NICK WITGEN
Graduation
"Indeed, historically speaking, it is not the notion of learning through play that is so strange; it is the notion of sitting in rows of chairs, faced forward, everyone locked on to a fixed speaker or content provider that is strange"
-Kurt Squire
Pure Michigan
TEACHER
I began working at Holt Junior High School in 2017. I was initially hired as a math teacher and have since taught American Studies for the last three years. I always look to create fun, interactive resources for my students to really bring subjects alive. Whether it was using the Pythagorean Theorem to help students buy a TV, simulate the first Congress, or travel out West, I believe that students learn much more through engaging experiences. My ultimate goal is to eventually create a simulation for every single unit I teach in my American Studies course.
Learning Across Disciplines PD
GAMER
One of the reasons I chose to get a Master of Arts in Educational Technology from Michigan State University was the Graduate Certificate in Serious Games. Growing up, video games have always been a big part of my life. As the video game industry continues to expand, it has become a goal of mine to use them for educational purposes. Year 1 of teaching was quite difficult so I looked for inspiration to make year 2 better. I read a few books about how to improve classroom management and structure, but ultimately my greatest source of inspiration came from my favorite hobby. Most people look at video games as a waste of time or responsible for a lot of problems in society. However, I want to show people what games really have to offer our society, education in particular. I have made and used games that help my students experience history instead of just memorizing it. It is through gaming that I have become a better teacher and I want to help others see its benefits. As I continue my career, I hope to take what I have learned in MAET and either create educational video games or help schools with better implementation of gamification in the classroom.
LEARNER
I initially entered Lansing Community College (LCC) as a Computer Science major with hopes of working with technology. However after much consideration, I decided to pursue my passions of being a history teacher. While in LCC's Student Leadership Academy, I learned more about what colleges would help me become the best teacher possible. Turns out the best college for teaching was only a couple miles down the road and my lifelong school of choice. I transferred to Michigan State University where I graduated in 2016 as one of nine seniors with a GPA of 3.8 or higher. With a major in History Education and minor in Mathematics in hand, I began full-time teaching in 2017. Ultimately, my story comes full circle as I pursued a Master of Arts in Educational Technology also at Michigan State. I have always seen the benefits that technology has to offer our society and MSU's MAET program was the right choice for my career ambitions.
