Technology is constantly changing which in turn means the way and the material students are learning is constantly changing. As educators, it may not always be the easiest to handle this change, but we must adjust our teaching for the students to be progressive. Taking chances isn’t always the easiest thing to do, but one of the biggest lessons I work to teach all my students is a method called F.A.I.L. It stands for First Attempt In Learning and in order for students and society to progress, people have to be willing to take chances and try again. Thomas Edison didn’t let people tell him he had failed 1000 times to invent the light bulb, but instead the light bulb was an invention with 1000 steps. If I want to show the students I teach this concept, then I also have to learn and follow it as well and the following classes and artifacts helped me to do just that.
Objectives: 1. Use telecommunications-based tools to integrate information into the classroom and the curriculum 2. Demonstrate proficiency using computers and related technologies in instruction
CET 692 Inclusive STEM Instruction This course has been one of the most beneficial courses I have taken. When I first started my elementary education degree I had no idea what STEM was, but this class along with the educational technology program has taught me about it and has taught me how to use STEM in the classroom. The above Popplet artifact was one of the first projects I had to work through learning about STEM. The concept of F.A.I.L (first attempt in learning) has become a huge part of this class, but also within teaching STEM in the middle school classroom.
CET 756 Introduction to Instructional Programming Introduction to Instructional Programming was one of the toughest classes for me in the MSET program. During my undergraduate, I took programming and it was not a class I understood and it was for this reason that I was so worried about taking a programming class again. But, this is exactly where I had to take a chance. It was through a lot of hard work and an open mind, but I was able to take away some great information and it also made me realize when we take chances, we can learn and increase our skills and knowledge.
CET 751 Computer Hardware and Networking Essentials Throughout my time in the MSET program, I have been introduced to a variety of new subject areas. Many of them required reading and research and putting the tools into practice. In Computer Hardware and Networking Essentials, we were able to learn new material with a much more hands-on approach. During this class, we spent a week at Dakota State University putting computers together and taking things apart. We did tours around campus and had guest speakers come in and talk about different types of technologies available. These different activities helped to provide information for my research paper artifact, where not only did we have to provide research, but also present this information to our fellow classmates.