I have always been perceived as a person who enjoys playing video games by those around me. My computer is the most expensive item in my household. Except for the time I spent in college, I have spent the most time with my computer. My husband and I even met online as well. In my academic career, I am hesitant to admit that I am an avid computer enthusiast, which gives others the impression that they have no life goals. So I very, very rarely discuss my life with computers, and consequently, my colleagues are typically unaware that I am a gamer who enjoys computers and technology.
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When I was about to enter college, I chose to major in mathematics teaching because I enjoyed the feeling of numbers leaping before me. It's no secret that most students don't enjoy math class despite the fact that it's a mandatory curriculum core. But math was always my favorite class in high school, and I was happy to offer up my unique approach to teaching it.
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With all this talk of computers, you might be wondering why you didn't major in Computer Science. This is a question that many of my close friends have posed to me. Even I pondered frequently throughout my time in college. So, here I am, a student in Michigan State University's Master of Arts in Education Technology (MAET) program. Why can't I take both math and computer science instead of just one? Here, I can have fun while incorporating Computer Science concepts into areas of study like mathematics and beyond.
My husband and me
CEP 813 Passions and Voices
My teaching methods have changed as a result of CEP 813: Electronic Assessment. In summary, CEP 183 investigates the benefits and drawbacks of the standard evaluation practices used in school systems. We analyzed the objective, effectiveness, and digital environment of each assessment method. Additionally, we picked a genre for one assessment and wrote a critical review of it to discuss the prospects for that genre's future while incorporating metagaming ideas into the evaluations.
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As a newly revised course, I am fortunate to be the first group of students to complete the Metagaming Final Project, as it aligns with my passion. At that point, I fully grasped that gaming could also be an academic topic worth discussing. As a speaker of English as a second language, my college essays were filled with blue and red squiggles from professors, and indecipherable code to me that telegraphed my teachers' frustrations with my lack of understanding. In the metagaming context of the course, the extensive feedback that I've received on my classwork and presentations has shown that my instructor value my unique understanding of the gaming knowledge in gaming mechanics, game design, and challenges, and they've helped me feel more confident in my ability to tackle any academic challenges that stand in my way.
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Additionally, I can be heard during CEP 813. In my anticipation, I was expecting to study the best assessment techniques that can be used to be a better teacher and evaluate my students' abilities, as well as how I can use the machines to assign them to assess students' abilities more accurately and digitally than I can. In fact, I gained a lot of knowledge that will help me analyze my students' needs and provide for them. For instance, in my Speculative Assessment Project, I gave great consideration to the backgrounds of my students when designing a 3-stage assessment plan from low to high cognitive demand tasks and a clear rubric to understand their subject-matter expertise and organizational skills. Throughout that procedure, with the assistance of the article "Should Robot Replace Teachers," which explores the function of learning-recommender systems in creating the key selections that are essential in instruction. Because I am aware that instructors are the primary decision-makers and that machines cannot replace teachers, I am confident when evaluating students.
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I had the chance to critique the various assessment genres, including standardized tests, unit tests, and state assessments (which gauge students' mastery of learning standards), in addition to one assessment in particular, and I wrote a critical review of it to explain how inadequately designed it is. As teachers, we typically adapt the assessment system that is currently in use and do our best to follow the trend. However my understanding of the current system was challenged by these critical reviews, which also pushed me to evaluate IB Language B assessments' benefits and drawbacks from a high vantage point. As a result, we moved from being implementers to decision-makers. In the future, we will be the ones performing the assessments and bringing about significant changes.
CEP 814/824/833 Resources and Creation.
Can you believe I also invented a tool to reduce Eye strain in CEP 833?
For me, computer science is about exploring, discovering, and creating. The three courses I took for my Graduate Certificate in K–12 Computer Science Education—CEP 814 on Computational Thinking for Educators, CEP 824 on Programming Concepts for Educators, and CEP 833 on Creativity in K–12 Computing Education—equally prepared me for foundational knowledge in computer science theories and practices as well as Computational Thinking (CT). In my understanding, to teach CT to students I need the ability to contextualize knowledge, explain it using student-friendly language, and make connections between other subject areas. My Graduate Certificate has given me the opportunity to practice these skills.
“CEP 814, Computational Thinking for Educators” provides the information necessary for me to develop an understanding of Computational Thinking (CT) as a means to begin writing code. I began with easy coding challenges such as “hello world”, and end up designing a practical and fun hands-on project-orientated unit plan that has various CT concepts such as algorithm, decomposition, subunit, abstraction, and Automation. By the end of CEP814, I felt I've learned enough foundations to build next-level comprehension of CT to code.
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Produce the "Hello, World!" script in repl.it (online Python IDE).
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Student-Oriented activity
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The playground provided by CEP 824, Programming Concepts for Educators, has allowed me to experiment with several programming languages and environments, including block-based coding, repl.it, Java scripting, and Pencil codes. These explorations help me develop compelling review lessons, end-of-unit projects, and hands-on exploration course materials for my mathematics courses. I made it a point to incorporate computational thinking and algorithmic thinking into each and every math lesson because I believe that these types of logic lessons are essential not only in math classes but also in everyday life.
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Use pencil Codes to graph regular n-gon
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Track YouTube video views and comments
At 4 o'clock every day, my script will send me an email about new replies and comments on my typed youtube videos.
My decision to incorporate culturally relevant propositions within my lesson planning is another achievement in CEP824. In the past, I've exclusively included Computer Science lessons in my higher-level classes because I believe that those extra resources can benefit students who have more complex cognitive needs. After gaining additional knowledge on CEP824, I realized that everyone can learn to code. As a result, I started working on "Coding for all" and making those lessons accessible to all students. I have attempted to create an inclusive environment by allowing students to demonstrate cultural competence through individualized, personalized projects, utilizing "unplugged activity" (Computer Science tasks without the use of a computer), and allowing students to fill in any culturally pertinent information. Although computer science is severely taught in the United States, the accessibility of computer science is important, because it provides problem-solving skills that can help in other cross-disciplines.
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In CEP 833, Creativity in K–12 Computing Education, I incorporate cross-subject lesson planning, which is another highlight of my Graduate Certificate experience. Dr. Marsland not only encouraged me to demonstrate my proficiency in mathematics, but he also suggested that I investigate a subject with which I am unfamiliar. For instance, utilizing Sonic Pi, a coding tool for writing music, to learn sine waves, generating tessellation arts with P5.js, a JavaScript library, and an unplugged storytelling activity can be implemented in both elementary language classes and world language classes.
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Number Guess Game using physical Computer
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CEP 807: Finality and fresh start
The CEP 807: Capstone Portfolio Course marked lots of my milestones in my academic and personal life. The motivation that I started the course is when I searched the Master of Arts in Education Technology (MAET) program at Michigan State University, and one of those attractive websites make me enter the program. I'm the type of guy who dislikes procrastinating, therefore I began developing my web pages as soon as the program began. It began differently than it does now, with only my name remaining the same. It features a modest home page, a ton of scattered information, and a messed-up resume. The only good part is my students’ outstanding work. The Capstone course transformed my teaching style because it changed me from a disorganized individual into someone who enjoys chronicling a fulfilling life. I can utilize my websites to show my colleagues the incredible projects I've made, to show future students the incredible artifacts created by seniors, and to track my gradual improvement.
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I started steadily documenting my MAET experience on it throughout the entire program, adding to the outstanding student work as I went. I enjoy the feeling of web pages getting a little more refined and elegant. Currently, this teenager, my website, has matured and attained adulthood. She is now wealthy and lovely, and I can proudly show the audience of my two years' effort, the outcomes to develop my own interest through exploration. While the website was nearing completion, the Capstone course marked the conclusion of my graduate career. However, this page also represented a turning point in my life. Since my husband had relocated to Dallas, I was looking for jobs in order to join him there. As my website nears completion, I use it to demonstrate that I am a conscientious math teacher and to highlight my professional interests and passions, so I successfully employed it to assist me in securing a ne career opportunity. I'll remain in this wonderful career as a cool teacher who employs computational thinking to teach high school math when the capstone course is complete. My personal and academic lives are also beginning anew.
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In conclusion....
As I progressed through the master's degree, I explored various teaching approaches and tactics that I could utilize to engage students in computer science subjects. I see directly how these strategies may help students comprehend mathematical subjects more quickly and profoundly by incorporating CS ideas, and I seized every opportunity to incorporate these ideas into my own classes.
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As the program proceeded, I frequently added interactive activities and hands-on projects into my courses because I enjoyed devising innovative approaches to enable my students to learn and comprehend key ideas. For instance, Euler's line project aids students in distinguishing easily confusing concepts such as Centroid, Orthocenter, and circumcenter. In addition, students learned how to apply CS fundamentals such as Abstraction, Automation, and deconstruction. Whether we were working on advanced problem-solving or reviewing the fundamentals, I endeavored to keep my students engaged in the material.
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The Master's program as a whole had an impact on my perspective and approach to teaching math. I intended to integrate technology, particularly coding tools, into my classroom as a means to get students thinking and learning in an easy-to-enter environment that would prepare them to be computer problem solvers of the future.