Like any journey, it is important to have the proper foundation and plan in order to make the most out of the MET program. When deciding what to take on a trip, for example, one has to consider the weather, the activities, and any sort of emergency preparedness that might be called for. The things that I packed to travel to Korea and teach during the winter were very different from the things that I brought with me to Thailand. Besides just using common sense, further investigation, inquiry, and experience were required to make these decisions. In the same way, developing an increased understanding of research methods, educational theory, and learning designs allowed me to be prepared to dive in and explore later topics in my MET journey more comfortably.
"What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the human soul."(Joseph Addison)
Research Methodologies
This class really helped me to hone in and analyze what makes a good research paper through the process of brainstorming, critiquing, and then finally producing my own research proposal. My previous exposure to this had only been in the selection of certain academic articles for the completion of a History or an English paper. Never before had I written a research proposal. I have a deep respect for anyone that is willing to wade through all of the literature in order to produce a literature review. While not nearly as extreme, I can empathize with my students who choose to start and stop their research process with Wikipedia, instead of exploring and analyzing the myriad perspectives and potential biases in other sources.
Design of Technology Supported Learning Environments
I was able to get some very important hands-on experience using some new technology in this course. Through the various projects, the pedagogical imperative of using technology in new and innovative ways came to the forefront. Educational models like the SAMR model helped to reinforce the importance of producing projects that modify (M) and redefine (R) the task, rather than just solely substituting (S) or augmenting (A) it. Beyond this, through both independent and collaborative work, I was able to experience different organizational tools and different problem solving techniques.
Through discussions and readings in this course, I became more comfortable with exploring the pedagogy discourse of technological integration, and all of the potential issues that come with it. The two artifacts below highlight the type of collaborative and independent work that I produced. For the project on the left, my group decided to explore the effects that technology has on the relevancy of learning materials in schools. We specifically focused on textbooks and learning management systems. For my independent research paper on the right, I focused my exploration and discussion on the 'fear of missing out' (FoMO), and what sorts of effects that has on the technological behaviour my students have.
This course was based primarily on different online discussions and in the completion of a few thought papers and a culminating group project. It was one of two first classes of the program, and I found the transition to be difficult. Not only was it hard to balance my working life with my school life, but I found it more challenging to write and express myself than I had during my undergrad experience. As well as this, all of the theories that were being discussed were relatively new to me, so I had less of a contextual understanding and fewer points of reference to compare the theories to.