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Growth Assessment: Seed to Plant

Kevin A. Haras

Department of Advanced Studies, Azusa Pacific University

EDUC 549: Capstone Experience in Learning and Technology

Dr. Jennifer Courduff

November 30, 2020

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Growth Assessment Seed to Plant

History of Coursework

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History of Coursework

Course Term/Yr Professor/Instructor Key Learnings

 classroom management

 lesson planning

 Universal Design for Learning

TESP 501 Art of Dr. Amber Lynwood
Spring/19’ (UDL)
Teaching and Dr. Anna Teague
 Common Core State Standards

(CCSS)

 fieldwork observations
 teaching pedagogy

 Universal Design for Learning

TESP 511 Art of Instructor Nikki
Spring/19’ (UDL)
Teaching II Gelso/ Dr. Rick Jones
 flipped classroom

 fieldwork observations
 educational systems

 School Accountability Report

TESP 504
Card (SARC)
Schools and
Spring/19’ Dr. Greg Kaiser  multi-tiered system of
Educational
supports (MTSS)
Systems
 mandated reporter

 fieldwork observations
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 teaching philosophy

 educational philosophy
TESP 503 Soul of
 cultural beliefs and culturally
Teaching Summer/19’ Dr. Tammy Bachrach
responsive teaching
American Ed
 equity in the classroom

 inclusive education
EDUC 540

Essentials in Instructor Matthew  SAMR, TPACK, and ISTE

Fall/19’
Learning and Stroup  digital research collection tool

Technology
 Reading Instruction

TEP 521 Methods Competence Assessment

of Teaching (RICA)
Fall/19’ Dr. Amber Lynwood
Reading and  Common Core State

Writing Standards-English Language

Arts
TESP 502 Science
 human growth and
of Teaching 1:
Fall/19’ Dr. Heekap Lee development
How Students
 student learning styles
Learn
 designing a website
EDUC 546
Instructor Kristi  screencasting
Digital Spring/20’
Hernandez  social media for professional
Communications
development
EDUC 547 Spring/20’ Instructor Kristen  hyperdocs
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Special Topic:
 collaboration using digital
Integration of Effinger
documents
Web Resources
 Problem Based Learning

(PBL)
TEP 522 Methods
Dr. Nkechi  Understanding by Design
of Teaching Math Spring/20’
DomNwachukwu (UBD)
K-8
 Common Core State Standards

– Math (CCSS-MA)
TESP 512 Science  diagnostic, informal, and

of Teaching II: Spring/20’ Dr. Jacquet Dumas formal assessment

Assessment  rubrics
EDTC 515/EDUC  Project Based Learning (PBL)

548 Emerging  digital citizenship

Summer/20’ Dr. Jim Brown
Trends in  cyber security

Technology  emerging technology trends

TEP 523 Methods  Next Generation Science

of Teaching Fall/20’ Dr. Jacquet Dumas Standards (NGSS)

Science  thematic unit plan

TEP 551 Clinical

Practice 1: Dr. Catherine Hahs  teach, reflect, apply

Fall/20’
Multiple Subject Brinkley  video recording

Credential
TEP 524 Methods  integrating the arts into social

of Integrating the Fall/20’ Dr. Greg Kaiser studies

Humanities  lesson planning

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TEP 552 Clinical

Practice 2: Dr. Catherine Hahs  assessments

Fall/20’
Multiple Subject Brinkley  grading

Credential
EDUC 549

Capstone
 program growth assessments
Experience in Fall/20’ Dr. Jennifer Courduff
 ePortfolio
Learning and

Technology
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Personal Growth

In this program, it has taken a lot of work to become an effective educator. Personally,

this program has stretched me in my abilities as a student and lifelong learner. The program has

also stretched me as a person by examining my understanding of bias and equity. In the entire

program, in the process throughout, I’ve made moderate to significant changes spiritually,

cognitively, and affectively.

Becoming a teacher has stretched me in my abilities as a student outside and inside the

classroom. It had been twenty years since I was a student and I was entering the program on

academic probation. I was nervous as I started my first class, Art of Teaching. I put a lot of

pressure on myself because if I lost this opportunity then I don’t know what I would do. As a

result of my nervousness and anxiety, I made the decision to start the habits I knew would make

me be successful. I was completing my reading assignments prior to class so I could participate,

compared to my silent self of the past. Writing five to six-page papers with references was also

stretching me as a student. I was not confident I could provide and find supportive information

on topics to fill the pages. However with the field experiences and the content covered in the

class, I would have the content needed to push through and overcome the anxiety. I’ve also

grown as a student inside the classroom. The younger me would’ve been satisfied with just

occupying space without much contribution to discussion. This program has given me some of

my best memories of being a student. As a student in the classroom, this program has given me

the opportunity to do two things 1) overcome my fears of sharing my thoughts amongst my

peers, and 2) be an example I would like my future students to do in my classroom.

The program has forced me to examine my understanding of bias and equity. Prior to the

program, I had figured that at my age, I had worked through any biases I would encounter about
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culture, race, and social status. In my heart and mind I have always thought to give everyone the

best opportunity. However, through this program I have found there are slight hiccups in my

thought process which could inhibit me in doing my best for every student in the classroom.

There have been multiple courses that have helped me recognize my bias it doesn’t go unchecked

and which I am very grateful for.

Spiritual Growth

In the entire program and in the process throughout, I’ve made moderate to significant

changes spiritually. I am very happy that I am attending a university which incorporates

Christian thought into its programs. As a result of the Christian worldview within this program, I

have been able to develop a Christ-like mindset for the classroom prior to entering one of my

own. For this I can thank the professors and instructors who openly shared their Christ-like

hearts and minds about experiences they’ve had and those they continue to have about their

service to students. Dr. Heekap Lee was my professor for TESP 502 Science of Teaching 1: How

Students Learn (Lee, 2019). Dr. Lee was especially influential in my spiritual growth because his

tone of voice when he spoke about Christ’s love for me displayed and conveyed the mentality of

a Christ-like educator. Dr. Amber Lynwood was also influential in my spiritual growth. When I

took her class, TEP 521 Methods of Teaching Reading and Writing, I felt a connection between

her methods to teach the course to the educator I wanted to become based on her interaction with

me and my fellow classmates (Lynwood, 2019).

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Cognitive Growth

Through this program I have also grown in my cognitive skills. I strongly feel that

through my development in the program I have grown in my ability to pay attention, process

auditorily, memorize, along with processing visually, logically, reason, and process speedily

information in such a way that will help me excel in a classroom of students. I can attribute the

growth in these areas to my field experience in Art of Teaching I (Lynwood, 2019) and Art of

Teaching II (Gelso, 2019). I had experience in the classroom as a substitute teacher, however

taking these course to learn the basics of classroom management and pedagogy methods, and

then observing go into classrooms to observe it being lived out made it very applicable.

Affective Growth

Teaching is an emotional practice that needs to be developed over time. Like students in

the classroom, for teachers emotional skills might come easily or they might require more

attention and additional development. As a result of being in this program I’ve grown in my

ability to emotionally process information. Several classes have introduced me to the emotional

realities of teaching in the classroom. For instance the course, TESP 504 Schools and

Educational Systems with Dr. Greg Kaiser, helped me understand the stresses and challenges in a

district, a school, and ultimately in the classroom (Kaiser, 2019). These challenges can take their

toll. Therefore it is important to be educated about them, like the courses in this program has, so I

can be prepared when I enter the a similar classroom.

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Professional Growth

Significant Elements of Growth

This program has given life and purpose to my career. My past careers in marketing,

sales, and in business had their challenges. Some of the challenges were the result of not

applying myself in school and connecting the learning from elementary, to middle school, to high

school. An example of these challenges was when I had to write a marketing plan and budget for

a small business. I had a hard time. It took me some time to organize the pages and paragraphs

for several sections of the plan. This program has assisted in getting me back on track of

understanding how to correctly organize my thoughts and write. It has also provided the practice

so I may instruct others. Originally, I was in the credential only program at Azusa Pacific

because of my grades from my undergraduate degree. After successfully completing the

introduction courses in the program I was approved to switch to the master’s program with

learning and technology in the Fall of 2019.

Growth as an Educator

My experience in other environments would help me in my career as an educator, but

nothing would prepare me to be an educator as much as this program. This program has provided

the framework to organize a classroom in such a way that it is conducive to learning. TESP 501

Art of Teaching with Dr. Amber Lynwood was essential to learning how to organize a classroom

with procedures to apply before, during, and after the school year (Lynwood, 2019). One area I

can say all of the courses provided growth, was in my abilities to create units of learning and

lesson plans. I learned the reason for planning a lesson in so much detail is because I need to

prepare to teach all types of learners in the classroom.

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As for the programs’ emphasis in learning and technology, I’ve grown as an educator that

incorporates technology in the classroom. EDUC 546 Digital Communications with instructor

Kristi Hernandez provided the knowledge to use screen casting technology for instruction before,

during, and after class (Hernandez, 2020). EDUC 547 Special Topic: Integration of Web

Resources by Kristen Effinger provided an introduction to hyperdocs (Effinger, 2020). All of the

courses in the program have had a component of technology. My interest in the use of

technology has grown significantly because of the web-based applications and services I’ve been

introduced to through this program.

Professional Accomplishments

There are a couple of things I am proud of in this learning journey. I am proud of my

perseverance at the graduate level of education and handling the demands of this program. I

didn’t do well at the undergraduate level. I also have test anxiety. Since beginning the program,

I’ve done alright with the writing requirements and the tests. I am also very proud of my decision

to focus on the learning and technology emphasis. When I began the program, technology for the

classroom was growing at a moderate pace. Since the pandemic, technology in the classroom has

been given a violent push into the professional life of everyone but especially educators. I’ve

been excited to be in both education and technology because of the heightened awareness.
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Technical Growth

Growth in Technical Expertise

Through this program I have had significant growth in my technical expertise as an

educator. The program has increased my knowledge in the use of technology for planning and

preparation. For instance, in TESP 501, Art of Teaching, with Dr. Amber Lynwood, a few of my

classmates and I had our first experience in using Google Slides to plan a demonstration on how

to make accommodations for diverse learners through the use of text-to-speech and screen reader

options (Lynwood, 2019). My technical expertise has increased with regards to the use of

technology in the classroom environment as well. I’ve gained a broader knowledge of the aspects

of digital citizenship and how it is intertwined into the in-person classroom environment as well

as the online classroom. On the opposite side of the niceties of digital citizenship, is the

illegitimate use of technology with regards to the Dark Web and The Onion Routing (TOR). I

had the opportunity to learn about these in EDTC 515/EDUC 548 Emerging Trends in

Technology with Dr. Jim Brown (Brown, 2020). Technical expertise has also grown in my

instruction with the use of individual tools and a combination of their use together. All of the

courses in this program contained a technology assignment. Therefore the use of a computer was

essential. I often found myself planning and implementing lessons that incorporated a computer,

projector, document camera, and an interactive whiteboard. As a result, I was able to gain in my

expertise of their use for teaching. A final area of growth in technical expertise is in my

professional responsibilities. Communication to administration, colleagues, parents and students

is extremely helpful for the success of an educator during the school year. EDUC 546 Digital

Communications with Instructor Kristi Hernandez was a course with significant impact in
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establishing tools for communicating with all parties related to an educators classroom

(Hernandez, 2020).

Specific Technology Resources Impacting my Teaching

The specific resources impacting my teaching since beginning the program are plentiful,

but I will only mention a few here. The Google Suite of applications are the simplest resources to

mention and they have been the most used. Specifically, Google Slides has easily been my most

used application in my courses and in my teaching. It has been a great application to present

clear, visually entertaining, content to students. Also, it has been helpful for me to gather the

items in preparation for sharing the content. I can see it continuing to be a vital resource for me

in the future. Google Docs is another resource impacting my teaching as it allows for

collaboration between myself and the individual student, as well as the students with their

classmates. Another resource impacting my teaching is Pear Deck. Pear Deck is an extension of

presentation applications like Google Slides and Power-point. Pear Deck has allowed me to

insert questions and prompts to interact with the students. This is a helpful extension of the

presentation applications because it allows me to hear from the students who are verbal and non-

verbal, giving all students in the classroom a chance to participate. All of these tools have made

in impact because they have allowed me to educate in the classroom and online.
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Life Long Learning Plan

Life-long learning is a continuous process. There are opportunities for informal learning

and there are opportunities for formal learning. Informal opportunities could be an insightful

conversation with a colleague to discuss classroom management. Or, I might read an article on

the web or listen to a podcast. I could even watch an amazing teacher in action and implement a

new strategy in your classroom the very next day. On the other hand, I could take formal learning

opportunities like taking a graduate class, obtaining a higher degree, or enrolling in a community

education class. Something I could feel proud of adding to a resume. Here are a list of informal

and formal activities I would like to consider in my life-long learning plan:

- join technology based professional learning communities

- research and review new technologies and applications for teaching

- learn Spanish as a second language to communicate with English Language Learners and

their families

- learn the guitar to entertain and provide diverse learning for the students who have a

musical or auditory learning style

- become the grade-level lead in the school I teach at

- become a teacher representative in the parent-teacher association

- obtain a certificate in educational administration

- become a certified Level 1 Google Educator

Conclusion

Through this program I have begun, and will continue to become, an educator for the 21st

century learner. This program has expanded my personal knowledge in the effects and efforts to
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make my classroom a place where access is given to all. I have made great progress as a Christ-

like educator who is looking forward to serving students thanks to the modeling by the

professors and instructors. Based on my past career experiences, and my new path as an

educator, I feel confident to create and inspire future generations to identify and take advantage

of opportunities. This program has provided an excellent base to begin my career in teaching.

Some may think this is not the ideal time to become an educator, however I do not. Education at

this time may be difficult, but the difficulty has heightened the importance of educators and the

needs for educators who have a focus on learning using technology. I am excited to exercise my

knowledge from this program, continuing to be a life-long learner, and ultimately being a

difference maker.
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References

Brown, J. (2020). EDTC 515/EDUC 548 Emerging Trends in Technology. Azusa Pacific

University. https://canvas.apu.edu/courses/20199

Effinger, K. (2020). EDUC 547 Special Topic: Integration of Web Resources. Azusa Pacific

University. https://canvas.apu.edu/courses/19081

Gelso, N. (2019). TESP 511 Art of Teaching II. Azusa Pacific University.

Hernandez, K. (2019). EDUC 546 Digital Communications. Azusa Pacific University.

https://canvas.apu.edu/courses/16597

Kaiser, G. (2019). TESP 504 Schools and Educational Systems. Azusa Pacific University.

Lee, H. (2019). TESP 502: Science of Teaching 1: How Students Learn. Azusa Pacific

University. https://canvas.apu.edu/courses/14284

Lynwood, A. (2019). TEP 501 Art of Teaching I. Azusa Pacific University.

Lynwood, A. (2019). TEP 521 Methods of Teaching Reading and Writing. Azusa Pacific

University. https://canvas.apu.edu/courses/14086