As I reflect back on the two weeks, really eleven days, spent with the MSU

Urban STEM, I feel inspired, motivated, and overwhelmed. I feel overwhelmed by

all the information gathered from the various readings, conversations, creations,
images, and ideas I can use as an educator to enhance the learning experience for my
students. The ideas shared by my fellow cohort members and instructors inspired me
to be more innovative and creative. The lessons learned also motivate me to try new
things even if I have fear of it failing. During those eleven days I often felt like I
was inside a kaleidoscope of information! As soon as I felt like I was about to fully
grasp the concept, the information changed to something new. In spite of this
overwhelming feeling, I gained so much from my time spent this summer as a cohort
two member. The ideas that stayed with me the most are below.
One of the first things that resonated with me were the topics discussed in the
article by Lee S. Shulman, What is learning and what does it look like when it
doesnt go well? As an educator I have always tried my best to think about the
misconceptions students may have when designing lessons. However, I never
thought about where those misconceptions might come from. Shulman states that,
learning is a dual process in which, initially, the inside beliefs and understandings
must come out, and only then can something outside get in[1]. I have often given
my students pre-test to assess their prior knowledge, but this article shows me I need
to dig even deeper than just a pre-test. I need to have ongoing activities that accesses
the knowledge my students currently have inside without making my students feel
that the knowledge they hold is wrong. I will only be able to access what my
students currently think they know by creating an environment that accepts all

thoughts and ideas. Accessing the knowledge that students have on the inside will
not only help me to address misconceptions, but also connect new ideas that what
students already know.
Shulman identified three pathologies of learning: amnesia, fantasia, and
inertia. I will admit, I have often thought my students suffered from amnesia, even
though I did not call it that. However, as stated earlier, this article has made me
think more in depth about the misconceptions my students have, and being able to
identify them more clearly will aid me in addressing those misconceptions more
successfully. The pathology that stood out to me the most was inertia. Shulman
states in inertia ideas are simply not in a form that lends them to an useful purpose
beyond being remembered. This stuck out to me because this is what I want to
address with my project. So often, students remember concepts for the moment. My
goal is to have students connect concepts throughout the curriculum, so they are
constantly applying prior concepts to new concepts. This application process will
give more meaning to what they are learning because everything they learn in class
has a purpose and connection to something new.
Another article that resonated with me was, Too Cool for School? No Way! by
Punya Mishra and Matthew Koehler discusses the importance of TPACK. TPACK is
a specific kind of knowledge called technological pedagogical and content
knowledge [2]. While I have used each instructional technique in my teaching, I
often use them separately. TPACK asks educators to go beyond their knowledge of
particular disciplines, technologies, and pedagogical techniques in isolation. This
article and the discussions in class helped me realize the importance of developing

lessons using all methods at the same time. I know I have been using the aspects of
TPACK for in my teaching, but I also know I have not been deliberate and
intentional in using TPACK in a holistic way that will truly develop students skills
for knowledge required for 21 st century learning. Knowledge of technology,
content, and pedagogy does not exist in a vacuum; it exists and functions within
specific contexts. Now, I know when I develop lessons I need to think about when I
can find the TPACK sweet spot that integrates all aspects of TPACK. I know this
cannot happen each and every time, but I need to be aware of when it can and take
advantage of that.
MSU Urban STEM has offered me so much I can use to enhance the experience
I give to my students. This year, I plan on implementing many of the new approaches
I learned over the summer. These new approaches will impact the content
knowledge, pedagogical skills, and the use of technology tools in my chemistry
classes.
Many of the articles we read over the summer addressed student misconceptions in
science and provided strategies to instructors on how to address these
misconceptions. Misconceptions in science, particularly chemistry, are issues I have
always been interested in, and this summer has peaked my interest even further.
Something that I will make sure to think about when developing my lessons, in
reference to misconceptions, is relational understanding vs. instrumental
understanding [3]. Richard Skemp discusses the difference between these two forms
of understanding and when discussing the article in class we discussed how

instrumental instruction is what we need to step away from more, but not all the way because
instrumental instruction is often needed for relational instruction. However, relational
instruction is best for students to take the idea away with them and use later in their education.
Relational instruction/learning is more likely to be remembered for future use. The trick to both
of these methods is finding a way to assess the students misconceptions to make sure they
dont only know it but that they also understand it. I want my students to walk away with a
relational understanding of the major concepts in my class because they see the value of what
they are learning in class.
Beyond identifying student misconceptions more in depth my work with MSU Urban
STEM has made me think of creative ways of using technology in my classroom. I do not have
access to computers at my school on a regular basis, but that does not mean I cannot implement
the use of technology in my classroom. The article, Learning from Creative Teachers, by Danah
Henriksen and Punya Mishra states, creative people have the ability maintain a sophisticated
knowledge of their field of expertise yet look outside the frames of that field to come up with
new ideas [4]. The collaboration I was able to have with the instructors and teachers from my
cohort has pushed me to try new things that I never thought about doing inside of my
classroom. This year, I plan on using Twitter for students to share their ideas, and use their
phones in my classroom to create videos and presentations. I also plan on collaborating more
with not only teachers on my course team, but other teachers on the sophomore level. Adding
more value to teacher collaboration and taking intellectual risks will only enhance the
experience my students have in my class.

The first two weeks with MSU Urban stem have been an invaluable experience. There
were so many bits of information to take away with me, beyond what my reflection describes. I
know this experience will make me a better educator, which will influence how and what my
students learn. This is the most important aspect because I became a teacher to influence the
students I teach.

References
1) http://www.msuedtechsandbox.com/2010RouenY2/Readings/wk1d1_shulman.pdf
2) http://www.msuurbanstem.org/teamone/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/mishra-koehler-ll2009.pdf
3) http://www.msuurbanstem.org/teamone/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Skemp-RelationalInstrumental-clean-copy-AT-1978.pdf
4) http://punya.educ.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Creative-Teachers-HenriksenMishra2013.pdf