The reason I joined this program was because I wanted to learn how I could best help my students utilize technology in a purposeful way. I think the advancement of technology has opened up so many more doors for us to teach but I think a lot of us teachers are lacking the skill to properly utilize that technology. I've seen firsthand how huge of a gap there is in education. On one hand, I have students thriving and soaking up the information like a sponge. On the other hand, I have 7th grade students reading at a 2nd grade level and who can barely write a simple sentence. There must be something that can bridge that gap and I think the answer lies with technology since it allows us to differentiate learning and make education more customizable.
So far, having my fellow cohort members has far exceeded what I hoped cohort members could do. I feel so much support from my fellow classmates and it's been great going with them from class to class as we have developed a bond that makes me feel a lot more comfortable to go out there and try new things or speak up in the class.
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Can the use of digital tools increase the quality of academic discourse?
My driving question sprouted from the need to use technology purposefully. My school site was in the process of becoming 1:1 and I always knew I wanted to use technology but didn't want to just use it to use it. Slowly, over time, I've been able to identify where I need to focus on meaningful technology. My district has put an emphasis on academic conversations and I have not seen much research surrounding this so from the start of the program, my driving question has finally blossomed. Growing up I always had my face 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. 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 currently believe that society is shoving all these technological advances down our kids's throat and expect positive results without teaching them anything 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. |