Why I'm Here

Hi y’all!

On Monday I officially became a Master’s student at Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). In an effort to share some of the learning and experiences from the packed 9-month program, I’m taking another go at a blog 😊 (First attempt was in 2010 when I studied abroad in Ecuador – hoping to be posting more on this one than I did on the last!) Hope you enjoy it!

What’s the program?

I’ll be receiving my Master’s in Education (M.Ed) through the Mind, Brain, and Education program. The program has about 30 participants, though HGSE’s 13 Master’s programs (and the 700+ students enrolled in them) seem to be cross functional. I will take 4 classes each in the fall and spring semesters and one J-term class in January. A few will be program specific (i.e. Typical and Atypical Neurodevelopment) and the others are my choice (hint: any educational topic you can think of! Yes, I already want to take everything).  

The program, founded in 2001, is the namesake of the relatively new interdisciplinary field which combines psychology and neuroscience to tackle big questions about education. Cool, right?  

Why this program?

I have always been fascinated by the uniqueness of people’s personalities/aptitudes/etc., and after six years working in education, that has translated to a fascination with the differences in how people learn. Unfortunately, many US schools are not set up for difference. I’ve seen students struggle earnestly to learn in traditional, one-size-fits-all ways (lecturing, task-oriented, etc.) but grow frustrated when that doesn’t match how their minds work. Over time, the experience can cause students to form and believe negative perceptions about themselves and even disengage from their education. It’s a dangerous cycle that they should never have to wade through.  

So, what does MBE have to do with that?

MBE research shows that one person’s brain can activate completely different regions than another’s while learning the same task - a fact that can and should influence our methods of teaching students in schools. But how do we recognize the ways that different students learn and subsequently create environments that encourage each to thrive? I can’t answer that (yet), but in my program I will be studying the neuroscience that underlies different people’s learning. In the future, I’d like to apply that knowledge to help students understand and advocate for how they like to learn.

TLDR: Students deserve learning environments as diverse as them, and I think this field can help design that type of space.

I’m also interested in…

•       what motivates learners and how motivation impacts cognition
•      if different teaching methods correlate to enhanced cognitive development
•    how students' self-perceptions impact their academic outcomes

Want to learn more?

• 15 minute TED talk from my advisor/program director, Todd Rose, about the myth of the ‘average’ student.
• Brief overview of multiple intelligences (devised by current HGSE professor, Howard Gardner)
• HGSE lab that does some cool social and emotional learning work!

What are you hoping to do after graduation?

Help students understand how their brains learn best! With the recent popularity of social-emotional learning (SEL) programs within schools, I think the time is right for kids to reflect on what type of learning best suits them and advocate for that.  

Pursuing that goal after grad school could look a few different ways: iterating on + testing SEL curriculum for an independent organization, working within a school or school district to implement/manage an SEL program, or working as a consultant to do a combination of the above. At the end of the day, my #1 hope is to help more kids have positive views of themselves as learners in school. As long as I get to do that, I’ll be happy!

Note: While I plan to continue working with kids and schools, I love that this program views ‘education’ broadly – any space in which someone learns something. Its application is sure to be far-reaching as the field gains attention!

What are you most excited/nervous about?

Excited: Geeking out over cool neuroscience info, processing my experiences in the education space through interesting readings and discussions, and meeting a crew of new people who will undoubtedly teach me a lot.

Nervous: Adjusting back to life as a student! And finding a solid community with which to do this important work.

Anything else we should know? 

Other fun facts:

• I can cross-register for classes in any other Harvard graduate schools! 
• Depending on how I structure my time, I may get the opportunity to work in an HGSE research lab or create an internship of my own with a Boston area education org.
• Anthony and I will be living in an apartment in Cambridge near HGSE – yay for new neighborhoods to explore!
• No, we are not ready to adjust back to east coast winters. Send warm things our way come January.
• I may be less in touch this year as I plan to dive head first into my program. If you’re playing a never-ending game of phone tag with me, know that I still love you and can’t wait to catch up when I see you next 😊

If you’re still reading, I know you must really love my long-winded self, so thanks! Would love to hear feedback or know what you’d like to hear more about!

All my love,

Cara

Questions? Comments? Wisdom?    Comment below!