Last winter, my professional life got turned upside down, and my personal life got really stressful, really quickly. It didn’t just happen to me either. The whole world was experiencing the same phenomena, a pandemic. We binge-watched the news, our faces glued to the screen, trying to guess what was going to happen next. It started as a trickle of cases in our state of New Jersey that soon turned into a flood. At first, when the students asked if I thought schools would shut down, my answer was “certainly not,” but over a week and a half, that answer changed to “quite possibly.” On Friday, March 13th, the dreaded announcement came that Monday would be our first day of all virtual education. We had a weekend to change gears and be ready to teach in an unprecedented way.
For those of us who were parents, the situation was even more complicated. In addition to preparing for a whole new teaching environment, I also had to prepare to facilitate a 3rd and a 1st grader in learning. I set us up in a makeshift classroom at the dining room table and made sure all of the usual classroom supplies were available. Then we scavenged around the house to find laptops for each child to use for their online learning and ordered earbuds so we could all be in the same room without losing our minds. Since thorough preparation is one of my strengths, I declared us ready for the new adventure. In retrospect, I was correct in some ways but way off in others.
In those first weeks of virtual learning, I found out what I was capable of. I confidently transformed my lessons from the old format to the new digital one, using technology in a purposeful and transformative way. I approached problems, even wicked ones, with problem-solving strategies. My planning was deliberate with thoughts of a universal design for all learners and intersectionality. Finally, I was confident enough in my skills to help out those struggling around me, even going as far as reaching out to colleagues at other districts to share what was working. I credit the Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program with a lot of that. The coursework prepared me for this unknown situation and gave me the tools I needed to be a better me.
I’m quite fortunate that I chose to pursue a master’s degree at Michigan State when I did. My first class started in January 2019, and by the time the pandemic hit, I had completed five courses and was in the middle of two more. Now I’m almost at the end of my last two courses, and looking back, I can identify three classes that had a significant impact on my path.
For those of us who were parents, the situation was even more complicated. In addition to preparing for a whole new teaching environment, I also had to prepare to facilitate a 3rd and a 1st grader in learning. I set us up in a makeshift classroom at the dining room table and made sure all of the usual classroom supplies were available. Then we scavenged around the house to find laptops for each child to use for their online learning and ordered earbuds so we could all be in the same room without losing our minds. Since thorough preparation is one of my strengths, I declared us ready for the new adventure. In retrospect, I was correct in some ways but way off in others.
In those first weeks of virtual learning, I found out what I was capable of. I confidently transformed my lessons from the old format to the new digital one, using technology in a purposeful and transformative way. I approached problems, even wicked ones, with problem-solving strategies. My planning was deliberate with thoughts of a universal design for all learners and intersectionality. Finally, I was confident enough in my skills to help out those struggling around me, even going as far as reaching out to colleagues at other districts to share what was working. I credit the Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program with a lot of that. The coursework prepared me for this unknown situation and gave me the tools I needed to be a better me.
I’m quite fortunate that I chose to pursue a master’s degree at Michigan State when I did. My first class started in January 2019, and by the time the pandemic hit, I had completed five courses and was in the middle of two more. Now I’m almost at the end of my last two courses, and looking back, I can identify three classes that had a significant impact on my path.
CEP 811 - Adapting Innovative Technology to Education
The Class Where We Flirted With Failure --- And Added Lights To A Cake
In Spring 2019, I started the CEP 811 course and was surprised that the first topic we explored was failure. Even though the idea of failure can be quite disturbing in our society, it can be beneficial. When learning new technologies, each failure teaches us something new that can lead to mastery. Failure can even lead to great inventions. The idea that failure isn’t a negative thing has become a mantra in my classroom. I tell my students that failure is ok because we learn from every failed recipe. Some of our most fabulous creations are the result of failed experiments in the kitchen. It has made the students much more willing to try new things and push their baking skills boundaries. It also made it possible for me to try new technology tools with my virtual lessons without fear of failure. Each time I used the tools, my skills increased.
One of the most challenging parts of the course was choosing a new technology to research, using the manual that came with the technology as our “textbook.” Having already learned the power of failure, we could explore freely, knowing that we might not be successful the first few times we tried the technology, but we would eventually get it. It was challenging yet rewarding, and it allowed me to introduce circuits in my baking class. That was unexpected, but it was a great lesson that ended with us lighting up a cake.
Perhaps the most thought provoking thing we learned about in this course was the Universal Design for Learning or UDL. It is a framework that is used to design learning experiences that proactively meet all learners’ needs. It means looking at a lesson, lab, or activity from many angles to identify the areas that might stand in the way of success for learners. The practice we got in this course, preparing lessons from the UDL perspective, was instrumental in my virtual lessons’ success. As I developed the new activities, I tried to think of all the possible ways students could get cut off from learning and make the necessary adjustments before introducing the lesson. The students were already experiencing enough frustration, and I was determined not to give them more.
The Class Where We Flirted With Failure --- And Added Lights To A Cake
In Spring 2019, I started the CEP 811 course and was surprised that the first topic we explored was failure. Even though the idea of failure can be quite disturbing in our society, it can be beneficial. When learning new technologies, each failure teaches us something new that can lead to mastery. Failure can even lead to great inventions. The idea that failure isn’t a negative thing has become a mantra in my classroom. I tell my students that failure is ok because we learn from every failed recipe. Some of our most fabulous creations are the result of failed experiments in the kitchen. It has made the students much more willing to try new things and push their baking skills boundaries. It also made it possible for me to try new technology tools with my virtual lessons without fear of failure. Each time I used the tools, my skills increased.
One of the most challenging parts of the course was choosing a new technology to research, using the manual that came with the technology as our “textbook.” Having already learned the power of failure, we could explore freely, knowing that we might not be successful the first few times we tried the technology, but we would eventually get it. It was challenging yet rewarding, and it allowed me to introduce circuits in my baking class. That was unexpected, but it was a great lesson that ended with us lighting up a cake.
Perhaps the most thought provoking thing we learned about in this course was the Universal Design for Learning or UDL. It is a framework that is used to design learning experiences that proactively meet all learners’ needs. It means looking at a lesson, lab, or activity from many angles to identify the areas that might stand in the way of success for learners. The practice we got in this course, preparing lessons from the UDL perspective, was instrumental in my virtual lessons’ success. As I developed the new activities, I tried to think of all the possible ways students could get cut off from learning and make the necessary adjustments before introducing the lesson. The students were already experiencing enough frustration, and I was determined not to give them more.
CEP 817 - Teaching Technology Through Design
The Course Where We Learned About Empathy and Solving Problems
As the pandemic was ramping up, I was already two months into the Teaching Technology Through Design course and wondering why I had never heard of design thinking before. Design thinking is an iterative process used to systematically solve problems in a creative way that meets the needs of the end-user. It is used extensively in the business world, but I can honestly say I don’t understand why it isn’t utilized more in education.
The design model we used for this course was the Stanford Model, and it has five design modes. The first mode is identifying, as in looking around and identifying a problem that needs to be solved. Empathizing comes next, which is an essential part of the process. During the design process’s empathizing stage, we observe and interview the stakeholders to get a thorough understanding of what the problem is. If the people affected most by the solution are not part of the process, then it is unlikely that the solution will work. The designers must get to know the problem intricately by empathizing with those most affected, which allows them to state the problem most accurately and find the best solution. The empathy portion of the design process was the one that made the most impact on me. I remembered over and over again during the early months of virtual teaching to empathize with my students. That meant asking them how things were going at home and checking in to see if the lessons were crafted in the best way for their success. It was also essential to be mindful of families’ time and financial resources during an extended lockdown. Many families were struggling with job loss and reduced financial resources.
The third mode of the design process is when the problem is given a precise definition. It is essential to be patient while in the defining stage and look at the problem from many different angles. Getting down to the root of the problem is also the key to success in this stage. The last two modes are closely related. After defining the problem precisely, the designers are ready to create a prototype and test it. Creating a prototype can be a long process. The prototype should solve the problem, but it might not do that accurately on the first try. After testing, you might need to tweak the solution or even go back to the drawing board altogether.
Using design thinking in crafting solutions to some of our problems in education could have significant benefits. I would like to see it adapted into a model to design learning activities, lessons, and curriculum documents. By empathizing with the end-users, the students, we would be able to craft educational experiences that met their needs. Using the prototype and testing part of the model, we wouldn’t just accept the first idea and move on but keep going back to the drawing board until it was perfect. I want to pursue design thinking in my planning; however, it can be a cumbersome process. With time being a precious commodity, the middle of a pandemic is not perfect for that exploration.
The Course Where We Learned About Empathy and Solving Problems
As the pandemic was ramping up, I was already two months into the Teaching Technology Through Design course and wondering why I had never heard of design thinking before. Design thinking is an iterative process used to systematically solve problems in a creative way that meets the needs of the end-user. It is used extensively in the business world, but I can honestly say I don’t understand why it isn’t utilized more in education.
The design model we used for this course was the Stanford Model, and it has five design modes. The first mode is identifying, as in looking around and identifying a problem that needs to be solved. Empathizing comes next, which is an essential part of the process. During the design process’s empathizing stage, we observe and interview the stakeholders to get a thorough understanding of what the problem is. If the people affected most by the solution are not part of the process, then it is unlikely that the solution will work. The designers must get to know the problem intricately by empathizing with those most affected, which allows them to state the problem most accurately and find the best solution. The empathy portion of the design process was the one that made the most impact on me. I remembered over and over again during the early months of virtual teaching to empathize with my students. That meant asking them how things were going at home and checking in to see if the lessons were crafted in the best way for their success. It was also essential to be mindful of families’ time and financial resources during an extended lockdown. Many families were struggling with job loss and reduced financial resources.
The third mode of the design process is when the problem is given a precise definition. It is essential to be patient while in the defining stage and look at the problem from many different angles. Getting down to the root of the problem is also the key to success in this stage. The last two modes are closely related. After defining the problem precisely, the designers are ready to create a prototype and test it. Creating a prototype can be a long process. The prototype should solve the problem, but it might not do that accurately on the first try. After testing, you might need to tweak the solution or even go back to the drawing board altogether.
Using design thinking in crafting solutions to some of our problems in education could have significant benefits. I would like to see it adapted into a model to design learning activities, lessons, and curriculum documents. By empathizing with the end-users, the students, we would be able to craft educational experiences that met their needs. Using the prototype and testing part of the model, we wouldn’t just accept the first idea and move on but keep going back to the drawing board until it was perfect. I want to pursue design thinking in my planning; however, it can be a cumbersome process. With time being a precious commodity, the middle of a pandemic is not perfect for that exploration.
CEP 820: Teaching Students Online
The Course Where I Created A Website
Another example of perfect timing is the scheduling of CEP 820. Just as I was starting to feel overwhelmed with organizing all of the new activities, lessons, and materials I was creating during the pandemic, CEP 820 introduced me to Learning Management Systems, and my problem was solved. A learning management system is any software application that aids in administering an educational program. We explored quite a few of these systems during the course and identified our program’s best ones. We also connected the principles of UDL to the design of our online courses so that our lessons would fit the needs of ALL learners. A vital part of that was the use of clear and continuous communication. In addition to the communication between teachers and students, the instructors reinforced peer-to-peer communication. Keeping students engaged relies heavily on communication. They need to communicate with the teacher and their peers who they aren’t actually in a physical space with most of the time. I took all of this to heart and started building a website that houses and organizes all of the materials I use in class. I included activities that required peer to peer communication and worked in orientation activities that helped create a class community.
The website has been instrumental in the initial success of the 2020/2021 school year. I can teach virtual students while I simultaneously teach in class students with seamless access to materials. After the first day of class, when students were instructed to bookmark the site, they always knew where to find the resources I spoke of in class. Absent students have immediate access to the materials used in class without the burden of asking for them. We experience nearly seamless communication because the website connects the students to everything they need. It has streamlined the way I communicate the course expectations, giving access to parents and students. The students will even continue to have access to the site after their semester is over to make the recipes, with the supports I have built into each recipe page, once they have moved on to the next chapter of life.
The Course Where I Created A Website
Another example of perfect timing is the scheduling of CEP 820. Just as I was starting to feel overwhelmed with organizing all of the new activities, lessons, and materials I was creating during the pandemic, CEP 820 introduced me to Learning Management Systems, and my problem was solved. A learning management system is any software application that aids in administering an educational program. We explored quite a few of these systems during the course and identified our program’s best ones. We also connected the principles of UDL to the design of our online courses so that our lessons would fit the needs of ALL learners. A vital part of that was the use of clear and continuous communication. In addition to the communication between teachers and students, the instructors reinforced peer-to-peer communication. Keeping students engaged relies heavily on communication. They need to communicate with the teacher and their peers who they aren’t actually in a physical space with most of the time. I took all of this to heart and started building a website that houses and organizes all of the materials I use in class. I included activities that required peer to peer communication and worked in orientation activities that helped create a class community.
The website has been instrumental in the initial success of the 2020/2021 school year. I can teach virtual students while I simultaneously teach in class students with seamless access to materials. After the first day of class, when students were instructed to bookmark the site, they always knew where to find the resources I spoke of in class. Absent students have immediate access to the materials used in class without the burden of asking for them. We experience nearly seamless communication because the website connects the students to everything they need. It has streamlined the way I communicate the course expectations, giving access to parents and students. The students will even continue to have access to the site after their semester is over to make the recipes, with the supports I have built into each recipe page, once they have moved on to the next chapter of life.
When I first started the MAET program, after teaching for 19 years, I was beginning to resemble the teachers I complained about early in my career. I was in a rut and continuously using my “old” resources over and over again. The MAET program rectified the problem by reinvigorating my view of education, students, and administration. My classroom has changed, my teaching has changed, and my problem solving has changed. I am more confident in my teaching and enthusiastic about sharing what I have learned with my students, colleagues, and the broader education community. I see technology in a new light, as part of a repertoire of pedagogical tools to be used where it fits naturally, rather than as something that must be used in every lesson no matter what. I am more aware of how I measure learning and firmly believe that feedback is more critical than grades. This learning experience has improved my teaching and changed my entire outlook on the career I chose all those years ago.
Even though we are still feeling the pandemic effects, and it appears that education has changed permanently in some aspects, I am no longer panicking about how it will all work out. I am confident that I have the repertoire I need to roll with the changes and continue to adjust my teaching to meet my students’ needs. I also think the time is coming for me to embrace leadership as a way to share what I have learned.
Even though we are still feeling the pandemic effects, and it appears that education has changed permanently in some aspects, I am no longer panicking about how it will all work out. I am confident that I have the repertoire I need to roll with the changes and continue to adjust my teaching to meet my students’ needs. I also think the time is coming for me to embrace leadership as a way to share what I have learned.
All photos on this site are the work of Jill Kalyankar