Graduate Showcase
This page is a collection of artifacts that I have created over the course of my time as a Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) student at Michigan State University (MSU). Each artifact was thoughtfully chosen to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and opportunities that I have experienced during my time as an MAET student.
Artifacts have been organized into three categories:
Educational Reflections, Educational Technology, and Educational Assessment.
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Click the "Explore More" button under each artifact to learn more about my creations.
Educational Reflections
Artifacts 1-3
I believe that there is nothing more important in the educational profession than one's ability to reflect and grow alongside of recent evidence-based practices. Examining personal beliefs and pedagogical practices, seeking opportunities for feedback and professional development, and contemplating current inequities in public education is essential for creating an educational system that empowers students to become world-changers.
1
Beautiful Beginnings:
What's to Come
Artifact 1 is a testament to where I started, where I currently am, and what is to come in my future as I am finishing up my final two courses of my graduate degree. In this blog post, I exemplify my ability to reflect upon learning experiences in which my educational beliefs and philosophies were challenged. I consider how the MAET program has provided me with opportunities to change, adapt, and grow as an educator when faced with beliefs and philosophies that challenge my thinking.
2
Diversity = Strength:
A Classroom Family
Artifact 2 highlights my profound passion for celebrating diverse learners, specifically in the educational setting. The elementary school that I teach at is currently the most diverse public elementary school in Michigan, with over 30 different languages spoken by the student population (2023). As an educator, I place a large emphasis on creating a classroom family in which all students feel valued, empowered, and celebrated. This artifact shows two creations I have made that encompass this passion.
3
A Wicked Problem:
Teacher Burnout, Shortages, and Retention
This blog post and multimodal digital poster examines a "Wicked Problem" that our educational system is currently facing regarding teacher burnout, shortages, and retention. Artifact 3 uses carefully collected research to not only portray how wicked this problem really is, but to also discuss the ways in which it has harmed students, educators, and the educational system itself. I also suggest possible solutions that policy makers can investigate in order to alleviate the damage that this Wicked Problem has caused.
Educational Technology
Artifacts 4-6
Since the birth of the internet, we have observed technology advance like never before. At the start of 2023, there were 311.3 million active internet users in the United States alone, an 11.25% increase from 2015 (2023). The advancement of technology has revolutionized the ways in which we teach and learn, making education more engaging, accessible, and individualized. Technology has the potential to transform current education practices and reconstruct our views on education significantly.
6
The Value of Educational Gaming:
Are Your Students Playing Enough Video Games?
Artifact 6 is a multimodal blog post that presents research findings regarding the use of video games in an educational setting. Co-created with Steph Saksa, a fellow MAET educator, Are Your Students Playing Enough Video Games? explores the various benefits of gaming in the classroom, such as increasing engagement and improving problem solving skills. Through our informational video and virtual poster, Steph and I share our findings on educational gaming and provide readers with guidance for implementation in the classroom.
4
Revisit, Review, Revise:
A Maker Movement Lesson Plan
The Maker Movement, a movement deeply rooted in the value of creation, passion, and problem solving, is currently becoming an increasingly popular learning revolution in public education. Due to the compelling evidence of the power of making, I created a lesson plan that aligned with the components of the Maker Movement. Artifact 4 not only provides a detailed lesson plan that I created, but also thoughtfully connects the lesson plan to TPACK, a framework that outlines the relationship between technology, pedagogical knowledge, and content knowledge.
5
Exploring Toy Theater:
Virtual Manipulatives
In Artifact 5, I explore a commonly used educational website called Toy Theater, which is an interactive program that uses educational tools and manipulatives to engage students in their learning. This artifact exemplifies my ability to critically analyze gathered research in order to evaluate the affordances and constraints of a technological tool. I also examine the ways in which the use of virtual manipulatives compare to the use of concrete manipulatives, and the benefits of giving students the freedom to use both tools to represent their thinking.
Educational Assessment
Artifacts 7-8
Assessment plays an integral role in our current public educational system. However, much of the foundational history of educational assessment has perpetuated discriminatory and inequitable learning experiences for students. As we continue to learn more about assessment best practices and revise current pedagogical methods, educators must reflect upon their present assessment philosophies in order to challenge internalized prejudice and bias.
7
The Shoulds and Should Nots of Academic Assessment
Artifact 7 is an infographic I created to portray my evolving academic assessment philosophy that is aligned with current, researched-based best practices. In this Artifact, I define the six components that academic assessments should embody alongside of the six components that academic assessments should not embody. I also wrote two blog posts that connect to this artifact and provide examples of assessments I have experienced that align, or do not align, with my academic assessment philosophy.
8
Combatting Assessment Bias:
An Infographic
The foundational history of academic assessment has a substantial link to deeply harmful stereotypes and biases that have created inequities in our current education system. In Artifact 8, I explore different types of inherent biases commonly found in academic assessments and the impact that the biases have on learners in the classroom. I also offer educators various tangible and accessible solutions to help combat academic assessment bias and decrease inequities in the educational classroom.