SHAWN MCMANN
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Welcome to my pedagogical portfolio
INFLUENCING
THE FUTURE
THROUGH THE YOUTH
Future Learning Goals Essay
As our society continues to grow and evolve, it is quite fickle. Changes used to happen gradually, but with the advance of the second millennium, people must contend with changes almost daily. To the youth, this is a daunting reality. Luckily, society’s capriciousness is well-known, and it is possible to prepare those who are the future to stand in its ever-changing rapids. This task falls to teachers.
Teachers must follow the paths of society with a keen eye so they may match their learning goals to those found outside the school’s walls. This requires constantly improving their craft through higher education, effectively integrating technology into their craft, and relentlessly enhancing their curriculum. As formidable a task these three are, they are the focal point for my future learning goals.
FURTHERING MY PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
Goal #1 – Pursue Doctoral Program
As I put the finishing touches on my Master’s program, I find myself wanting to continue. This is not to imply Michigan State University did not satisfy my desire to learn. On the contrary, because of my time at MSU, my eagerness to continue learning has intensified. As I am now much more equipped with effective teaching methods and techniques, I will deepen my understanding of the content I teach. This leads me to a search amongst the vast array of Doctoral programs that offer Literature as a course of study. Though it is a common subject, finding one is not so easy. Luckily, I am not limited by geography, as many colleges and universities offer online platforms similar to the one I found at MSU. However, before I can start the next step in my education, I must first pass the gatekeeper: the Graduate Record Examination (GRE.) The official GRE website has plenty of resources to support my next step of studying for the GRE and finding an appropriate college or university. (http://www.ets.org/gre/)
The purpose behind taking the GRE and pursuing a Doctoral program is multi-faceted. First, the intense studies involved in earning a PhD will drastically improve my knowledge in Literature. This will immediately assist my students in the classroom, as I take that knowledge and synthesize it with the concepts I learned in my Masters of Education coursework. Second, the GRE is essential to my long-term goal of teaching teachers in college. As the landscape of teaching is constantly changing, I wish to best equip future teachers to provide the best instruction possible.
ENHANCING CURRICULUM
Three major skills sought after by employers are technological know-how, communication, and diversity awareness. Building these skills will better prepare my students for life after high school and make the transition from school to work more seamless.
Goal #2 – Integrate Technology into the Classroom – Google Educator
Throughout most of my classes at MSU, I would collaborate with teachers who were working on their Masters in Educational technology. Our conversations were always eye-opening for me, as my focus was literacy instruction, not technology. These teachers were at the front in research for new technological developments to be used in the classroom. A reoccurring topic they all mentioned was Google Educator. (https://edu.google.com/?modal_active=none). As Google is a frontrunner for most technological advancements, they have not forgotten the classroom. According to my peers, being able to fully utilize google classroom not only increases student engagement and motivation, but it also greatly develops student life skills when it comes to technology and communication.
Goal #3 – Studying Abroad and Educational Tours
A major advantage of technology is the ability to make texts more relatable though providing engaging videos and other online experiences to students. It is possible to take this one giant step further. What if students could see a play performed in the actual Globe Theatre? What if students could travel the pilgrimage found in the Canterbury Tales? What if students could visit the areas they studied for so many years, but were only words on a page or an image on a screen? Providing the opportunity for students to have these experiences would bring all that they learned in school and transcend it to an entire new level of understanding. As I have taken students abroad before, my goal is to create a tour that students would be able to tie most of their education together at the end of their senior year. Education First, the company that I selected several years ago for our Europe trips, has several ideas on how to accomplish this, such as trips specially designed for British Literature or Ancient World studies in Rome or Athens or earning actual college credit while traveling. (https://www.eftours.com/)
Future Outlook
My experiences in teaching and studies at Michigan State University led me to these goals. It is my hope to positively influence the future though continuing my own education into the doctoral realm and consistently enhancing my curriculum to better suit my student’s needs. It is through the youth that the future may be improved.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
― Nelson Mandela
