One Morehead State doctoral student is helping other teachers make the switch to virtual education by teaching them about instructional technology.
CeCe Best (17), who will complete the Doctor of Education program next year, is a mathematics teacher at Henderson North Middle School. She earned a Master of Arts in Teaching with an endorsement in Instructional Technology P-12 in 2017.
In addition to teaching her students, Best offers professional development training about technology tools that can be used in the virtual and physical classroom. She is currently working with another MSU Ed.D. program graduate, Leah Simpson (16), to create a Google Classroom guide for teachers that provides video tutorials and step-by-step instructions to help educators create an accessible Google Classroom for their students. The guide will be used by area teachers and faculty in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.
Best is incorporating new technology into her own classroom as well. She was recently awarded a grant from the Kentucky Society for Technology in Education to purchase MakerBot 3D printing technology to use with her students.
“Our world is continually progressing and technology is an essential part of that change. It is necessary to incorporate digital learning into our curriculum to prepare our students better to meet and exceed our society’s expectations,” Best said. “Digital learning is key to forming innovative ideas to create new products, to design ingenious solutions to problems, to provide a global perspective and so much more. Education should not have limitations and digital learning is the passport to broadening horizons to help make the world a more accessible place.”
Best said the Ed.D. program challenges her to expand her skill set beyond what she thought was possible.
“As a student, MSU has provided opportunities for me to take risks, such as applying for the Ed.D. program, applying for a technology grant, gaining an instructional design internship and writing proposals for conventions. All opportunities and risks that I wouldn’t have thought were possible as a K-12 teacher,” she said. “The MSU Ed.D. program has boosted my confidence and skill level to take the necessary risks to further my career and help other educators.”
The Ed.D. program is offered online, but Best said she still feels a connection to the faculty and her fellow students, even if they never meet face-to-face.
“The best part of being an Eagle is the opportunity to stay connected with the campus, faculty, and staff from a distance. As a graduate student and an online learner, I still feel connected to my faculty, advisors and campus community through various support, communications and events,” Best said. “The sense of community, support and friendship is truly remarkable. It is great to have a sense of community during an Ed.D. program; to have peers with perspectives from various fields to bounce off ideas, provide feedback, advice and encouragement is necessary to network and find success.”
For information on MSU’s Ed.D. program, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/study/edd, email fgse@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2261.
