Candidates who complete the program are competent and knowledgeable educational leaders who can develop and implement policies that promote research, scholarship, professional development, and technology utilization as appropriate in diverse and complex post-secondary institutions. – M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration, Standard Three
This program has helped me hone my skills as an administrator in a higher education setting. I have learned more about the nuances of research, scholarship, professional development, and technology utilization both inside and outside of the classroom. Five courses, specifically, have taught me more about this need: American Higher Education, Educational Research, Higher Education Governance, Instructional Technology, and my Practicum.
In American Higher Education, we discussed an introduction to the field of higher education in the United States. However, Dr. Calhoun challenged us to look deeper into our goals in the field, asking us to complete both an interview of an administrator who were aspire to be like and a career trajectory paper, in which we must map out our professional goals and the steps we must take to get there. Using these projects, I took a deeper look into my own professional development. I decided upon an ultimate goal and researched how to attain that goal. Using my own experience with this assignment, Dr. Dominick and I assigned a similar paper to our Senior Seminar students. They were required to research the position they were interested in and determine what skills they would need to either attain or highlight on their resume. This project led me to fully understand what I needed to do, and I believe the similar assignment did the same for our students.
In Educational Research, we learned about the research process in higher education, as well as the proper methods to use when conducting research. Research is prevalent in higher education, and must be done correctly. One portion of the research we focused on was the annotated bibliography. We had to create an annotated bibliography that contained ten sources related to a single subject. After completing this project and this course, I am confident I could implement policies that promote effective, ethical, and correct research in a higher education setting, though I have not yet had the opportunity to do so.
In Higher Education Governance, we learned about the external political structures that surround and control higher education. We discussed the lack of a federal governance structure in the United States, as well as the different types of state governance structures that exist. There are many different types of governance structures, and each state, though the structures may be similar, have their own nuances. We were challenged, through our three part governance project, to determine the exact governance structure of the state of our choosing. Through extensive research and scholarship, I discovered the history and current structure of the governance system of Florida. Though I have not yet had the opportunity to implement a policy or project that would stimulate this type of scholarship, I am confident in my ability to do so.
In Instructional Technology, we learned how to incorporate technology both inside and out of the classroom. We discussed the proper use of technology as well as when it can help or hinder the learning process. In this course, we were challenged to create a technological way of introducing ourselves to our students. I edited the video I made for the class, and used it as an introduction for my students in my practicum. I introduced myself to my students before the course began, as to get an electronic jump start on the semester. Many students approached me on the first day of class to introduce themselves and ask me questions about information I had discussed in my video. I have continued my tradition of digitizing information for the benefits of the students, so that they may access this at any time.
Using the knowledge I have gained throughout this program, I had the opportunity to develop and implement a policy in my practicum of digitizing all of my presentations to put on the website, because attendance is not mandatory. I have created videos of my presentations and added them to the course website, my blog, and emailed them directly to the students. I made brief videos, less than ten minutes, to keep the students engaged and encourage them to contact me for more information. This has been successful, and many students have reached out and requested meetings to discuss the information further.
Through everything I have learned in the above courses, as well as the rest of the program, I am confident in my ability to create and implement policies that promote research, scholarship, professional development, and technology utilization.
In American Higher Education, we discussed an introduction to the field of higher education in the United States. However, Dr. Calhoun challenged us to look deeper into our goals in the field, asking us to complete both an interview of an administrator who were aspire to be like and a career trajectory paper, in which we must map out our professional goals and the steps we must take to get there. Using these projects, I took a deeper look into my own professional development. I decided upon an ultimate goal and researched how to attain that goal. Using my own experience with this assignment, Dr. Dominick and I assigned a similar paper to our Senior Seminar students. They were required to research the position they were interested in and determine what skills they would need to either attain or highlight on their resume. This project led me to fully understand what I needed to do, and I believe the similar assignment did the same for our students.
In Educational Research, we learned about the research process in higher education, as well as the proper methods to use when conducting research. Research is prevalent in higher education, and must be done correctly. One portion of the research we focused on was the annotated bibliography. We had to create an annotated bibliography that contained ten sources related to a single subject. After completing this project and this course, I am confident I could implement policies that promote effective, ethical, and correct research in a higher education setting, though I have not yet had the opportunity to do so.
In Higher Education Governance, we learned about the external political structures that surround and control higher education. We discussed the lack of a federal governance structure in the United States, as well as the different types of state governance structures that exist. There are many different types of governance structures, and each state, though the structures may be similar, have their own nuances. We were challenged, through our three part governance project, to determine the exact governance structure of the state of our choosing. Through extensive research and scholarship, I discovered the history and current structure of the governance system of Florida. Though I have not yet had the opportunity to implement a policy or project that would stimulate this type of scholarship, I am confident in my ability to do so.
In Instructional Technology, we learned how to incorporate technology both inside and out of the classroom. We discussed the proper use of technology as well as when it can help or hinder the learning process. In this course, we were challenged to create a technological way of introducing ourselves to our students. I edited the video I made for the class, and used it as an introduction for my students in my practicum. I introduced myself to my students before the course began, as to get an electronic jump start on the semester. Many students approached me on the first day of class to introduce themselves and ask me questions about information I had discussed in my video. I have continued my tradition of digitizing information for the benefits of the students, so that they may access this at any time.
Using the knowledge I have gained throughout this program, I had the opportunity to develop and implement a policy in my practicum of digitizing all of my presentations to put on the website, because attendance is not mandatory. I have created videos of my presentations and added them to the course website, my blog, and emailed them directly to the students. I made brief videos, less than ten minutes, to keep the students engaged and encourage them to contact me for more information. This has been successful, and many students have reached out and requested meetings to discuss the information further.
Through everything I have learned in the above courses, as well as the rest of the program, I am confident in my ability to create and implement policies that promote research, scholarship, professional development, and technology utilization.