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Personal Profile
About Me: Having completed my bachelor's degree in English (1999) and single subject teaching credential (2000) at Sonoma State University, I began my teaching career in 2000 at a large comprehensive high school in Vallejo, CA. After eight wonderful years I moved to Calistoga where I've been teaching for the past five years. I love my students and their families in Calistoga, and not a day goes by that I don't miss my students and their families from Vallejo. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work in two such incredible places.
Paulo Freire, in Pedagogy of the Oppressed, asserts that "Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity, or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” Freire's words inspired me as a new teacher and continue to fuel my ongoing journey to be the best teacher I can be. I have worked hard to create in my classroom the kind of learning community that would inspire and prepare students to participate "in the transformation of their world." When I learned of an opportunity to further my own education through Touro University California's online Innovative Learning program, I jumped at the chance. The timing was perfect in that I felt "at home" in Calistoga, and ready to try new things for me and my students.
Paulo Freire, in Pedagogy of the Oppressed, asserts that "Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity, or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” Freire's words inspired me as a new teacher and continue to fuel my ongoing journey to be the best teacher I can be. I have worked hard to create in my classroom the kind of learning community that would inspire and prepare students to participate "in the transformation of their world." When I learned of an opportunity to further my own education through Touro University California's online Innovative Learning program, I jumped at the chance. The timing was perfect in that I felt "at home" in Calistoga, and ready to try new things for me and my students.
Reflection on the Project
Writing that serves a purpose rather than merely completing an assignment, and which is reflected upon in a revisionary process, has the capacity to sustain our knowledge construction and acquisition (Wolsey & Grisham, 2012), and that is precisely what has happened for me as I have worked on this capstone project. My driving question since I began this master's program has been: How can the use of digital tools increase the confidence, enthusiasm, and resiliency of student writers?
I too am a "student writer," and while we can safely assume that I possessed enthusiasm for completing my master's degree and this project, my confidence definitely wavered at times. As I performed my action research I often wondered "is this really working?" My resiliency also fluctuated from time to time, but the support and encouragement of my instructors and cohort pushed me on to a deeper understanding of the ways in which I can support my students
Pulling it all together for these pages is exactly the type of "21st century writing" my students will need to succeed--the assignment is never really "completed," in that these digital pages can and should remain dynamic. Revisions will occur as I pursue my goals of increasing the confidence, enthusiasm, and resiliency of my students. And, hopefully, the larger audience made possible by this digital world will enhance and contribute to the the ideas and strategies contained on my pages of this website.
I too am a "student writer," and while we can safely assume that I possessed enthusiasm for completing my master's degree and this project, my confidence definitely wavered at times. As I performed my action research I often wondered "is this really working?" My resiliency also fluctuated from time to time, but the support and encouragement of my instructors and cohort pushed me on to a deeper understanding of the ways in which I can support my students
Pulling it all together for these pages is exactly the type of "21st century writing" my students will need to succeed--the assignment is never really "completed," in that these digital pages can and should remain dynamic. Revisions will occur as I pursue my goals of increasing the confidence, enthusiasm, and resiliency of my students. And, hopefully, the larger audience made possible by this digital world will enhance and contribute to the the ideas and strategies contained on my pages of this website.
Lasting Learnings from the Program
The master's program has been challenging and rewarding. As a teacher I have always known the importance of reflecting on my practice, but that doesn't mean I always find or take the time to do so. That is one of the main reasons I finally decided to earn a master's degree -- as a student I would be held accountable for reflection, but this program has not just required deep reflection. It has also required that I push myself to innovate in response to that reflection in an attempt to make my classroom and the learning that occurs there more engaging, supportive, and challenging.
I have always thought that all students, not just the top performers, genuinely want to learn, and I have worked my entire teaching career to engage those students who for whatever reason are not succeeding. My action research project allowed me the time and tools to delve more deeply into the causes of failure and to try some new tools to help "struggling writers" find their voice and succeed. I knew as I began my action research project that all of the students in my writing support class struggled to express themselves in writing. Where my thought and practice had to evolve, however, was in critiquing and changing the ways in which the students are asked to write. Essentially, all of these struggling writers felt as though there was no room in an English class essay for their thoughts, insights, and feelings. Indeed, they have been discouraged from using personal pronouns in their writing, and all of the formal writing tasks they are required to engage in seem to them to have nothing to do with them or their lives. So, my project became not just about using digital tools to engage students, but to come up with writing assignments that held meaning for the students. This, in turn, has resulted in me revising essay assignments for my 9th grade ELA classes. Whether they are doing literary analysis on a short story they read, or attempting to persuade, they need to have a way to make it meaningful and relevant to them.
The use of digital tools for writing just makes sense to me, and not just to word-process a final draft, but to brainstorm and share ideas and critiques. Where the true evolution of thought has happened is in seeing the utter pointlessness of the abstract writing assignments I and so many other ELA teachers assign. Asking students to write without their "voice," is like asking a man to drive without a vehicle!
I have always thought that all students, not just the top performers, genuinely want to learn, and I have worked my entire teaching career to engage those students who for whatever reason are not succeeding. My action research project allowed me the time and tools to delve more deeply into the causes of failure and to try some new tools to help "struggling writers" find their voice and succeed. I knew as I began my action research project that all of the students in my writing support class struggled to express themselves in writing. Where my thought and practice had to evolve, however, was in critiquing and changing the ways in which the students are asked to write. Essentially, all of these struggling writers felt as though there was no room in an English class essay for their thoughts, insights, and feelings. Indeed, they have been discouraged from using personal pronouns in their writing, and all of the formal writing tasks they are required to engage in seem to them to have nothing to do with them or their lives. So, my project became not just about using digital tools to engage students, but to come up with writing assignments that held meaning for the students. This, in turn, has resulted in me revising essay assignments for my 9th grade ELA classes. Whether they are doing literary analysis on a short story they read, or attempting to persuade, they need to have a way to make it meaningful and relevant to them.
The use of digital tools for writing just makes sense to me, and not just to word-process a final draft, but to brainstorm and share ideas and critiques. Where the true evolution of thought has happened is in seeing the utter pointlessness of the abstract writing assignments I and so many other ELA teachers assign. Asking students to write without their "voice," is like asking a man to drive without a vehicle!