Stephen R. Dalby
Stephen Dalby's Master's of Educational Technology
Summer 2012
CEP 815 | Technology & Leadership
Dr. Graves Wolf
In this course my eyes were opened to the endless possibilities of how technology can be implemented within the classroom. Not only has technology changed the way that our students interpret and receive information today, it also has the potential to open up an entirely new way to present and teach impactful lessons! Understanding the potentially complex relationship that exists between teaching and technology was the primary focus in CEP 815, and my biggest take away was the paradigm shifting reading material on how technology is really our friend in the classroom. Often times we look at technology as a burden or barrier that we need to hurdle, but in reality it may a the one common link that we have with our students.
Fall 2012
CEP 832 | Educating Students with Challenging Behavior
Dr. Mousouli
Managing classroom behavior is both an art and a science. Each student needs to be lead in a different way and a teacher's approach to connect and correct their students can make all the difference. Perhaps, the most important element I took from this class was the reality that a student's behavior was much, much deeper than what was actually taking place in the classroom. All too often I have taken certain behaviors that students have displayed personally, when quite the opposite approach should be taken. A student’s home life situation, past classroom experience, ADHD and other behavioral diagnosis all have a role to play and what we see in the class room is such a small glimpse into what the make up, background, and character is really like. Understanding the domains of aggressive and antisocial behavior is both complex and illuminating.
Spring 2013
CEP 800 | Psychology of Learning in School and Other Settings
Dr. Henriksen
Observing how experience, perspective, and theories impact the learning experience across multiple facets was this course main objective. Another key element was to examine the psychology of learning and how technology interfaced with this. As part of this class I interviewed and recorded several student's perspectives on learning in school, and the pros and cons of technology in the learning process. It was eye opening to see first hand how widely the opinions range on this topic, even by students! Another take away was that the success of the technology used in the classroom greatly depended on the ability of the teacher's use of such technology. This brought to my mind an important lesson that not only is it important for us to own the material that we present, but also the technological tools used to present it.
Summer 2013
EAD 867 | Case Studies in Educational Leadership
Dr. Amey
One of my favorite classes offered. The framework for this class typically consisted of reading a complex scenario and discussing as a group how you would try to solve the situation. The complexity of each case study was what I truly enjoyed because they not only consisted of complicated educational issues but they were also mingled with racial, political, and financial difficulties. The main take away for me from this course was imbedded in the "analysis" portion. Each student was trained to go through a series of analysis and info gathering steps before making any decisions on how to proceed with the case. I felt this was a great exercise and easily applicable into real life scenarios.
Fall 2013
EAD 801| Leadership & Organizational Development
Dr. Smith
This course focused on leadership within organizations and focused primarily on the importance of helping people within the organization learn, gain new capabilities, and improve their outcomes. For me the number one take away was the leadership philosophy of Ron Heifetz. To Heifetz, leadership is imbedded in values, expertise, decisions, and engagement and is clearly discernable when leaders allow others, to lead. To instill a vision, inspire to act, and then to get out of the way and allow others to grow within the organization is truly polished leadership. All too often I have felt that it was my job as the leader to do, everything! Quite the contrary, according to Heifetz some of the best leading is manifest by watching those who we oversee act according to principles that we have instilled in them.
Spring 2014
CEP 882| The Nature & Design of Compelling Experiences
Dr. Nguyen
Compelling experiences are far and few in between. This course gave each student opportunities to learn, grow, and to practice creating "compelling experiences". We created compelling experiences through music, videos, photography and finally we watched and analyzed impactful moments on the movie screen to learn how such experiences were created. How, where, when, and the what! My favorite project was the music section as we were asked to pic any song and create a video analyzing the piece, and identifying the most impactful moment. I chose Radio Active by Imagine Dragons.
Summer 2014
EAD 860| Concepts of a Learning Society
Dr. Weiland
The goal of this course was to analyze what is meant by the phrase, "learning society", as used in the United States and in other nations across the globe. Also to learn patterns and observations when societies in history were moving towards such a direction. Also, focused in this course were the primary domains and activities of such societies and the views of individuals living within. My favorite portion of the class was the focus on Atul Gawande and his writings on "performance" and how that applied to the ideal learning society!
Fall 2014
EAD 864| Adult Career Development
Dr. Weiland
Career development is a lifetime pursuit and many times such career development begins in adolescence. This course provided case studies, through extensive reading, on how career development begins, grows, and unravels with time. Often times ones career path takes on turns and detours never before expected or seen. An example of this, and probably my favorite portion of the course, was Walter Isaacson's biography on Steve Jobs. Beginning with his adoption and early childhood, through his teen age years and early college period, Steve Job's career development was unique, impactful, and inspiring.
Spring 2016
EAD 870| Capstone Seminar
Dr. Koehler
Professor Koehler's (award winning) capstone provided for me an opportunity to reflect on where I began, what I learned, and where I am going after completion of my masters degree from MSU. The main project of the course was to create a web portfolio that showcased my experience as a graduate student at Michigan State University. As part of the portfolio I was allowed to highlight certain projects completed in the program, assess teaching philosophies, and provide a resume for future employ. One aspect of the class that I greatly enjoyed was becoming more familiar with creating a web page / on-line portfolio. Great way to finish a great experience!