Kate Ropchan's
ePortfolio
My voyage to Master of Educational Technology
Planning
A glassy expanse in front of you, good company alongside you, and an adventure ahead of you – it’s what boating is all about. While you could just throttle out of the marina for points unknown, the fact is that you’ll have more time for everything and be safer if you plan ahead. What course do you intend to navigate? What is the weather forecast? Are there any local hazards or boating restrictions? Is your VHF radio working properly? Just as there are many plans and preparations for boating, there were many plans and preparations for me to make when deciding to pursue my Master of Educational Technology.
Why the MET program?
I chose to take the Master of Educational Technology Program because I felt I had a lack of knowledge in this area and yet technology use is becoming increasingly prevalent in modern education. In my classroom practice, I had identified the need to learn new technologies and to consider new teaching methods. I noticed that my students were more engaged when they were able to participate in hands-on activities with the use of technology. Thus I decided to focus my professional development in this growing area of research and apply what I have learned in my own classroom.
Application Essay
The first stage of planning for my MET journey was completing the application package. Aside from being asked to answer a number of questions about my familiarity with and use of educational technology, I was also asked to write an application essay which appears below. I have chosen to include this essay because it highlights my reasons for choosing MET and my goals in the MET program.
Plotting a Course
Plotting a course on a nautical chart allows skippers to best determine the bearing, speed, distance, and time required for each leg of the trip. Similarly, once being accepted into the MET program, I needed to research the different courses, plan which ones I wanted to take, map out when they were offered and when would be the best time to enroll in them. As my planning unfolded, my journey through MET had multiple routes. My final MET journey looked like this:
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Winter, 2013 - ETEC 500: Research Methodology in Education (core course)
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Winter, 2013 - ETEC 510: Design of Technology Supported Learning Environments (core course)
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Summer, 2013 - ETEC 512: Applications of Learning Theories to Instruction (core course)
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Summer, 2013 - ETEC 533: Technology in the Mathematics and Science Classroom (elective)
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Fall, 2013 - ETEC 511: Foundations of Educational Technology (core course)
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Fall, 2013 - ETEC 565M: Mobile Education (elective)
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Winter, 2014 - ETEC 532 - Technology in the Arts and Humanities Classroom (elective)
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Winter, 2014 - ETEC 565A: Learning Technologies-Selection, Design and Application (elective)
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Summer, 2014 - ETEC 530: Constructivist Strategies for E-Learning (elective)
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Summer, 2014 - ETEC 590: Graduating Project (elective)
Planning this ePortfolio
Careful reflection and planning went into this capstone project. Please feel free to peruse my ePortfolio proposal, which has evolved over the term. I would like to thank my peers and especially Professor Franc Feng for providing guidance and positive feedback.
Within my ePortfolio proposal, I drafted an assessment rubric to help guide my process and to evaluate this ePortfolio. Thanks in advance for any feedback that you may have, either by using my assessment rubric, or contacting me by email at the bottom of this webpage.
