1. My Name is Katrina Yates… And This Is What the MAED Program Has Done for Me….

2. ~I have earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a Minor in Social and Criminal Justice and a Minor in Child Development… And, I am just 5 weeks away from completing my Master’s Degree in Education with a Specialization in Special Education. ~My professional goal is to work with teens who have behavioral problems… And, I feel that by utilizing both of my degrees, I will be well equipped to accomplish this goal.

3. The MAED Program has supported me in several ways toward achieving my professional goal. First and foremost, it has allowed me to be at home with my family, while attaining my degree. It would not have been possible for me to earn my Master’s Degree in Education if it had not been available online.

4. Second, the program has equipped me with a deep sense of knowledge on the topics that I will come face to face with progressively as I help teens with behavioral issues learn to develop their skills.

5. Last, but not least, the MAED Program has given me a foundation upon which I have developed and can continue to develop my skills in teaching children, not to be smart, but to develop what they are smart in. (StatusMind.com, n.d., p 1).

6. With success, however, comes challenges, and I have had a few during my journey through the MAED Program. The one that I would have to say was my biggest challenge though was learning how to design a brochure for the parents of my students to keep them informed and involved. It took a lot of research, a lot of asking for help from my instructors and classmates, and a lot of creativity, but I finally grasped the concept. Now I absolutely love to make the brochures! They are a tool that I will be able to utilize often when I teach, as they will be adaptable to various subjects. My favorite one was a design that rewarded the family of my students. The more they got involved, the more incentives they could accrue. They could even earn a pizza for their family. The brochures will help me to ensure that what I am teaching at school is also being learned at home, as it is extremely important to have the family involved.

7. If I had to sum up what I have learned the most through the MAED Program, I could do so with 2 simple quotes…

8. (Nelson, Angie, n.d., p 1).

9. (Hung, Ha, Chi, 2012, p 14).

10. References Hung, Ha, Chi. (2012). Using ipad in transforming teaching and learning. Retrieved from http://pt.slideshare.net/eLearningC/using-ipad-in-transforming-teaching-and-learning Nelso, Angie. (n.d.). Savage public school: Title/special education. Retrieved from http://www.savagepublicschool.com/angie-nelson.html http://www.savagepublicschool.com/angie-nelson.html StatusMind.com. (n.d.). Wise quotes. Retrieved from http://statusmind.com/category/wise- quotes/page/11/