Mr. Topel Portfolio
Reflection on Continuing Education Goals
In 2014 I applied to the Masters of Arts in Educational Development (MAED) program at Michigan State University. As part of that application process, I wrote an essay about the goals that I hoped to achieve through this continuing education program. Now that I have nearly completed the program, it seems like a good time to reflect on how well I achieved each of those goals, and how these goals have changed.
Goal 1: Increase knowledge of my subject matter (math and science)
One of the original goals that I had for the MAED program was to increase my knowledge of math and science material itself, and I actually do not believe that my work at Michigan State did that. However, one way that my thinking has changed, is that I now believe that failure to meet this particular goal is alright. The MAED courses taught me that that effective teaching does not depend on a teacher’s content knowledge alone, but also on their knowledge of students in the classroom, and how a teacher can share what they know. This brings me to goal #2.
Goal 2: Find new methods of presenting material
As a young teacher I relied mostly on lectures to share my knowledge with each class, but I also realized that this would not be the most effective approach for all students. During my time learning through Michigan State I was able to discover several new ways to present material in both science and mathematics. Several of my science courses showed ways that I could introduce concepts with puzzling phenomenon, and even build entire units of study which are anchored in helping students to explain these phenomenon. Meanwhile, my courses in technology turned me on to the use of self made online videos which I now use in a “flipped classroom” approach to mathematics instruction where students use my videos to learn a new math skill at home, then practice that skills in our classroom the next day. That change alone means that I have found new methods of presenting math and science material, and at least partially met my original goal. Just because I have met this goal does not mean that I am finished, however. Now that I have a few ways to share material with my students, my new goal is to find the methods of presenting material which lead to the greatest student understanding.
Goal 3: Use the most current teaching methods
One of my last goals was to learn and use the most current teaching methods. Again, I believe that my MAED courses have helped greatly. These courses showed several ways that I can integrate technology such as Google Classroom, iPhone apps and even Minecraft games into the math and science classroom and helped to satisfy this third goal...at least for now. The teaching methods which are "most current" will always change, so my revised goal is to continue learning about current teaching methods after I have completed my degree.
Big Picture (Helping Students)
While all of these goals are great, my number one goal will always be to help students learn, and I truly believe that the skills I have gained through the MAED program will allow me to do that far more effectively.
Goal 1: Increase knowledge of my subject matter (math and science)
One of the original goals that I had for the MAED program was to increase my knowledge of math and science material itself, and I actually do not believe that my work at Michigan State did that. However, one way that my thinking has changed, is that I now believe that failure to meet this particular goal is alright. The MAED courses taught me that that effective teaching does not depend on a teacher’s content knowledge alone, but also on their knowledge of students in the classroom, and how a teacher can share what they know. This brings me to goal #2.
Goal 2: Find new methods of presenting material
As a young teacher I relied mostly on lectures to share my knowledge with each class, but I also realized that this would not be the most effective approach for all students. During my time learning through Michigan State I was able to discover several new ways to present material in both science and mathematics. Several of my science courses showed ways that I could introduce concepts with puzzling phenomenon, and even build entire units of study which are anchored in helping students to explain these phenomenon. Meanwhile, my courses in technology turned me on to the use of self made online videos which I now use in a “flipped classroom” approach to mathematics instruction where students use my videos to learn a new math skill at home, then practice that skills in our classroom the next day. That change alone means that I have found new methods of presenting math and science material, and at least partially met my original goal. Just because I have met this goal does not mean that I am finished, however. Now that I have a few ways to share material with my students, my new goal is to find the methods of presenting material which lead to the greatest student understanding.
Goal 3: Use the most current teaching methods
One of my last goals was to learn and use the most current teaching methods. Again, I believe that my MAED courses have helped greatly. These courses showed several ways that I can integrate technology such as Google Classroom, iPhone apps and even Minecraft games into the math and science classroom and helped to satisfy this third goal...at least for now. The teaching methods which are "most current" will always change, so my revised goal is to continue learning about current teaching methods after I have completed my degree.
Big Picture (Helping Students)
While all of these goals are great, my number one goal will always be to help students learn, and I truly believe that the skills I have gained through the MAED program will allow me to do that far more effectively.
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