top of page
MTL 517: English as a Second Language Teaching and Methodology
Spring 2013, Elmhurst College
Instructor: Dr. Sandra Conrad

For many of my students, English is their second (or third, or fourth) language, and I have always been interested in working with language learners, young and old.  In this class, I learned that an English Language Learner’s native language is powerful: it can provide an important link to family, community, and identity, and it can also be used to support English language acquisition. In this course, I studied many best practices for supporting students’ developing English proficiency, including cooperative learning, providing multiple exposures to information, using indirect error correction, and incorporating visual, aural, and physical learning aids. I also grew to understand the importance of building relationships with students and creating a safe learning environment that helps to lower students’ affective filters.  I applied these best practices by designing lesson plans for ELLs (English Language Learners). I also evaluated the benefits and limitations of different ELL programs, concluding that more resources are needed to support true bilingualism and biliteracy.

Annotated Transcript

Master's of Education at Michigan State University

ED 800: Concepts of Educational Inquiry
Spring 2015
Instructors: Dr. Steven Wieland & Mr. Aaron Einfeld

In this introductory course, I gained a broad understanding of the history of education in the United States and of different educational philosophies, theories, and research methods. In particular, the course examined the tension between progressive and conservative approaches to education reform, which prompted me to think deeply about the value of self-directed student inquiry and the importance of providing all students access to canonical knowledge that provides access to further educational and professional opportunities. Through this course, I realized how important it is to identify the assumptions and traditions that our system of education is based upon, and to be critically reflective. I also considered the role that technology and digital learning plays (and should play) in education today and in the future.

ED 822: Diverse Students and Families
Summer 2015
Instructors: Dr. Muhammad Khalifa & Ms. Stefanie Marshall

When educators engage with students’ families and communities, it can improve the educators’ effectiveness and the students’ learning experiences. In this course, I learned to identify and reject deficit frameworks embedded in systems as well as in my own individual practice. I grew to more deeply understand that every family and community has values, strengths, and resources with which they support their students’ success. It is my charge as an educator to recognize, respect, and collaborate with families and communities on their terms. I also studied critical race theory and Foucault’s theories of power and discourse, and I applied those theories to the real world, identifying systems of power and norms that perpetuate inequity in communities, in the classroom, and in the realm of college access.

CEP 802: Developing Positive Attitudes Toward Learning
Fall 2015
Instructors: Dr. Evelyn Oka & Ms. Taylor Hicks-Hoste

It is not uncommon to hear educators talk about students who “are” or “are not” motivated. In this course, I came to understand that one of my most crucial and exciting responsibilities as an educator is to get to know my students, understand what motivates them, and work to help engage them engage deeply with their learning. I studied various theories of motivation, and found the expectancy x value theory to be particular salient to my work. I learned to use the TARGET framework to analyze how my choices as an educator can promote engagement. I also reviewed best practices for student engagement, including facilitating mastery experiences, promoting student agency, providing appropriate challenge and support, holding students to high expectations, and teaching strategies for learning, self-evaluation, and goal-setting. I used these best practices and frameworks to design a motivational intervention that improved student performance and engagement.

EAD 850: Multicultural Education
Spring 2016
Instructors: Dr. Riyad Shahjahan & Ms. Annabelle Estera

This course empowered me to critique approaches to multicultural education that seek only to celebrate diversity. I learned that in order to best support the all students, I must go beyond celebration: I must work to affirm and sustain all students’ identities, and I must recognize and build upon their funds of knowledge. I studied some of the structures in education that marginalize groups of students, and I identified ways that norms of dominant groups are institutionalized and normalized. I left this course with the understanding that individual critical self-reflection on the part of educators as well as systemic change are both needed in order to provide equitable educational experiences for all students.

TE 846: Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners
Spring 2016
Instructor: Dr. Dongbo Zhang

This course provided an overview of literacy development and included the study of many best practices for literacy instruction in the areas of strategy instruction, fluency, and vocabulary. We also explored how educators can differentiate literacy instruction for a variety of students, including English Language Learners. I explored ways that a student’s native language can be used as a resource for literacy learning and strategies for engaging parents of all language backgrounds in supporting their child’s literacy development. I also learned that ELLs’ literacy development is often misunderstood: ELLs can be misdiagnosed for learning disabilities, or early mastery of conversational English can lead adult educators to remove supports prematurely. This course impressed upon me this importance of getting to know students’ individually, including their language backgrounds and what learning opportunities they have had.

EAD 801: Leadership and Organization Development
Summer 2016
Instructor: Dr. William Arnold

In this course, I examined what constitutes effective leadership in an educational context. Through our readings, discussions, and reflections, I came to believe that the key role of an effective leader is to engage and support their team. To do this, a leader must understand their team members and differentiate their approach, and must empower team members to take ownership of their work. I also explored the role of conflict in organizational development, learning that conflicts about ideas are essential to the health of an organization. I acquired strategies for supporting a team through conflicts and through any changes that may ensue.

TE 849: Methods and Materials for Teaching Children's and Adolescent Literature
Fall 2016
Instructor: Dr. Laura Apol

Works of literature can be used to help students build important academic and literacy skills, but they can also engender personal development, identity exploration, and a deeper understanding of the world. In this course, I explored how a wide variety of texts can be used in a classroom to serve these different purposes for different students. I learned how to more critically make decisions about which texts to include in my classroom, and to carefully consider how groups of people are represented (or not represented).  I developed a deeper appreciation for the impact that Young Adult novels, graphic novels, and nonfiction texts can have in the classroom. I also explored the benefits, limitations, and pitfalls of attempting to select texts that are relevant or relatable to students’ lives.

TE 848: Writing Assessment and Instruction
Spring 2017
Instructor: Dr. Jennifer VanDerHeide

This course exposed me to innovative approaches to writing instruction that go beyond formulaic essays about predictable topics. I learned the importance of providing  writing opportunities for students that are authentic and meaningful, and I studied examples of lessons, assignments, facilitation strategies, and methods of feedback that create those opportunities. I studied the many elements that impact student writing, including the writing task, the classroom context, and the amount and type of instruction and support, as well as the student’s culture, language background, and past writing and reading experiences.  Throughout the course, I engaged in an inquiry project that explored what approaches to writing instruction are most effective in a multicultural classroom.

ED 870: Capstone Seminar
Summer 2017
Instructors: Dr. Matthew Koehler, Mr. Aric Gaunt, Ms. Sarah Keenan & Ms. Brittany Dillman

This course was the culmination of my Masters in Education program. I created a digital portfolio that synthesized all of my graduate work and the knowledge and skills I’ve acquired.  I also reflected on my learning, and set goals for how I want to extend my learning and development as an educator in the future. The portfolio offers me an opportunity to share what I’ve learned with a broader audience and foster conversation with peers.

bottom of page