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Alexis Stepney Home Learn More Inspiration About the Author |
About the Author
I decided my junior year in high school that I wanted to be a teacher. I had always enjoyed babysitting opportunities, working at after school programs and summer camps, playing with my friends younger siblings and teaching smaller kids how to do new things, so I knew teaching was the perfect profession for me.
I received my Teaching Credential from Chico State University in 2008. I then gave birth to my son and spent a few years substitute teaching to focus on my family. I finally got my first full time teaching position teaching 4th grade for Vallejo Unified School District in 2010.
My home is now and has been for the past 6 years as a 1st grade teacher at Donaldson Way Elementary School in American Canyon.
Donaldson Way has allowed me to come into my own and develop teaching practices that support the classroom community and its dynamic influence on my students respecting their own and their classmates learning environment.
Currently, my family of six keeps me very busy and I am embarking on a new adventure of teaching a 1st/2nd grade combination class this school year.
I received my Teaching Credential from Chico State University in 2008. I then gave birth to my son and spent a few years substitute teaching to focus on my family. I finally got my first full time teaching position teaching 4th grade for Vallejo Unified School District in 2010.
My home is now and has been for the past 6 years as a 1st grade teacher at Donaldson Way Elementary School in American Canyon.
Donaldson Way has allowed me to come into my own and develop teaching practices that support the classroom community and its dynamic influence on my students respecting their own and their classmates learning environment.
Currently, my family of six keeps me very busy and I am embarking on a new adventure of teaching a 1st/2nd grade combination class this school year.
Reflections on your Journey |
TPACK |
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I remember thinking in the beginning of this process these people are crazy..... a 15 page paper the first semester? I hadn't written a paper in over 15 years so as you can imagine I had my doubts.
When I started this program I didn't really know what it meant to be innovative or have a clear understanding of how to teach a 21st century learner or much about technology and the direction it's heading but now these are all concepts I have gained so much information on with the tools to back it up about I can truly say I am knowledgeable about them. I've done things over the course of this program that I never would have done before on my own and stepping out of my comfort zone especially when it came to creating the various types of video presentations. The introduction to so many great authors making them a household name and being able to discuss, quote their ideas and theories is life changing. I've also developed more patience and learned how to persevere through many obstacles when dealing with all the technology issues that have come up whether it be when things went wrong or tackling an assignment I had no previous experience on how to begin. I still did it. I think my biggest take away would be, you can do anything you put your mind to. Even though it's extremely cliché, it really applies to my life....for a second time. I went through college the 1st time with a baby and that was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Everyone thought I was I was going to drop out and there were times I wanted to but I pushed through so for me to do it once again I know anything is possible. I learned so much about myself, one thing being how much I value being a teacher and educating myself to be a better teacher. I am going to take everything I learned and apply it to do what this program was meant to do....preparing our children for the future. |
Through the Innovative Master's Program I have expanded my Technological, Pedagogical and Content knowledge about the kind of teacher I want to be and how I want my students to leave my classroom and continue on to the following grade. As I developed this capstone my thinking around the various components of TPACK strongly affected my journey. Technological Knowledge- I needed to find applications that were age appropriate for what I was teaching to first and second grade learners. I had to ensure I was not just throwing technology at students simply as a substitution method but to redefine learning. I allowed opportunities to make mistakes and have to trouble shot tech issues within their collaborative groups. Pedagogical Knowledge-In this area I had to become more organized and detailed in my lesson planning. I needed to have clear learning objectives so my students could follow my expectations on the rubric. Even though it was more work for myself and a bit challenging at times, I stuck to it and stayed committed. Content Knowledge- I had to be careful how the information was delivered, and how they best were able to presented it back to me or their peers therefore, transliteracy was a very important skill for my students to develop. How I incorporated 21st century methods such as the 4C's (critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and communication) in the classroom needed to be engaging to appeal different learning styles and multi-leveled learners. My goal was to have an even mix of all 3 by hitting "the sweet spot" and to give my students genuine 21st century instructional curriculum. Eddie Obeng's words remind us of the fast changing world we live in and therefore we as educators need to keep up. |
Lasting Learning from the Innovative Learning program
I have truly learned so much in such a short period of time not only about Innovative Teaching but about myself personally.
What I learned on this remarkable journey has been priceless and such a dramatic growth professionally and personally. The values that Touro University is founded upon is something that has shined through during my work in the Innovative Master's Program.
The information I gained over the last three semesters makes me asset to my students, my colleagues, my principal, my school and my district.
I previously only used social media to stay connected to friends and family but now I realize and utilize it's many other professional benefits as well. I was not a part of the Twitter world before this program but being able to network, have an abundance of resources and new 'friends' to tweet my expertise thoughts and opinions to read has been an eye opening experience.
My action research focused on managing behavioral issues with 'early finishers' in a multi-leveled classroom using inclusive design teaching all while keeping learning rigorous, equitable and following the direction of the 4C's. I believe what I did in my classroom showcased my students individual learning needs and kept them engaged with curriculum that otherwise would have cause then to drift and wonder and eventually misbehave.
Because of this program I am a better teacher and I recognize with this gift comes great responsibility as well. It's now my job to spread the knowledge I gained with others. Not only to be there when someone asks but to reach out and offer ideas through collaboration. I have even highly recommended colleagues to apply to the program because I truly believe they will like it and get the same memorable experience as I did.
What I learned on this remarkable journey has been priceless and such a dramatic growth professionally and personally. The values that Touro University is founded upon is something that has shined through during my work in the Innovative Master's Program.
The information I gained over the last three semesters makes me asset to my students, my colleagues, my principal, my school and my district.
I previously only used social media to stay connected to friends and family but now I realize and utilize it's many other professional benefits as well. I was not a part of the Twitter world before this program but being able to network, have an abundance of resources and new 'friends' to tweet my expertise thoughts and opinions to read has been an eye opening experience.
My action research focused on managing behavioral issues with 'early finishers' in a multi-leveled classroom using inclusive design teaching all while keeping learning rigorous, equitable and following the direction of the 4C's. I believe what I did in my classroom showcased my students individual learning needs and kept them engaged with curriculum that otherwise would have cause then to drift and wonder and eventually misbehave.
Because of this program I am a better teacher and I recognize with this gift comes great responsibility as well. It's now my job to spread the knowledge I gained with others. Not only to be there when someone asks but to reach out and offer ideas through collaboration. I have even highly recommended colleagues to apply to the program because I truly believe they will like it and get the same memorable experience as I did.
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Click on the image to view my blog about how Transliteracy has shaped my work
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Click on the image to view my Capstone Website
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