Date of Graduation

Spring 5-18-2017

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

College/School

School of Education

Department/Program

International and Multicultural Education (IME)

First Advisor

Dr. Sedique Popal

Second Advisor

Dr. Luz Navarrette Garcia

Abstract

The daily metrics of the teaching profession can prove emotionally and physically taxing, especially when compared to the current rapidly growing veil of technological advancement and a lack of support from one’s community and administration in their field. The means of support for professional development, which are often presented in schools for educators, focus mostly on students and content delivery. These programs rarely pay attention to the personal growth of the individual educator. Educators can in turn help themselves if they are provided with the tools and time to do so. Thus, this project seeks to serve that purpose, founded on the theories of Howard Garner, Lev Vygotsky, Paulo Freire, and Jack Mezirow. This project provides a means for further professional support with a focus on the individual, informed by one’s own expertise and educational professional practice. This project takes the from of a workshop guidebook, and integrates the practice of idea mapping with personal experience in the field of education, to provide an easy-to-use program for furthering one’s own planning, organizing, creative, and cognitive skill sets. In practice over time, idea mapping can expand one’s own cognitive abilities, and when employed in a workshop style setting where practitioners can view one another’s thought processes, participants can benefit from witnessing how other’s think and conceptualize projects. Idea mapping has been practiced much in the field of business, however it had yet to be tailored to meet the needs of educators. It is hoped that with the use of this project, educational practitioners will be feel more supported in their field, and that the skills provided will help one to better serve their students and educational community over time.

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