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About the Author

Growing up I always had my head in a book. So much so that I would get in trouble for reading while we had company. Imagine that, getting in trouble for reading! I always knew I would major in English, but I didn't quite know what I wanted to do with it. I contemplated on being a lawyer, but that just didn't seem to fit my personality. In college, I came across so many amazing professors. (Shout out to Dr. DeRosa!) There was just so much passion when they taught English and it sparked something inside me. I wanted to make others feel about English the same way my professors made me feel learning about it. Now when I am walking around the room and I hear such rich discussions and the look of needing guidance to steer them to deeper understandings of a text, I know I made the right choice.
I currently believe that society is shoving all these technological advances down our kids's throat and expect positive results without teaching them to use to their advantage and what that has gotten us is a zombie apocalypse with all students staring at a screen with a glazed look in their eye. Technology is needed in this day and age, but being mindful of how to teach our students to utilize technology correctly is essential to make this work. I see so much resistance to technology for this reason, but that's why I want to be there to show everyone, administration, teachers, parents, students, that when we use technology with a purpose, we can produce some amazing results. And that's why I'm here. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.
I currently believe that society is shoving all these technological advances down our kids's throat and expect positive results without teaching them to use to their advantage and what that has gotten us is a zombie apocalypse with all students staring at a screen with a glazed look in their eye. Technology is needed in this day and age, but being mindful of how to teach our students to utilize technology correctly is essential to make this work. I see so much resistance to technology for this reason, but that's why I want to be there to show everyone, administration, teachers, parents, students, that when we use technology with a purpose, we can produce some amazing results. And that's why I'm here. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.
Reflections on My Journey
I had a few friends who continued onto their Master's and are currently teaching at the college level. I didn't quite feel so confident in my skills and felt I needed to gain experience. I thought high school would be a better choice for me. I did my observations at the high school level and eventually my student teaching at the high school level for both semesters. While I absolutely loved teaching high school, being only five feet and constantly being asked if I was a teenager has led me right to middle school. Halfway through my credential program, I went to a job fair and was handed a decision that would change my life drastically.
I accepted the job, packed up my life, and moved 400 miles away from my friends and family. I am now in my second year of teaching English to middle schoolers. While last year was rough being a brand new teacher in a new environment, I am incredibly glad I made this choice.
I am now at a school site where the administration is spot on with providing any necessary help and support. Last year I asked for more technology and now I get to work with an Apple TV and all my students are 1:1. The access to technology now has made me question how I can best utilize the technology to really make a difference in their learning. I decided to join this program, still fresh in the middle of my first year of teaching, because I knew I did not want to waste my or my students time with just substituting everything with technology. This one little thought has completely put me on a journey to be more mindful of how I use technology and when. I never thought I would be so involved though that now I have a plan to learn as much as I can and continually crafting this skill so that I can lead my whole school site into this direction.
I accepted the job, packed up my life, and moved 400 miles away from my friends and family. I am now in my second year of teaching English to middle schoolers. While last year was rough being a brand new teacher in a new environment, I am incredibly glad I made this choice.
I am now at a school site where the administration is spot on with providing any necessary help and support. Last year I asked for more technology and now I get to work with an Apple TV and all my students are 1:1. The access to technology now has made me question how I can best utilize the technology to really make a difference in their learning. I decided to join this program, still fresh in the middle of my first year of teaching, because I knew I did not want to waste my or my students time with just substituting everything with technology. This one little thought has completely put me on a journey to be more mindful of how I use technology and when. I never thought I would be so involved though that now I have a plan to learn as much as I can and continually crafting this skill so that I can lead my whole school site into this direction.
Lasting Learning from the Innovative Learning program
Starting the Innovative Learning Program, I wasn't sure what I was going to get out of the program. All I knew is that I really wanted to learn how to best to take our school site to 21st century learning. What I got out of the program exceeded my expectations. From my first to my second year of teaching is a big difference, simply because now I keep in mind the design of our lessons and how my students will process that information. My presentations are no longer lengthy where students have to copy everything they see, but visually, my presentations are made to catch and engage my students in a world where I am competing against the latest graphics in video games. Last year, I began exploring how technology could help students engage in meaningful collaboration and was able to implement what I learned into my classroom this year. I can tell that there is a huge difference between the use of my technology in the classroom this year compared to last year. My students seem more engaged in the presentations and seem to be benefiting from the new technology that was implemented.