Here we go (again)!

"passing the baton - Scotland men in 4x400m relay heat" by bob the lomond is licensed with CC BY-NC 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/

I've just started a master's program. Well, I started it in May, but this last week I started my second course. We’ve hit the ground running, but thankfully we’re following a familiar pattern to last semester’s "Learning in School and Other Settings." That first course feels like the first lap in a relay race, and I feel like I've had a good start.

This semester, I'm taking "Teaching for Understanding with Technology," a preliminary course in the Master of Arts in Education Technology program at Michigan State University (it also acts as one of a three-course graduate certificate in educational technology). Here are my impressions so far.

Used with permission from the MAET program at MSU https://education.msu.edu/cepse/maet/

This program places significant emphasis on research and writing.

Last semester, I learned about the APA writing style and its roots in social science research. As this semester begins, it’s clear this course will continue the focus on research and citation for building ideas and arguments. Thankfully my Concise Guide to APA Style just came in the mail.

This program follows a similar pattern from course to course.

The MAET program appears to use a standard template for its courses. This first week looks almost identical in structure (some content nearly copied word-for-word) to last semester’s course. BUT - this is incredibly helpful from a student perspective. Expectations are clear, and there is no hunting for information. The course designers are reducing complexity to facilitate learning.

The program focuses on learning through application.

I can see, both from my experience last semester and from the introduction to my course this semester, that the program places high value on applicable lessons, and many of the creations assigned in these courses will useful tools in the expansion of my educative career.

I am excited to apply what I learn in this program!