I began my search for a Master’s program with the belief that being poor does not mean that someone should miss out on a quality education. This belief stemmed from teaching middle school in a Title 1 district and from my own fractured education. As a Hurricane Katrina kid, I attended many different elementary schools, moving from hotel rooms to family homes to a FEMA trailer, trying to learn in a state of survival.
There was a time in my life when I felt insecure about my education. Growing up on the poverty line in the deep South, I had limited exposure to much of the world. I moved to Ann Arbor after finishing my undergraduate degree, and surrounded by academics, I felt woefully out of my depth. I had not been afforded the opportunities that many of my new friends had; I felt uneducated, or at least like I was lacking. That is not the case today.
My Academic Goals
I enrolled in the Master of Arts in Learning Experience Design (MALXD) program at Michigan State University, acutely aware of the challenges educators face, from teacher burnout to declining test scores. My goal then was to learn how to leverage Learning Experience Design to find innovative solutions to teachers’ everyday challenges with curriculum or technology. I wanted to learn how to build learning systems to expand my reach to adult learners.
Applying Theory to Practice
A shift in my perspective began to form during my first semester taking CEP 800, Psychology of Learning in School and Other Settings. It was during this course, while writing one of my first graduate-level blog posts, that I realized I had a story to tell—and, more importantly, that my story had academic value beyond the classroom. I began critically examining how trauma impacts the brain. In my second semester, my father passed away after a battle with cancer. Processing his death, while teaching and working on my degree, was yet another test of the resilience I had built as a child. But one thing I know: learning does not happen in a vacuum; it occurs in the messy, often painful intersections of life.
As I grew in this program, I applied my learning by iterating on my assessment strategies. Previously, I relied heavily on written essays and projects to gauge understanding in my English language arts class. However, inspired by CEP 813, Electronic Assessment for Teaching and Learning, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), I designed an assessment in which students create a podcast series rather than a standard paper. This shift was not just about using technology for technology’s sake; it was about equity. Further, it is my hope that, through this assessment, my students will create a digital artifact intended for sharing, inviting families into the educational process and connecting students and their families to our school curriculum.
Redefining the Vision
Looking back, my original goal to empower students through technology has not changed, but my understanding of how to achieve it has evolved. Being “educated” is not about where you go to school or how much money you have; it is about the skill of creating something meaningful even when things are difficult. I design with my students’ limited home technology in mind and incorporate tools meaningfully. I began with the goal to reach adult learners; I now recognize that empowering my students also means equipping their families with the digital literacy and resources needed to navigate the complex education system.
Today, I am transparent with my students about my own limitations, whether they are academic or personal. For instance, I might Google a word I need help spelling or watch a YouTube video to understand a math concept to help support their learning. I also demonstrate that I am always learning new technologies and incorporating them into my practice. I want students to leave my classroom not just with ELA content knowledge, but also with the tools to solve their own problems long after the 6th grade.