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Brandon DeJesus Home Learn More Standards Inspiration About the Author |
About the Author
Hello all! My name is Brandon DeJesus and I am a math teacher at Vintage high school in Napa, California. Being born and raised in an economically disadvantaged area like Vallejo, California, education was a pathway to a more financially secure future. From counting goldfish with Mrs. Brown in kindergarten to tackling AP Calculus with Mrs. Duncan as a senior, school was my refuge, a place where I was nurtured and challenged. Naturally, educators were my heroes.
Despite Vallejo being an incredibly ethnically diverse area, the teaching staff I encountered did not reflect the student body. Unfortunately, I went through my entire k-12 educational path having only 4 teachers of color, none of them male. I graduated with the desire to teach, deciding to pursue math because of the intense need for those capable. As a person of color, I knew that I would be able to inspire a student population who statistically does not see themselves reflected in such a position.
As a teacher, my focus has always been highlighting the voice and skills my students bring to the classroom. Building relationships and bonds with my students encourage them to come into my classroom ready to learn at high levels. As a math teacher I am well aware of the negative disposition many have towards my content and over time I noticed an intense math based anxiety plaguing my students. Due to the cognitive strain imposed by their math anxiety, my students were unable to pay attention, were reluctant to practice outside of class and their performance was suffering. Looking for a way to reduce this math anxiety led me to the Innovative Learning program. Here I believe that I have found the tools necessary to innovate my instructional practice and begin the process of addressing my students math anxiety.
Despite Vallejo being an incredibly ethnically diverse area, the teaching staff I encountered did not reflect the student body. Unfortunately, I went through my entire k-12 educational path having only 4 teachers of color, none of them male. I graduated with the desire to teach, deciding to pursue math because of the intense need for those capable. As a person of color, I knew that I would be able to inspire a student population who statistically does not see themselves reflected in such a position.
As a teacher, my focus has always been highlighting the voice and skills my students bring to the classroom. Building relationships and bonds with my students encourage them to come into my classroom ready to learn at high levels. As a math teacher I am well aware of the negative disposition many have towards my content and over time I noticed an intense math based anxiety plaguing my students. Due to the cognitive strain imposed by their math anxiety, my students were unable to pay attention, were reluctant to practice outside of class and their performance was suffering. Looking for a way to reduce this math anxiety led me to the Innovative Learning program. Here I believe that I have found the tools necessary to innovate my instructional practice and begin the process of addressing my students math anxiety.
Technology can be used for more than just testing: My journey with TPACK
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When I began my capstone journey I was very reluctant to bring technology into my classroom. I was fully comfortable with "innovating" using power point slides and a projector. In terms of the TPACK model I was very experienced with the PCK (Pedagogical Content Knowledge) but was completely out of my depth when it came to integrating technology in meaningful ways.
Technology, to me, had always been a fancy pencil; something that replaced a traditional procedure but did nothing to enhance it. Sadly, for my students, technology in math class was often associated with testing and left my students feeling anxious whenever they saw a chrome cart at the front of my classroom. Throughout many rounds of data collection and repeatedly attempting to reach my students , I have learned ways to augment my teaching capital by infusing technology with the core of my instructional practice in ways that make sense to the various needs of my students. |
Lesson design flow under TPACK lens
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When my students complained about not being prepared for classes, I created video tutorials that they could access at any time and re-watch infinitely. This addressed the TPK (Technological Pedagogical Knowledge) aspect of the TPACK model as it allowed me to specifically target students who could not learn in a traditional classroom setting via direct instruction. I found a technology based solution to a content issue and my students benefited from my innovation.
Using Edmodo and Desmos in my classroom throughout the year, I was able to address the TCK (Technological Content Knowledge) aspect of the TPACK model, as I was able to increase opportunities for critical thinking about math and its connections to real world application. Desmos allowed me to easily demonstrate concepts like exponential vs. linear growth to students while Edmodo helped me to plan specific engagement activities with online content that students could easily access.
While ones TPACK journey never reaches a true final destination, I believe that I have grown significantly in my ability to not only implement technology in meaningful ways, but to also realize there are instances where technology is a distraction for my students. I am thoughtful about the use of technology with my students. When my students engage with technology, they do so with a full understanding of its purpose and intent in our classroom.
Using Edmodo and Desmos in my classroom throughout the year, I was able to address the TCK (Technological Content Knowledge) aspect of the TPACK model, as I was able to increase opportunities for critical thinking about math and its connections to real world application. Desmos allowed me to easily demonstrate concepts like exponential vs. linear growth to students while Edmodo helped me to plan specific engagement activities with online content that students could easily access.
While ones TPACK journey never reaches a true final destination, I believe that I have grown significantly in my ability to not only implement technology in meaningful ways, but to also realize there are instances where technology is a distraction for my students. I am thoughtful about the use of technology with my students. When my students engage with technology, they do so with a full understanding of its purpose and intent in our classroom.
Lasting Learning from the Innovative Learning program
The major lesson that I will take away from this experience is that knowledge of self and knowledge of ones practice is constantly being developed; being an innovative learner is a work in progress. A teacher must be constantly developing their understanding of what is most effective for their students in order to really be an effective facilitator of learning. As the needs of our students evolve, so too must the ways in which we instruct. We all have room to grow, ways to improve and new tricks to learn. Showing our students that we are lifelong learners may be the best way to encourage them to seek out higher education.