SARAH JIZZINI
CURRICULUM VITAE
CURRICULUM VITAE
CURRICULUM VITAE
Students have become digital natives and this to us as their teachers sometimes may mean that they speak a different language. Looking back in time, the world has experienced revolutionizing innovations such as the evolution of a wheel into an automobile or a floppy disk into cloud storage. It is now time to consider how to revolutionize the way we teach. This is one of the reasons, why I decided to enroll in this Master's program. Our job as educators remains the same: we need to stay prepared to teach our students in the new media age and we need to make sure to not leave any child behind.
My childhood activities were very different than what is currently popular among young learners. I remember when I was younger, my brother and I would collect Pokémon cards and as the theme song goes we wanted to catch em’ all. At that age, we would wait for the moment we were able to go to buy new releases at Toys “R” Us and trade them with friends. Today, instead of collecting cards, millions of young learners, as well as online gamers of all ages play the augmented reality version. The former card collecting and negotiation game evolved into an online game called Pokémon GO which is played on digital devices. The 21st-century generation has grown up with all sorts of technology at their fingertips and as technology continues to become more accessible and available it has somehow revolutionized the way we do things.
Technology has the power to transform static printed content into dynamic interactive experiences.
For me, technology-enhanced education has never meant installing computers in classrooms and increasing students’ screen time. That being said, in CEP 820: Teaching Students Online I learned about the criteria and thoughtful choices that need to be taken into consideration when integrating technology in the classroom. With advancements in educational technology, new learning opportunities can be created that can supplement instruction and enhance student understanding. On one hand, I studied how teaching with technology can positively impact every student so that they enter their learning environments on equal footing. On the other hand, I also learned about the consequences of integrating technology that is not aligned with either the content being taught or the pedagogy being implemented. After attending this course, I now understand that in such cases, the result of having technology applied in the classroom would rather distract learners, and hence, that would not be the best use of classroom time. For example, digital content should be written so that students do not just passively consume information. Furthermore, content should develop students’ high-order thinking skills rather than offering tasks that they can complete by copying and pasting information from the Internet.
In my previous teaching experience, I faced many barriers when trying to teach new scientific concepts to my students. I did not always have the science materials readily available, the science lab had a limited capacity, and there was insufficient time to cover the densely packed curriculum. Circumstances at the time usually resulted in teaching to the test methods but what if I had better technology-based opportunities to thoughtfully consider and choose the right tools for my students? I do believe that I could then bring contents to life more successfully, differentiate learning materials more effectively, and remove barriers to learning more meaningfully. In parallel, the right tools can also promote collaboration, encourage communication, and collect data in real-time. This Master’s program taught me how to implement technology best without losing sight of the big picture of educating students. While reflecting on my learning journey, I realize the relevance of this Master’s program as we face a global pandemic. As I learned about the theoretical foundations of integrating technology in the classroom and explored different tools, I feel more confident about ensuring that learning continues anywhere and at any time. I am now creating digital content by utilizing technology so that students more actively engage with the learning materials provided and build 21st-century skills at the same time.
Creating learning experiences that foster curious exploration, playful experimentation, and systematic investigation is vital.
I believe that teaching is not only about covering the subject matter content as prescribed in the curriculum standards. It is also about developing skills that students will need to become responsible citizens in the future. One of those skills that I find essential is creative thinking. During the course CEP 818: Creativity in Teaching and Learning, I spent quite some time reflecting on whether I think of myself as being a creative person. At that time, I used to consider creativity as something extraordinary, something new, and something of surprising character. I used to believe that highly talented and creative individuals in their respective fields have transformed the world with their ideas. I am now certain that creativity is not a unique skill set and that it takes on many different forms and thinking processes. Further, I now believe that creativity is a universal language that can be fostered within individuals.
These days, I believe that in order to teach creativity, one must bring creative teaching strategies to nurture students’ capacity to be creative. It is one thing to know the facts of a topic, but it is another to actively experience the topic. By exploring topics using various thinking tools, students are given the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the different perspectives involved. The coursework inspired me to find new ways of bringing topics to the classroom to foster students’ creativity. After this course, I feel I am better equipped to provide creative learning experiences for my students. I have started to create content designs that allow students to feel comfortable in their learning environment and are given the opportunity to play, explore, connect, and experiment with content. As a result, they will better develop positive attitudes towards learning and enhance their understanding. As distance learning seems to become the new normal, my thought process includes how to deliver content in a creative way and not approach students with teaching to the test strategies. As a result, students are showing their learning in new and creative ways.
Growing up I was taught to fear failure and I’m certain I wasn’t the only one. When I went to school, achieving the highest score was directly linked to success. When I later became an educator, I saw first-hand how so much depended on standardized test scores. The performance of both the students and the teachers was and still is majorly determined by students’ test results. My Master’s program journey has taught me that in order to prepare students for the future, I need to shift my priorities in the classroom. More than ever, I want students to not only master content knowledge but also to not fear taking risks, and allow themselves to make mistakes as well as to share their own ideas. I firmly believe that this shift in classrooms can be done if we move away from the rather false mindset that creativity cannot be taught and that only a small fraction of the population is creative.
Part of the learning process is to learn from mistakes and fail forwards.
I always appreciated beautiful and creative designs, for example, a Zaha Hadid building, a Banksy mural, a LEGO product, and an Apple iPhone. For the longest time, I had those preconceived notions that design was about beautification and teaching design was only suitable for gifted individuals. I further thought that only artists and designers were capable of creating meaningful products. The truth could not be further apart from my previous beliefs and in CEP 817: Learning Technology Through Design I learned that I was misled by my own thoughts. I now advocate for the statement that anyone can be a designer if they are equipped with the right set of thinking tools and processes. More importantly in this class, I learned what it means to truly embrace a mindset of design thinking.
There are a variety of design thinking models that describe the key phases of design thinking. I learned about and applied Stanford d.school’s model, which defines a non-linear, iterative process consisting of five modes that lead to the discovery of problems and innovatively solving them. Looking at this topic from a different angle and learning about design with regards to educating students in the classroom has allowed me to pay more attention to details as well. Completing the tasks in this class has made me appreciate the well-designed features that meet the wants and needs of my students.
In my professional context, it is my utmost goal to create high-quality learning materials, implement effective teaching strategies, and create a positive learning environment that will increase students’ understanding. Design activities nurture students’ 21st-century skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. These are skills that I would like my students to develop as they are essential in any work environment as well. Teachers at most times are responsible for designing their students’ learning experiences and the cognitive tools involved with design thinking are also valuable to my current work. Therefore, understanding my students’ perspective, actively brainstorming with colleagues, and creating solutions to implement in the classroom are all elements that have changed the way I approach my job.
As I reflect on what I have learned, I realized that the benefits of design thinking are not limited to my work but can also impact my personal life. I look around me and I see how I have already made decisions that would ease my everyday routines. I think about how I can redesign my everyday surroundings, like my office at work and my living room at home. Learning about the different strategies of each mode of the design thinking process has definitely introduced a new way of looking at all kinds of situations in my life. I now understand the true value of letting ideas incubate and also appreciate actively discussing ideas with others. I now also find value in mistakes I am making at times and I embrace being wrong not by feeling guilty but by putting my efforts into reflection processes towards understanding why I failed and how I can do better in the future.
Lead with empathy, embrace the journey.
Throughout my Master’s program, I have experienced the power of bringing together different perspectives and discussing feedback. Through the various opportunities of communicating and collaborating with my fellow classmates, I felt empowered to build on each other's ideas and transform our work into something better. As learning is not a process that should happen in isolation, throughout this program, courses were designed for us to come together and to share knowledge towards improving the quality of individual products as well as group results. My journey throughout this program has also shed light on the importance of understanding the needs of students in order to accommodate them. As I completed projects and assignments, I learned the role empathy plays in developing lessons. By stepping into our students’ shoes we are able to make informed decisions and redirect their learning path so that they can reach success.
The past two years have been an exponential learning curve not only with gaining new knowledge from the courses in this program but also on a personal level. I believe there is evidence of how I grew as a person, a family member, a co-worker, a peer, a friend as well as a teacher and educator. My belief in the concept of being a lifelong learner has never meant so much and I herewith pledge to never stop learning. This program supported me to enhance my learning, literacy, and life skills in various areas and greatly decreased the risk of becoming edtech outdated for the time being.