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About The Author

Kristina Johnson obtained her teaching credentials from
Touro University in 2014, and her degree in liberal studies from Sonoma State University
at the end of 2012. She has worked in a variety of grades, including TK, K,
1st, 2st, and 4th. She spends her free time hunting for personal items her dogs
hide throughout her house. Kristina is a coffee fanatic and cannot go without
her daily caffeine fix! She also enjoys skydiving, and reading. On quiet days,
you can find her on a beach or hiking at Point Reyes! In the future, she hopes
to continue her studies, pursue a reading specialist certification, and learn
Spanish.
Reflections on My Journey
My journey though the Innovative Learning program at Touro
University starting right after I graduated from their teaching credentialing
program. I have always been interested in technology, and was curious about its
applications in education. I would describe my journey as a roller coaster ride,
which is both thrilling and terrifying at the same time.
When I first began this program, I was unsure of what my project topic was going to be. After a magnitude of different ideas, I came to the conclusion that games and learning was of great curiosity to me. It took me quite a while to decide on a topic, only to be swayed by circumstance. My situation changed at my school; I was forced to redo my data and alter my topic during my last semester of the program. This meant that a lot of the work I had preciously done, had to be picked through and altered.
Then, a computer virus wiped out some of my work and elements had to be redone. This journey has cost me countless hours of time, tears, and a steady stream of chocolate binging. Turns out, it was completely worth it. I gained a resilience not to give up, learned many awesome technology tools, and explored a different philosophy I had never considered. I learned about action research, how to use it in my classroom, and how important it is to continue learning and innovating. I gained knowledge about my topic and hope to share it with others in a meaningful and productive way.
When I first began this program, I was unsure of what my project topic was going to be. After a magnitude of different ideas, I came to the conclusion that games and learning was of great curiosity to me. It took me quite a while to decide on a topic, only to be swayed by circumstance. My situation changed at my school; I was forced to redo my data and alter my topic during my last semester of the program. This meant that a lot of the work I had preciously done, had to be picked through and altered.
Then, a computer virus wiped out some of my work and elements had to be redone. This journey has cost me countless hours of time, tears, and a steady stream of chocolate binging. Turns out, it was completely worth it. I gained a resilience not to give up, learned many awesome technology tools, and explored a different philosophy I had never considered. I learned about action research, how to use it in my classroom, and how important it is to continue learning and innovating. I gained knowledge about my topic and hope to share it with others in a meaningful and productive way.
Lasting Learning from the Innovative Learning program
As this project comes to a conclusion, I realize my work is
never truly done. As a lifelong learner, it’s important to realize information
and knowledge can evolve over time. Our teaching practice, research, and life
facets need to reflect those changes. We need to continue to grow as learners,
teachers, innovators, and as human beings. The skills I have gained from this
tumultuous journey will stay with me for a long while, if not forever. I will
continue to research my topic and add more information throughout my teaching
career, and make learning more successful for out 21st century students.
PowToon
PowToon is a easy to use animation software, that is very student friendly! Here is a quick about me video I created just for fun!