During the first semester of the MAET program, I was left to wonder if I made the right choice for a graduate program.  It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy CEP810 or 811; I just wasn’t sure if the activities and projects completed in those courses aligned with what I envisioned for myself in this program.  In the spring, I enrolled in CEP812 Adapting Innovative Technologies to Education.  I would consider this course as a pivotal moment in my graduate school experience.  In CEP810 and 811, I feel like I spent a majority of the time feeling bad for myself.  “Poor Nichole, you don’t get a SmartBoard like the other students in your class.  You don’t have 1:1 iPads so you must be a sub-par teacher.”  Although I know that I never actually said either of these things, I distinctly remember feeling so jealous and anxious of everyone else.  In CEP812, there was no time spent complaining because I was too busy.  Instead, we spent a lot of time problem solving,. My mindset changed completely because now I was thinking, “I may not have a Smartboard, but what do I have and how can I make it work?” 

 

The Wicked Problem project was so invaluable to that change.  For the first time, I started thinking critically about the goals that I had for each child and not just the cool resources that were out there.  For my Wicked Problem, I tried to make digital story telling more accessible to my first grade students.  I knew I wouldn’t have an iPad to support them, so I focused on what they COULD use.  With a single, dated, digital camera and a TalkPoint recordable device, the children created everything they needed for their video story.  As the facilitator, I spent about 10-15 minutes dragging these files into iMovie on my personal computer.  What we left with was single handedly, my student’s favorite part of the entire first grade school year and a project that is still referenced when I run into previous students in the hallway.  The change of thinking prepared me by setting the framework for all of the upcoming courses.  It didn’t matter what I did or didn’t have access to at work; the only thing that mattered was how do I use what I have.

 

When I enrolled in the MAET program, I had some ideas regarding skills that I hoped to acquire.  However, when looking back at those ideas, I can say with absolute certainty that developing and facilitating an Online Content Management System, or CMS was not apart of those ideas.  Concurrently to CEP812, I was enrolled in CEP820 Teaching K-12 Students Online.  This course was created with the sole purpose of developing a CMS using an assortment of programs and websites.  For the first week of class readings, we were assigned a reading by the Department of Education. In the study Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies, the authors explained that online instruction tends to have a more significant impact on students.  Students had a +0.24 better performance when given online instruction, in comparison to online face to face instruction.  The article also indicates that the ideal environment is a mixture of online, with some face to face.  It was suggested that students need to dig deeper into the material on their own.  Time isn’t wasted doing monotonous work. 

 

There was something that was so provocative about that study.  For the first time, I was discussing readings with colleagues in the lunch room.  I couldn’t get the idea out of my mind, specifically when the Department of Education suggested that these benefits range from K-12.  As a first grade teacher, at first I was just annoyed.  There are so many things that we teach the kids outside of the Common Core Standards: how to collaborate, respect others, be friendly, and even cover one's mouth while coughing.  As a previous Child Development Graduate, there is absolutely no doubt in the fact that children learn through play; how is an online program going to replace that?  It was after much self reflection that I realized that I didn’t need to feel that strong array of emotions.  The Department of Education isn’t indicating that I’m a bad teacher because I use face to face instruction.  My students are still learning.  However, why should they be limited to that kind of instruction?  Once I came to that understanding, the development of my CMS became a great joy.  It was a bit of a challenge posting directions and expectations for projects when most first graders are very novice readers.  However, it was kind of just an obstacle in accommodating to the needs of a very specific target audience. Upon completion of CEP820, I even began to see myself with the capability of becoming a very different educator.  As a Teacher’s Assistant during undergrad, I spent a lot of time mediating issues among students and grading papers.  Would it be out of my range to develop and monitor Content Management Systems for my school district?  For a university?  It is only after CEP820 that I can answer with absolute certainty, “Why not?”  I believe that every student needs to participate in some sort of online class

 

During the year two summer cohort in East Lansing, one of the courses offered a bit of a refresher of developmental and behavioral theories.  As I previously stated, the Child Development specialist within me struggled with the importance of technology at an early age.  In my case as a first grade teacher, a constant concern was regarding the use of technology with novice users.  Specifically, CEP800 focused on the Psychology of Learning in School and Other Settings.  I felt a sense of comfort while discussing theorists like Erikson, Piaget, and Vgotsky. 

 

Upon leaving CEP800, I was more curious about developmental research within technology.  I left the summer cohort knowing that if I ever were to complete my Ph.D with Michigan State, whether it was in Child Development or Educational Technology, it would be a collaborative study between the two fields.  Having spent four years either being employed or student teaching at the Michigan State Child Development Laboratories, technology was never something that was used!  Perhaps in the few years it has been since I was last in the CDL, more has been done with technology.  However, I would go out on a limb to say that most Child Development Specialists would not support this.  It is a mantra that has been repeated over and over in class texts, such as Einstein Never Used Flashcards or The Power of Play: Children learn everything through play!  But who is to say that play cannot be adjusted to that with technology?  How can technology and play be intertwined in a way that makes both the Technology Specialists and Child Development Gurus happy?  I think that would be a great area of study and would really like to investigate it further.

 

CEP800 also left me with a bit of turmoil as an educator.  A part of the course required students to create a Dream-IT project for implementation in ones classroom.  In a different route, I identified a plan in which we could open up a dialogue about technology in the school.  By meeting once a month, Clara Bolen Elementary teachers could discuss ideas and learn new strategies in an afterschool setting.  I left the summer cohort excited and ready for school to start.  So far, we have had two meetings.  At this moment, the project hasn’t had the success that I hoped for and has actually unintentionally angered some.  However, I have been overwhelmed with the support of my MAET colleagues in the program and program directors, who have went out of their way to support me and my Dream-IT project, even if I may not be getting support from my work colleagues.  Even if I was questioning my decision at the start of the program, there is no doubt in my mind that I’m exactly where I belong. 

 

The last course in reflection is the current course of CEP807 Proseminar in Educational Technology.  I view CEP807 as timeline of my progress with my MAET experience.  As educators, we are always asked to reflect.  Using my capstone website, I can document my individual progress within the MAET program.  When I view a piece from my showcase, I am immediately brought back to the “me” at that time.  You can learn a lot about a project, not just that proficiency skill level of the author.  When I see a project, I am reminded of what was important at that moment.  The reasoning behind choosing specific topics for projects is reflective of the educational issues that I had faced.  Another self reflection that I make is, “Wow, I’ve gotten pretty good!”  I know I’m not the best, but I do I have a lot to share.  I also have a lot of learn.

 

In retrospect, I may not have changed much since August 2012.  I still have red hair.  I still teach first grade.  I still love my students.  But when one considers all that I was provided with in this past year and a half, there is little doubt that the educator within hasn’t changed.  My reflection of these valuable courses is a clear indication of that.  Most of all, the MAET program has made me an advocate for innovative learning.  You may not need iPads, but you do need an open mind in reaching the individual needs of every student.  

 

For a PDF version of this essay, click here!