| Date Taken | Course Number and Name | Instructors | Course Overview |
| Fall 2023 | ED 800 Concepts of Educational Inquiry | Kristy Cooper Stein | This was the first course in my graduate studies program and it helped me understand how social, cultural, and political forces shape educational outcomes. I learned how class and social background can limit opportunities, how schools can marginalize students from non-dominant cultures, and how educational activism has been essential for equity. Key ideas included culturally sustaining pedagogy, intergenerational knowledge, and critical pedagogy. Overall, the course showed me that education is not neutral—it reflects systemic inequalities but can also be a powerful tool for resistance and justice. |
| Fall 2023 | CEP 811 Adapting Innovative Technologies to Education | Colin Gallagher | This course introduced me to key learning theories, including those of Piaget and Papert, which I was unfamiliar with at the start. I gained a deeper understanding of how failure can serve as a powerful catalyst for skill mastery rather than just a measure of what a student doesn’t know. The course focused on three major concepts: Constructivism and Constructionism, Innovating Learning Spaces, and the role of failure in the learning process. The knowledge I gained from this course not only shifted my perspective but also influenced my work in other classes, deepening my understanding across various areas of educational research. |
| Spring 2024 | CEP 820 Teaching and Learning Online | Anne Heintz, Brittany Dillman | This course focused on designing inclusive online learning by developing an understanding of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. Exploration of how to create assessments for diverse learners and critically evaluate new ideas in online education was significant. A key takeaway was the importance of using thoughtful judgment when exploring new tools and methods to truly support student learning. |
| Spring 2024 | TE 831 Teaching School Subject Matter with Technology | Douglas Hartman | This course focused on how to effectively use technology to teach diverse learners across subject areas. It emphasized redesigning educational spaces—both physical and digital—to support maximum engagement and learning. The course also encouraged critical thinking about the role of technology in school systems, helping me understand how to use tech tools thoughtfully while considering issues of equity, access, and inclusivity in the classroom. |
| Summer 2024 | CEP 810 Teaching for Understanding With Technology | Mary Wever | This course explored how to integrate digital productivity tools into the classroom to support meaningful learning. A key focus was the TPACK framework (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge), which helped me understand how technology, teaching methods, and subject matter work together to improve instruction. I also learned how TPACK connects with the idea of vertical transference of skills—applying what students learn in one context to new and more complex situations. This course gave me practical strategies for using technology to enhance both how I teach and how students engage with content. |
| Summer 2024 | CEP 812 Applying Educational technology to Issues of Practice | Nicole Zumpano | This course began with identifying a specific problem of practice and focused on how technology can be used to manage and address real-world challenges in education. We explored various tools and strategies to support problem-solving and improve educational outcomes. One of the most engaging parts of the course was studying Brinkerhoff’s Success Case Method (SCM), which helped me think deeply about how to design and evaluate training programs, particularly those aimed at strengthening teacher-to-administrator engagement. This course expanded my ability to apply educational technology in purposeful and practical ways. |
| Fall 2024 | CEP 813 Electronic Assessment for Teaching and Learning | Megan Garza | In this course, I learned about the different roles and purposes of assessment in education, as well as the foundational theories that support how assessments are designed and used. We looked closely at different assessment methods and thought critically about how they impact teaching and learning. One assignment that really stood out to me was the Sandcastle Assessment unit. In this project, I created an assessment with clear criteria designed for a specific group of learners. This experience helped me think more deeply about how to build fair and useful assessments and became a foundation for many of my ideas in later courses. |
| Fall 2024 | CEP 818 Creativity in Teaching and Learning | Candace Robertson | This course focused on understanding what makes creativity meaningful in the classroom and how to support and apply it in teaching. We explored ways to recognize and implement creative practices that engage learners in thoughtful and imaginative ways. A memorable assignment for me was interviewing both a human and generative A.I. about creativity in education. Comparing their responses gave me a unique perspective on how creativity is viewed and expressed differently, and it sparked deeper reflection on how creative thinking can shape teaching and learning. |
| Spring 2025 | CEP 817 Learning Technology Through Design | Anne Heintz, Brittany Dillman | In this course, I learned how to use technology to create better lessons for students. This course taught me how to design learning tools, like educational games or apps, that are easy and fun to use. We talked about how students interact with computers and how design can look nice while also helping people learn. I also learned how to test and improve my ideas by working with others and making changes based on what worked best. This course helped me think like a designer so I can create lessons that really help students learn and enjoy the process. |
| Spring 2025 | ED 870 Capstone Seminar | Matthew Koehler, Megan Eikey | This final course in my Master of Arts in Education program has been more than just a wrap-up—it’s been a meaningful opportunity to pause, reflect, and celebrate how far I’ve come. Throughout the seminar, I’ve gathered the pieces of my learning journey—every paper, project, breakthrough, and aha moment—and shaped them into a digital portfolio that tells my unique story as an educator. What made this experience especially powerful was exploring how everyday, accessible technology—like videos, podcasts, blogs, and interactive web tools—can amplify my voice and present my work in ways that are engaging and relevant. I discovered how these tools not only help me communicate my growth, but also how they can speak directly to the people who matter most in my professional world: parents, school administrators, and educational stakeholders. By the end of this course, I won’t just have a portfolio. I’ll have a purposeful, tech-savvy showcase of who I am as a teacher, where I’ve been, and the direction I’m heading next. |