Dawn Drysdale
The Page of Learning
Within this gallery are the classes which have comprised my Master of Arts in Education (MAED) journey. Classes are organized by semester and include a course description as well as how I incorporated my learning into my own classroom.
Summer 2014 - TE 843
Secondary Reading Assessment and Instruction
N. Perez
There is no such thing as having too many reading strategies and nothing makes a classroom run more smoothly than having well crafted plans, and assessments in place to ensure student success. Reading about reading and completing various graphic organizers for comprehension was the focus, with a special emphasis on implanting the various strategies into a classroom curriculum.
Having taken this class, I adjusted the amount, and implemented a variety, of graphic organizers to assist students with comprehension and aligning information clearly. This was especially helpful with complex readings, such as “The Crucible” and Winesburg Ohio, and the student’s end products were noticeably more detailed and insightful.
Fall 2014 - CEP 813
Electronic Portfolios
M. Schira Hagerman and S. Sawaya
One of the many debates in education currently is that of the importance of formatives and summatives and which assists a student more. Embedded in this debate is what types of assessments are beneficial for students as well as alternate ways to gauge mastery. This was the crux of CEP 813 where a variety of assessment techniques, and their classroom viability, were investigated, reflected upon and blogged about.
This class has impacted my classroom significantly with formative assessments being moved to the fore front of my instruction. With practice being the place where most learning occurs, my formatives are now more clearly structured and not only varied to accomodate learners, but there is also now time built into the schedule to allow for revision and comprehension refelction.
Spring 2015 - TE 831
Teaching School Subject Matter with Technology
J. Wargo
When you are unfamiliar with technology, it is disconcerting using it in your classroom. By identifying a lesson, reworking it to include technology then reteaching it - the work provided a way to not only begin to utilize technology but a means to determine how to further incorporate technology.
Having taken this class, I composed a list of available online platforms, identified the free ones and began aligning each one to a lesson I currently teach. Matching the platform to the skills to be mastered, the classroom is now more diverse in how it measures comprehension, learning gains and mastery. For instance, students now show what they know about methods of suspense by posting examples on Padlet and discussing the validity of their example. They then go on to use those same methods to create a Podcast of an original suspense narrative.
Summer 2015 - TE 836
Awards & Classics of Children's Literature
L. Apol
When it comes to book awards, the Caldecott and Newbury are two of the most well known, but there are numerous other awards which go unnoticed and unpublicized. So too, there are numerous books,and authors, which deserve an award, yet remain unnoticed. Understanding award criteria and how it may, or may not, changed over the years sheds new light on how and why books are nominated and selected.
This class was an eye opener. By delving into the history of book awards, it became clear the literatue in my classroom was not representative of my students. As a result, I have moved past the "standard fare" literature and incorporated writers of both color and culture into classroom readings and assignments.
Fall 2015 - CEP 818
Creativity in Teaching & Learn
C. Richardson with J. Good, and P. Mishra
Can creativity be taught or is it an natural inclination? The book Sparks of Genius attempts to answer this quandary while completing projects designed to 'reimagine' topics and lessons from the classroom.
With having to "re-look" at everything in this class, it has forced me to "re-see" what I do in my classroom. Rather than continue to teach the same things the same ways, because of this class I have decided to take a different appraoch on several lesson. For instance, rather than present "The Crucible" through the view of a witchhunt presenting the Crucible from the perspective of being the outcast.
Summer 2014 - CEP 816
Technology, Teaching and Learning Across the Curriculum R. Spiro
Is there such a thing as too much technology? What are the implications of using technology in the classroom? These were the types of questions put forth in CEP 816. Through extensive readings the idea of technology in the classroom (how much and what type) was hotly debated. Opinion reviews helped solidify a stance on the best use of technology not only in education but in the classroom as well.
Having taken this class, I began instituting technology into the classroom more consistently. Students now complete "Web Jumps" or "Google Jumps" to build background knowledge. These "jumps" are similar to webquests, only the students determine where the web takes them rather than vice versa. Students then compile the information they have collected about their subject and determine its relevance. Using Socrative, groups share their information comparing and contrasting what has been collected and its importance.
Fall 2014 - ED 800
Concepts of Educational Inquiry
S. Weiland
One of the many debates in education currently is that of the importance of formatives and summatives and which assists a student more. Embedded in this debate is what types of assessments are beneficial for students as well as alternate ways to gauge mastery. This was the crux of CEP 813 where a variety of assessment techniques, and their classroom viability, were investigated, reflected upon and blogged about.
This class has also had a significant impact on my classroom. After taking this class, I restructured my grading system completely. Along with the shift in the formatives, the grades now more clearly and accurately reflect a student's understanding and mastery of a concept. The students are now more willingly to attempt and to speculate on things since they have realized the grades are not competitive nor punitive.
Spring 2015 - TE 848
Writing Instruction and Assessment
A. Smith
With the emergence of standardized bubble tests, writing instruction may be relegated to the sidelines and timed writing tests give students a false impression of what the writing process encompasses. Through writer's, and personal, reflections on writing a clearer understanding of the writing process emerges and helps refine teaching writing techniques for the classroom.
Through this class, I was able to see how convoluted and unhelpful my writing instruction was in my classroom. Because of this class, I revamped the process - making sure to build in time for revision every step of the way. I also adjusted the process to include more specific vocabulary and more peer review feedback.
Summer 2015 - TE 838
Children's Literature in Film
L. Apol
Life may imitate art, but movies do not necessarily imitate the books from which they are derived. With this in mind, "classic" children's stories were matched with their cinematic counterparts to uncover what elements were altered and to speculate on the reasons behind these altercations.
This class introduced the idea of interpretation as authorship and the idea that how you view something affects your comprehension. Bringing this into the classroom meant including more writings on the same topic to provide different interpretations of the same events. For instance, using the Declaration of Independence, with an essay written from a loyalist and King George III's official response to the document.
Fall 2015 - ED 870
Capstone Seminar
M. Koehler with S. Greenhalgh, S. Keenan and J. Rosenberg
Meant to be the "the crowning achievement" of the Michigan State University Graduate Program, the Capstone project should showcase the "best of the best" of both the student and the educational professional.
This class has redefined the personal narrative for my students. Normally, as an end of the year acitivity, students create a narrative of themselves including a resume, and college application essays. This year, their narrative will be digital and will be similar in design the one I have created. This portfolio for them will provide them with an excellent way to showcase their skills and abilities to potential colleges and employers.