Megan Hess' Portfolio
Showcase
What Is a Showcase?
This showcase is a compilation of different aspects of my work that I have accomplished while in the Master’s of Education Technology program at Michigan State University. It also highlights some of the projects I have done as a teacher and leader at my school.
I organized this portfolio into three traits that I think are most important to me as an educator. The strengths that I would like to highlight include understanding how students learn, implementing teaching methods through the use of technology, and evolving as a professional to grow with the rapidly changing educational community.
Please click the pictures to view each artifact.
Understanding Learning
Audio Podcast about Misconceptions of Gravity
For this audio narration project I chose to interview 3 different students on the topic of gravity. I used a microphone with an USB attached to a laptop to record the interview and my narration. Then, I edited the audio using the free program Audacity. The interviews helped me understand the common misconceptions my students had about gravity and how I could help to shape their learning.
Learning via YouTube
This video is the culmination of many weeks of learning a new skill through YouTube videos. The learning goal I established for myself was to change the oil on my Jeep Liberty. Through the use of videos and help forums I was exposed to the networked learning approach, which made me think about how I can help my students best utilize the vast array of information that exists on the Internet. Thinking about the types of on-line resources that were best suited to learn this specific skill was essential to the efficiency of comprehending new information. Although YouTube and help forums were not created to be used primarily as educational tools, they taught me how to perform a skill as effectively as any book. There is a global network of learners and educators sharing and communicating, through YouTube, blogs, help forums and web sites. Tapping into this resource as a learner and teaching our students to do the same is critical in the 21st century.
Teaching with Technology
Digital Story about Teaching Google Apps
This digital story illustrates a lesson I taught to my 7th grade students about using Google Applications. The lesson was based on theories of cognitive and social constructivism and shows how students’ background knowledge can help to shape the activity.
Project Based Learning Popplet
Popplet is a free online tool that allows users to make visual representations of ideas. Different users can work on the same page in order to brainstorm or work collaboratively on projects. I created this idea web to demonstrate the many aspects and applications of Project Based Learning (PBL) in any type of educational setting.
Online Classroom Lesson
I am particularly proud of a specific lesson in an online course I developed because it highlights the ways in which I adapted a traditional classroom lesson to fit the needs of online students. This lesson is the culminating project within the unit of cellular structure and function. Students are required to collaborate synchronously as well as asynchronously with fellow classmates and the instructor.
Evolving as a Leader
Wicked Problem Collaborative Storyboard
In 2013 a group of distinguished leaders and thinkers gathered together to discuss the future of education. During this conference, hosted by the New Media Consortium, the group identified 5 essential problems for education. One of these problems is to rethink what it means to teach and reinvent everything about teaching. My colleagues and I decided to explore the idea of teaching through Project Based Learning (PBL). PBL provides enriching learning opportunities that are practical and meaningful to students’ lives. We communicated through email, Google Documents and Google Hangout to discuss how PBL can reinvent the way that educators think about teaching to create this digital storyboard.
Technology Integration Essay and Info graphic
This essay and info graphic were created after I reflected upon how I incorporate technology into my own professional practice. I examined the integration of technology within the wider range of my Professional Learning Network. Then, created a survey in order to gather responses from my colleagues about how they view and use technology. After collecting and analyzing the data, I have found some interesting information about how teachers with whom I work utilize and view technology. This information can help me develop programs or training sessions for teachers to help them utilize technology in their classrooms. Click here for the PDF of the essay.
Virtual Classroom Video
I created this video using music and images that helped to convey the theme of a virtual classroom. I want to deliver the message that classrooms do not have to be defined by a teacher standing in front of rows of students or be inside a brick and mortal building to be effective educational environments. This is my ideal of the future of education and the possibilities that may exist beyond traditional classrooms. The remixed video was pieced together using Mozilla Popcorn.