Mr. Topel Portfolio
Future Learning Goals
A Lifetime of Learning
From these last few years completing the Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program at Michigan State, to the four years I spent in undergraduate studies at Concordia University, and the eight years of experience I have teaching in the middle school classroom, I have spent a great deal of time studying the art and theory of teaching. One of the most important lessons I have learned is that teachers should also aspire to be lifelong learners. While the process of learning any new content or skill can be beneficial, a large part of the continued learning process for teachers lies in identifying which lessons will be most beneficial for our professional growth. With that in mind, I have selected three avenues to pursue as my own future learning goals. First, I will stay on the cutting edge of educational technology by attending the annual conference of the Michigan Association of Computer Users and Learners (MACUL). Second, I will further my understanding of Google for Education by completing Google Educator training. And third, I will enhance my use of inquiry-based science instruction by employing more materials from Ambitious Science Teaching.
From these last few years completing the Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program at Michigan State, to the four years I spent in undergraduate studies at Concordia University, and the eight years of experience I have teaching in the middle school classroom, I have spent a great deal of time studying the art and theory of teaching. One of the most important lessons I have learned is that teachers should also aspire to be lifelong learners. While the process of learning any new content or skill can be beneficial, a large part of the continued learning process for teachers lies in identifying which lessons will be most beneficial for our professional growth. With that in mind, I have selected three avenues to pursue as my own future learning goals. First, I will stay on the cutting edge of educational technology by attending the annual conference of the Michigan Association of Computer Users and Learners (MACUL). Second, I will further my understanding of Google for Education by completing Google Educator training. And third, I will enhance my use of inquiry-based science instruction by employing more materials from Ambitious Science Teaching.
Goal 1: MACUL Conference
While working through the MAED program at Michigan State University, my focus was on the topic of education as a whole. However, I was impressed with the knowledge and skills shared by some of my more technology-focused peers in the Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program. Often, these classmates mentioned the new technology or ideas they had learned through the annual MACUL conference. Now that my graduate courses are nearly complete and I have more time available, I look forward to learning firsthand about the new developments in educational technology, and the many ways that we can use these technologies to enhance student learning. Maybe some company has found a new way to make learning chemistry more engaging and interactive. Or perhaps a teacher has discovered a creative way to allow their junior high students to use cell phones in the classroom without allowing this technology to become a distraction. Whatever happens, I want to hear about these new innovations first, and that starts by attending my local technology conferences.
While working through the MAED program at Michigan State University, my focus was on the topic of education as a whole. However, I was impressed with the knowledge and skills shared by some of my more technology-focused peers in the Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program. Often, these classmates mentioned the new technology or ideas they had learned through the annual MACUL conference. Now that my graduate courses are nearly complete and I have more time available, I look forward to learning firsthand about the new developments in educational technology, and the many ways that we can use these technologies to enhance student learning. Maybe some company has found a new way to make learning chemistry more engaging and interactive. Or perhaps a teacher has discovered a creative way to allow their junior high students to use cell phones in the classroom without allowing this technology to become a distraction. Whatever happens, I want to hear about these new innovations first, and that starts by attending my local technology conferences.
Goal 2: Google Educator Training
Learning about new technologies and their uses is great, but effective learners should also seek to master technologies which they already employ. One way that I hope to further my understanding and use of educational technologies is by completing the Educator Level 1 certificate through the Google for Education training center. As a one of the few young people in my small school, I have been appointed de-facto tech expert, but often find that I don’t really know what to do and instead have to spend valuable hours searching for a solution. Completing this official training will show that I am serious about learning how to use these tools, and will help save time when I need to solve any trouble we have with Google apps. Additionally, I am one of the two Google administrators in our building, and I hope that by completing the Level 1 certificate I can more effectively use the tools available to keep our one to one device program working effectively for both students and teachers.
Learning about new technologies and their uses is great, but effective learners should also seek to master technologies which they already employ. One way that I hope to further my understanding and use of educational technologies is by completing the Educator Level 1 certificate through the Google for Education training center. As a one of the few young people in my small school, I have been appointed de-facto tech expert, but often find that I don’t really know what to do and instead have to spend valuable hours searching for a solution. Completing this official training will show that I am serious about learning how to use these tools, and will help save time when I need to solve any trouble we have with Google apps. Additionally, I am one of the two Google administrators in our building, and I hope that by completing the Level 1 certificate I can more effectively use the tools available to keep our one to one device program working effectively for both students and teachers.
Goal 3: Ambitious Science Teaching
My final learning goal is to dive more deeply into the Tools for the Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) program. I was first introduced to this program through the course Inquiry and the Nature of Science while completing my Master’s degree. AST specializes in promoting student learning of science by presenting puzzling phenomenon and then getting students to ask questions and develop their own explanations for these unique situations. I have already been using puzzling phenomenon, like the video on the right, to enhance my science lessons and challenge my students to think critically (more examples of these can be found on this page). However, I would like to learn more about how AST uses these events to develop entire units of study so that I can include more puzzling phenomenon and support student inquiry in my own classroom experience. |
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While I believe that completing each of these goals will make me a more effective teacher, I also recognize that this is not the end. Successful teachers must be lifelong learners with goals that constantly change and evolve to meet the needs of their students and learning environment. So, once this set of goals has been attained, I will come up with another group of goals, and then another. Because no teacher can ever know too much about how to help a student learn.
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Photo Credits
- MACUL Logo provided by Michigan Association of Computer Users and Learners 2018 events page <https://macul.org/events/>
- Google Educator Certification Level 1 Icon found at <https://edutrainingcenter.withgoogle.com/certification_level1>
- Youtube video "55 Gallon Drum Crush" property of channel "morrowesdotcom" and available at <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy-SN5j1ogk>
- MACUL Logo provided by Michigan Association of Computer Users and Learners 2018 events page <https://macul.org/events/>
- Google Educator Certification Level 1 Icon found at <https://edutrainingcenter.withgoogle.com/certification_level1>
- Youtube video "55 Gallon Drum Crush" property of channel "morrowesdotcom" and available at <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy-SN5j1ogk>
Photo used under Creative Commons from Toolstotal