Introduction
Thank you for taking the time to look at my Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) showcase. Here, you will find work samples from my time spent in the program. Each of the samples displayed below was selected with purpose, as they truly display who I am as an educator. You will find the work separated into three categories: innovation, student-centered, and leadership. These categories were carefully selected as they are words that describe what I value as an educator.
Innovation is a showcase of my belief that teaching itself is an on-going learning process. As my students change from year to year, I believe that my teaching must adapt each year to best meet the needs of my new group of students. This is where innovation comes into play- being innovative to me means that I am always evolving, whether it be through the use of a new teaching method or the use of a new type of technology.
In addition, student-centered is another important facet of who I am as an educator. My role in the classroom is that of a facilitator of learning- I am there to guide my students in their learning journey while they are in my classroom, and help them build important skills that they can carry with them into the future.
Lastly, leadership showcases my work in sharing my professional knowledge with others in my field. The MAET program really helped to propel me into situations where I had a platform to share my insights with others.
Please click on each of the images below to view the full project.
Innovation
Designing a Learning Space for 21st-Century Learners
Fixer-Upper: Classroom Edition
Extreme Makeover: Classroom Edition! Image Credit: Screenshot taken by Natalie D’Amico.
I re-imagined my classroom using a program called SketchUp. Using the Design Thinking Process, I was able to create an innovative classroom design tailored to my 21st-century learners. The goal for my space was to have more room for collaboration and opportunities for flexible seating. In addition, the furniture that I designed for my classroom had wheels to ensure that the space could be easily reconfigured to adapt to the needs of my students both in the present and future. The furniture itself is also adaptable to my students- I made sure to incorporate many different seating options to accommodate all of my students. Overall, the goal here was to create a space that could be adaptable to my students both in the present and the future and could support our learning no matter what.
Creating Flexible Seating
Image Credit: Screenshot taken by Natalie D’Amico.
For my networked learning project, I decided to create my own piece of flexible furniture for my classroom. I envisioned a piece of furniture that would foster collaboration & creativity, which is what led me to design a standing table with wheels and a whiteboard top. This item is still a classroom favorite of my students to this day. As I mentioned earlier, innovation to me means having an understanding and appreciation for the fact that teaching is ever-changing, just like your students. This table is a perfect representation of that- I know that my students in the present and future will have different needs. Some might work best sitting at a desk, sitting on the floor, or standing. Also, there will always be a need for space to allow collaboration. This piece of flexible seating that I created caters to both of those ideas- students that might need a standing option can use this table, or it could be a great spot for a group to collaborate.
Rethinking Teaching
Image Credit: Created by Natalie D’Amico using Canva.
The wicked problem project gave me my first taste of being innovative with my teaching. The project posed the following task: “rethink what it means to teach, and reinvent everything about teaching.” My group and I reached out to members in our community to share feedback on teaching. With a combination of the data and our own research, we were able to look at teaching with a fresh perspective. Overall, this project really opened my eyes to how I could be innovative with my teaching and provided me with a perspective to go about better meeting the needs of the learners in my classroom.
Student-Centered
Out with the Old, In with the New
Making teaching more student-centered with the help of T-PACK!
Here, I had an opportunity to think about how I would make my unit planning more student-centered. As part of the MAET lenses project, I chose to revamp a social studies project on the American Revolution. The project initially was unengaging for my students- students would select a famous person from the American Revolution to research, write and present. To design a project that would be more meaningful & engaging for my learners, I chose to integrate technology and creativity. I reflected on my decisions using the T-PACK Framework. Overall, this project helped me think about how to apply the idea of student-centered to my actual teaching itself and not just my classroom set-up.
Building a Maker Faire from the Ground Up
Image Credit: Photo taken by Natalie D’Amico.
During year one of the MAET program, I collaborated with my colleagues to plan and run a Maker Faire at the library on Michigan State’s campus. I was also responsible for designing a maker experience, which I worked on with my colleague Katie. We created a space for learners to create a new model of something they wanted to make a better version of. All in all, the ideas behind the Maker Movement were always intriguing to me as an educator. I knew that they belonged in my student-centered classroom. I have a desire for my students to be able to leave my classroom having experienced learning opportunities that prepare them to be world changers outside of my classroom.
Leadership
Presenting at #STEAMLab2017
First-time conference presenters! Image credit: Natalie D’Amico.
I presented at the #STEAMLab2017 conference, which was held during the summer in Waverly, Michigan. Along with my colleague, Kelli, I discussed helpful strategies for getting started with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, & math) in the classroom. This was the first opportunity that I had thus far in my professional career in the area of educational leadership- up until this point, I had never presented in front of others. This opportunity gave me my first taste of the role of a teacher leader, and because of this experience I am now actively seeking out more ways that I can take a leadership role.
Hosting a Webinar
Image credit: Natalie D’Amico
As a continuation of my exploration into professional leadership, my colleagues and I hosted an educational webinar. In an effort to better understand how educators can meaningfully implement coding & robotics into their curriculum, we organized a live webinar via YouTube live. Together, along with a panel of three experts in the field, we discussed important issues regarding coding & robotics. Through this experience, I learned a new outlet to showcase professional leadership. The webinar that we hosted is easily accessible, making it helpful to educators in all parts of the state as well as the world.
Dream Big
Image Credit: Screenshot taken by Natalie D’Amico.
Prior to MAET, I had the opportunity to write a grant before for my classroom. However, the grants that were offered at my school were on a much smaller scale- I was awarded items that my students could only use 1 or 2 at a time (example: wobble stools). To take this a step further, I worked to create a grant that would have more of an impact on my entire classroom. I decided to take the initiative to change the technology of my classroom based on what I saw were my students’ needs- at the time only had 5 iPads, which did not really support the learning of my students. So, I decided to write a grant to get enough Chromebooks for my students to use on a daily basis.
Natalie D'Amico 