Katherine Hicks
Internationally Minded.
Spartan Educator.
Life- Long Learner.
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Graduate Showcase
Welcome to my graduate showcase! This gallery of work illustrates my 3 year journey in the Master of Arts in Educational Technology Program (MAET) program at Michigan State University. Through this journey, I had the chance to explore a tremendous amount of educational technology as well as develop my role as a student, teacher, and mentor. As I tinkered, struggled, created and presented, I challenged myself to move outside my comfort zone and embrace the journey of learning. Ultimately, I learned that you must accept failure and allow it to propel you forward, because the only way to learn is by being a maker, a problem solver, and a researcher. I hope you enjoy the results of my tremendous journey.
Be a Maker
Welcome to the Maker Movement! This initiative focuses on creativity and putting yourself inside the mind of a student. As we learn new things we explore by playing, creating, making, repurposing and tinkering. This section of my showcase focuses on how I’ve embraced the “maker mindset” both personally and in the classroom.
Maker Education
After learning about the “Maker Movement,” two colleagues and I set out to create a practical lesson for our students that allowed them to be a part of the exploring. In our lesson plan, we used a Makey Makey kit called “Code and Go” that encouraged students create coded pathways for a toy mouse to follow. This project furthered my collaboration skills. Click here to learn more about our creative journey.
Quick Fires
During my time in the Master of Arts and Educational Technology program at Michigan State, I was frequently asked to put myself in the mind of a student and embrace the process of learning and creating. During these challenges, I learned how to productively problem solve with peers, think about issue is different ways and accept "failure." Quickfires helped improve my problem solving skills by allowing me to "make," "create," and "fail forward." Click here to see some of the exciting products of my tinkering.
Leadership
Part of my educational journey, has focused on paving my way to be a leader. As I began stepping into more influential roles at Thomas Jefferson Elementary, I took advice from experts across several professions. I did this through a cross examination of interviews on the popular podcast LeadX. I then created a video using Powtoon, to illustrate my findings. These results forced me to examine my current leadership practices and consciously adjust my interaction with peers. Click here to watch my multimedia presentation of Leadership.
Be a Problem Solver
Next we have the problem solving section! This space is an illustration of how I focused on what it means to be “solution oriented.” As an educator, we are faced with various challenges everyday. The key to success both personally and professionally, is allowing yourself to see past an obstacle. The artifacts I’ve chosen, explore real issues and represent my problem solving ability.
Networked Learning
This personal journey may very well have been one of the best “problems” I have ever "solved." During this experience, I challenged myself to use exclusively online resources to learn how to "hand letter." Over the course of two months, I worked on my creativity and general perseverance as I went from novice to expert in the art of hand lettering. Watch my journey here.
Learning Space Design
During the Master of Arts and Educational Technology program at Michigan State, I encountered many challenges that required different problem solving skills. Of those challenges, the hardest task I faced was designing my “ideal” learning space using a software called “Sketch up.” Through this experience, I practiced patience and perseverance. I also critically examined my current classroom and made appropriate changes. Click here to see my dream classroom.
Wicked Problem
As educators, we face problems everyday. Some are easily solvable while others, have complex solutions. My fellow educator, Sarah Hunt and I explored the complicated “problem” of making failure as a powerful as successes. Through this project, we learned the importance of adaptability and teamwork. Click here to see the Infogram and video we create to attack this wicked problem.
Be a Researcher
The final section of my showcase focuses on the importance of information! If my MAET program has taught me anything, it’s just how vital it is to stay informed so you can make educated decisions. When I became an educator in 2015, I made a commitment to myself;“I will be a life-long learner.” This gallery of research is the result of my persistence and dedication to education. Enjoy.
Learning Theories
After researching different learning theories including constructivist, behaviorist, and connectivist, I reflected on who I am as an educator. I examined my common practices and discussed which learning theory exemplifies my teaching. I then applied my findings to my instruction by purposefully implement tactics from various learning theories. Click here to see what learning theory resonated with me.
Second Language Learners and Technology
Of the research I have conducted, this was by far the most extensive and fruitful. To enhance my English as a Second Language (ESL) minor, I wanted to explore the relationship between ESL students and technology. After three months of research, I discovered proven effective practices and technology implementation suggestions for general education and ESL classroom. I applied these strategies to my own classroom and (hopefully) improved my students communication skills. Click here to download the results.
Cognitive Development
To deepen our understanding of the acquisition of new information, my colleague, Hannah Burr and I researched Piaget’s view of cognitive development. We created, analyzed the results, and thought about the implications of these findings. Through this research, I strengthened my research skills, reflect on my own student's work and locate strategies to support their stage of development. Click here to see our research.