titled “Teaching K-12 Students Online”. In this course, I created a fully functional online course that I could put in place to help teach students at a distance. The assignment was more than just uploading lesson plans to a website, or creating readings with answers, creating an online course requires teachers and students to showcase their knowledge and creativity.
My completed project was a fully functional course hosted by Moodle. This would allow me to teach a summer school course, not only to student at Napoleon Middle School, but to students all over Jackson County (and beyond). Not only did I learn how to use course management software like Moodle, I learned essential course design information. For students to be engaged and active in classes, the course must be formatted correctly. Courses need to contain interactive materials, creative ways for students to learn, and share work, and essentially meet the multiple pathways of learning. Creating an online course of pure text would be ineffective. I learned in this course how to use dynamic multimedia, videos, podcasts, PowerPoint’s and screencasts to teach at a distance. These can provide feedback to students and give them a wealth of information. Almost as important, I learned how to effectively manage online courses, as in grading and providing feedback to students. With the use of Google Docs, specifically spreadsheets and forms, I can easily communicate with my students and provide adequare feedback in a timely and organized manor.
In conclusion, the MAET program at Michigan State University was amazing. I cannot sum up my education experiences in a narrative, or on a website. Being a part of the MAET program changed the way that I approach my job as a teacher. It changes the way that I interact with students, and most importantly, it changed the way that I teach my students every day. It’s always hard to think about the practicality of college courses. There’s no doubt in my mind that the MAET program is worth its weight in gold. Each day I start by adding my agenda to my Google Calendar. This Google calendar is prominently featured on my class website. The class website has course outlines, lists of benchmarks and standards that are covered, links to interesting information, and a bank of information that can be used for students who have misplaced assignments. These are all updated daily – and then distributed to students, parents and co-workers via Twitter and Facebook. Students can check my blog to stay up to date with fun news facts and interesting stories, post questions on my Facebook Fan page, or ask questions via Twitter. I’ve screencasted lessons that students have then watched at home, and re-watched when they’ve needed help, and I’ve created podcasts that are timeless resources to help students study and review. Big or small, each aspect of the MAET course has come together
This program has changed the way that I use technology, it’s changed the way that I teach and it’s changed the way that I work. By using these technologies, implementing them effectively and using them efficiently in the classroom, I have not only become a better teacher, but I have helped my students learn more.