Annotated Transcripts
Spring 2020
ED 800- Concepts Education Inquiry
ED 800 is the introductory course to the Master of Arts in Education (MEAD) program at Michigan State University. Taught by Nate Clason, this course focused on four types of inquiry: classroom-based or teacher research, ethnographic participant observation and personal narrative, history and biography, and psychological theory in relation to the curriculum. Comprised of 6 units and 6 essays, I was able to create a foundation for understanding educational inquiry.
KIN 865- Stages of Athlete Development
KIN865 taught by Ronald Gibbs dives into the stages of how athletes develop, starting with early childhood, late childhood, adolescents, and ending with emerging adulthood. This class allowed me to break down each developmental stage and understand how motor development, exercise physiology, sport psychology, and sport sociology impact each stage of growth. This was one of my favorite classes within the Sport Coaching and Leadership concentration.
KIN 868- Skill Development in Athletes
The content in KIN868 tied in nicely with KIN865. Taught by Dr. Andrew Driska, the focus of this course was discovering the best practices to help athletes develop their skills. I learned about the motor skills attached to developing sports skills, and the best ways for coaches to facilitate positive growth and progress. At the end of each module, I wrote a reflection paper to establish what I learned, and areas I can improve upon within my own coaching context.
Fall 2020
EAD 863- Training and Professional Development
EAD 863 taught by John Dirkx focused on how to establish effective training and professional development (TPD) programs within adult education. As educators, teachers, and administrators, we are placed in a position to lead and must be equipped with the knowledge necessary to successfully complete workplace tasks. This course allowed me to build my own TPD model for my future coaching staff/workplace, as well as how to promote effective workplace communication and leadership skills.
KIN 855- Psychosocial Bases of Coaching
KIN855 was my second class with Andy Driska, so it was helpful that I understood his course layout and project expectations prior to starting this semester. In a lecture-discussion format, this course covered a variety of psychosocial coaching topics. We learned about growth and development, issues of matching competitors, early specialization, gender differences, as well as understanding motivation, anxiety, and confidence as coaches.
KIN 857- Promoting Positive Youth Development/Sport
KIN 857 taught by Jennifer Nalepa was my favorite class within the Sport Coaching and Leadership Concentration. Sectioned into three modules, I learned about the role that sport plays in enhancing positive youth development, critical issues found in contemporary sports, and how to influence PYD. Other discussion areas included burnout, overtraining, parent roles, sportsmanship, and performance pressure.
Spring 2021
ED 870- Capstone Seminar
ED 870 taught by Matt Koehler was my final class within the Master of Arts in Education program. I was able to create a Capstone Portfolio (which is this website) to showcase my work and what I learned through my program. This course allowed me to get creative in my technology skills and build a strong platform for my future career in education. The Capstone Portfolio is a valuable resource for me to utilize as I begin my career in sport coaching and education.
KIN 854- Legal/Administration Issues of Coaching
KIN854 taught by Alexandra Breske was a very beneficial class for me to take. My concentration tends to focus on the physical side of coaching, and this course helped me better understand the legal and administrative side of coaching. This course dived into the responsibilities and risks of sport participation, the consequences of failing to protect student-athletes, facilities, and fans, and issues regarding contracts, waivers, eligibility guidelines, and standards of care.
Transfer Credit
KIN 871- Research Methods Kinesiology
This transfer credit came from HPHE 6900 - Research Procedures in Health Performance and Human Education from Western Michigan University. We learned about the overall research process, developing and presenting the problem, and formulating methods, along with understanding ethical issues and formatting a thesis. During this class, I created an Institutional Review Board (IRB) application to assess coaching styles and their effectiveness within the Mid-American Conference.
Transfer Credit
KIN 849- Theory and Practice of Modern Sport Leadership
This transfer credit came from HPHE 6600 - Governance and Administration of Sport from Western Michigan University. This course allowed me to gain an understanding of all facets of administration, including communication, human resource, effective management while managing diversity, equity, and accessibility. Through weekly case studies and a managerial project proposal, I was able to strengthen my knowledge of sport administration.
For more detail, see the Master of Arts in Education course program page.