Although I am a soccer player and athlete at heart. I have really enjoyed the education aspect of my American experience just as much as the sport side. I have worked a variety of jobs over the last 5 years which have all been leveraged through my sport connections. These are are listed on my resume page however, I wanted to share some personal insight into how I was able to apply knowledge from the MEITE program into other areas of my professional life.
Private Coaching
A vital part of playing soccer at a high level is the quality of coaching you receive. After my first semester at UNC, I took two classes which peaked my interest in coaching. These classes were Personalized and Adaptive Learning and Intro to Learning Sciences. The content we covered allowed me to get a better insight into what it means to learn, and more importantly how to teach. Regardless of whether that learning happens in the classroom or on the field. Different learning styles, motivation to learn and retention techniques, are all valuable concepts that I was to implement by coaching a number of local kids who inspire to get to the college level. Not only did it improve my coaching style but it also allowed me to understand myself better. A long time ago, I was that player trying to improve and make the most out of my potential.
Over the last 2 semesters, I have been taking a class called “StartUp UNC”. A class in which we learned everything there is to know about starting your own venture. The knowledge I gained from this class allowed me to get a better understanding of how to run my own venture. Although my venture is small and insignificant, it gave me a taste of what it’s like to have value to others and to provide a service. On top of that I improved on important skills such as effective communication, time prioritization and self promotion. (Which was uncomfortable at first)
I will be developing and expanding this idea in my final project. The connections I have made through my coaching have opened the door for other possibilities. Instead of only soccer coaching, I plan to include a variety of other sports within UNC Athletics. Furthermore, I plan on developing a camp/clinic structure for the summer in which I will step back from the coaching itself and run all other parts of the venture.
The MEITE’s unique blend of classes have allowed me to develop these skills and apply concepts which I have previously not been educated on, into areas of my own life.
MEITE Internship
I have been working with Todd Cherner (Director of the MEITE program) on an internship across my two semester here in Chapel Hill. Working with Dr Cherner allowed me to get some insight into the education industry as a whole and the approach he has taken to make the MEITE program what it is today. We worked on two different projects, split across the two semesters. Both of which we interesting and relevant to the program and beyond.
Semester 1: 360° Technology
In my first semester we worked on a novel piece of educational technology that we believe can be utilized in the classroom in a variety of ways. 360° Technology is essentially a more dynamic way of presenting photos or videos. The user is able to scan the environment, move throughout it and interact with parts of the 360° video/photo. The ability to roam and explore makes the content more engaging to it’s users as they feel they are in control of their movement and can follow their curiosity as they wish.
This technology can be implemented in an English class. An example of it’s implementation is in creative writing. The teacher can give the students a prompt and a 360° video or photo and allow them to freely explore until they are engaged creatively. Then they’ll be asked to write something creative about the environment they have just explored.
Another way in which 360° can be used is for virtual field trips. There are a wide range of reasons as to why students can’t attend school trips. Lack of financial support, disability or sickness are just a few examples. With 360° technology, not only are those students able to attend the field trips but we have the ability to explore places which would otherwise be unaccessible. Take a day trip to the pyramids of Giza? Take a dive in the warm waters of the Great Barrier Reef? With 360° tech these places are certainly within reach.
My Work:
- Conduct Market Research
- Write content used on the website.
- Collect content for the 360° database.
- Create SWOT Analysis
- Prototype the website
I will include some of this work on my portfolio page.
Semester 2: MEITE Program
For my second semester, we focused on the MEITE program itself. The question we wanted to answer was, where does the MEITE program stand compared to other Education Master’s Degrees in the US. Secondly, how could we distinguish ourselves from the rest and make the MEITE the most obvious choice for anyone looking to get a Master’s in Educational Technology.
My work:
Research: The vast majority of the work included creating a database for the Top 50 Education programs in the country. I researched and collected data on 50 programs, putting together a database with detailed information on these programs.
Analysis: Once the database was finished, I looked at how other programs are outcompeting the MEITE and what we must do to get a competitive advantage. This included the structure of the program, marketing strategies and course offerings.