About the Author
I have been wanting to be a part of the Innovative Learning program with Touro from the moment I first heard about it through Napa Learns. I knew that, not only did I want to deepen my teaching practice, but I wanted to spend time with other people who were like-minded. I work at one of the most innovative schools in the country, New Technology High School and was attracted to teaching because of New Tech's stance in the world of education. You could say that innovative learning is in my blood.
When my kids were in elementary school, it became clear that traditional school was just not going to work for my oldest child, so I took the leap into the field of education, first as a homeschooler. When my middle child got old enough to go to school, we were having such a blast learning at home, that he, too, was homeschooled. It was not until 7 years later, that my oldest entered the public school system as a freshman in High School and all three of my kids were enrolled in public school
I have to laugh now, in the year 2016, that the trend is headed toward personalization in the classroom, a concept that most homeschoolers are deeply intimate with.
It was not until 2012 that I was invited to become a part of the New Tech staff as a teacher of Digital Media. I was very happy running my own video production company and went to the interview, only because a friend asked me. I was fully prepared to turn down any job offer, should I get one. That job interview changed my life and set me on a course toward becoming a professional educator. It went so well, that I did feel a "calling" and decided to resolve the business and forge ahead into the teaching profession. It's been four years and I have never looked back.
Every day I find something new and wonderful to learn. I love my students. I love my classroom. I love the content I teach.
When my kids were in elementary school, it became clear that traditional school was just not going to work for my oldest child, so I took the leap into the field of education, first as a homeschooler. When my middle child got old enough to go to school, we were having such a blast learning at home, that he, too, was homeschooled. It was not until 7 years later, that my oldest entered the public school system as a freshman in High School and all three of my kids were enrolled in public school
I have to laugh now, in the year 2016, that the trend is headed toward personalization in the classroom, a concept that most homeschoolers are deeply intimate with.
It was not until 2012 that I was invited to become a part of the New Tech staff as a teacher of Digital Media. I was very happy running my own video production company and went to the interview, only because a friend asked me. I was fully prepared to turn down any job offer, should I get one. That job interview changed my life and set me on a course toward becoming a professional educator. It went so well, that I did feel a "calling" and decided to resolve the business and forge ahead into the teaching profession. It's been four years and I have never looked back.
Every day I find something new and wonderful to learn. I love my students. I love my classroom. I love the content I teach.
What Drives Me
What drives me these days, is to, not only affect the lives of those students in my class by giving them 21st Century skills, but also to make a bigger difference in education. I'm interested in using the classroom as the lab, with which to explore learning and how it can better fit our changing world, but then to replicate this with other teachers and other classrooms across the country. This driving interest is at the heart of my question about how students can blog within a learning community.
I regularly teach workshops and give talks about what is working (and not working) in my classroom, as we try innovative learning techniques. I am a lead teacher for the Digital Innovators Workshop series. I am also on the Deeper Learning Leadership committee at New Tech. We are celebrating our 20th Anniversary this year and are at a place where we can start to re-imagine what the next 20 years will look like at the flagship New Tech Network school. It's an exiting time to be alive.
I opted out of public school way back when my first was in kindergarten. Now, I'm at the forefront of changing what happens in schools and I'm in a position to help make those changes in my district and across the country, even around the world. International meetings last year have included talking with teachers from Ireland, Vietnam, Australia and England. I LOVE being at New Tech and I LOVE teaching. I can't wait to see what unfolds as I graduate from the Touro program this December!
If you'd like to see some of the great things I've been up to on my New Tech blog, you can find all sorts of information HERE.
I regularly teach workshops and give talks about what is working (and not working) in my classroom, as we try innovative learning techniques. I am a lead teacher for the Digital Innovators Workshop series. I am also on the Deeper Learning Leadership committee at New Tech. We are celebrating our 20th Anniversary this year and are at a place where we can start to re-imagine what the next 20 years will look like at the flagship New Tech Network school. It's an exiting time to be alive.
I opted out of public school way back when my first was in kindergarten. Now, I'm at the forefront of changing what happens in schools and I'm in a position to help make those changes in my district and across the country, even around the world. International meetings last year have included talking with teachers from Ireland, Vietnam, Australia and England. I LOVE being at New Tech and I LOVE teaching. I can't wait to see what unfolds as I graduate from the Touro program this December!
If you'd like to see some of the great things I've been up to on my New Tech blog, you can find all sorts of information HERE.
Reflections on My Journey
The journey toward my Masters has been filled with a lot of wrestling. There were many moments that I wondered about how and why a certain Pedagogical Model was being presented in class and what relevance it had for me in my teaching. There was definitely a moment when all the pieces clicked into place and it started to really make sense to me, as a teacher and as a learner.
I've come to the conclusion that models are great for helping others to have a shared language about a topic and can provide a template for others to follow as they try on new techniques in the professional world. Those models that have staying power are the ones that most people can relate to, find useful and carry forward through the implementation process.
Exploring models about The Creative Brain set, TPACK, Learning Gaps, Visual Thinking and Trilogy of the Mind has helped me to further clarify and hone my teaching skills with an eye toward meeting the holistic needs of each student. Knowing that these models have endured through the ages lets me know that I share an understanding of pedagogical needs with many educators in the field, including those in my Professional Learning Community (PLC) in my current teaching position.
Pedagogical models have helped to ground my practice in real and lasting constructs. Rather that simply relying on intuition, or observation, I know have a framework to go deeper in my teaching practice.
I've come to the conclusion that models are great for helping others to have a shared language about a topic and can provide a template for others to follow as they try on new techniques in the professional world. Those models that have staying power are the ones that most people can relate to, find useful and carry forward through the implementation process.
Exploring models about The Creative Brain set, TPACK, Learning Gaps, Visual Thinking and Trilogy of the Mind has helped me to further clarify and hone my teaching skills with an eye toward meeting the holistic needs of each student. Knowing that these models have endured through the ages lets me know that I share an understanding of pedagogical needs with many educators in the field, including those in my Professional Learning Community (PLC) in my current teaching position.
Pedagogical models have helped to ground my practice in real and lasting constructs. Rather that simply relying on intuition, or observation, I know have a framework to go deeper in my teaching practice.
Where we are headed in Education and TPACK
|
|
Lasting Learning from the Innovative Learning program
Working with a cohort through this program has proved to be the most valuable piece to the program. I learned with a team of teachers who ranged from First Grade all the way up to High School. My perspective on education has broadened. I now have a better understanding of what students experience through all the grades.
Through our readings in class with The Flat World of Education by Linda Darling-Hammond, I now have a much bigger understanding of issues of equity in education, both here in the United States and in other countries such as Korea, Finland and the Philippines. We can often exist in our tiny silos of classrooms, forgetting that there is a whole world out there into which our classroom fits.
Knowing about issues of equity helps me as a teacher to be more sensitive to the needs of students outside of classroom, but also within it. Understanding how cultural and socioeconomic differences can play out in funding, quality teacher training and support, now makes me a more effective advocate for those who need allies and a greater voice in the world of education. I find that I more confidently advocate for educational funding and support with local leaders and on social media, with data and evidence to back up my claims.
Most importantly, after attending this program, I feel that I can be a more effective leader for change within my school and throughout the district and the New Tech Network. It is an exciting time to be involved in the world of education, and to be on the leading edge of innovative thought.
Through our readings in class with The Flat World of Education by Linda Darling-Hammond, I now have a much bigger understanding of issues of equity in education, both here in the United States and in other countries such as Korea, Finland and the Philippines. We can often exist in our tiny silos of classrooms, forgetting that there is a whole world out there into which our classroom fits.
Knowing about issues of equity helps me as a teacher to be more sensitive to the needs of students outside of classroom, but also within it. Understanding how cultural and socioeconomic differences can play out in funding, quality teacher training and support, now makes me a more effective advocate for those who need allies and a greater voice in the world of education. I find that I more confidently advocate for educational funding and support with local leaders and on social media, with data and evidence to back up my claims.
Most importantly, after attending this program, I feel that I can be a more effective leader for change within my school and throughout the district and the New Tech Network. It is an exciting time to be involved in the world of education, and to be on the leading edge of innovative thought.
Want to Know More About Portfolio and Technology in the Classroom?
Notables
Napa Learns: Digital Innovator
Napa Valley Museum Partnership
California Education Research Association (CERA) Grant
Nearpod Case Study: The Effect of Nearpod on Reading Comprehension, Focus and Engagement
Napa Valley Museum Partnership
California Education Research Association (CERA) Grant
Nearpod Case Study: The Effect of Nearpod on Reading Comprehension, Focus and Engagement