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How to Harness the Power of Global Collaboration
Back in 3rd grade, I had a pen pal. I remember the thrill of getting a letter in the mail and tearing it open to find some girly stationery, most likely covered in stickers and written in gel pen (you guys know what I’m talking about, right?). Third-graders today have no need to hand-write a letter and wait the subsequent weeks to hear back. With the increase in technology and accessibility to devices, students can now participate in a digital world and communicate with others in a plethora of ways (i.e. “liking” a Facebook picture, retweeting someone on Twitter, archiving their style and interests on Pinterest). I think we should…
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Computational Thinking and Play
I had an “Ah-ha!” moment this week. You know, one of those moments when you connect the dots or it feels like a light bulb had just been switched on in your brain. Previously when I heard the term computational thinking it was usually in the same conversation as computer science. So I had believed that computational thinking was part of the computer programming process. However, after learning more about ISTE student standard 5 this week, I found out that the two are frequently used together but are two separate things. At a glance: Computational Thinking (CT)- The term was originally coined by Jeanette Wing in 2006 who describes CT…
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Using STEM to Encourage Innovative Designers
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) highlights in standard 4 the importance of encouraging students to be innovative designers. Laura McLaughlin (2017) commented that by encouraging students to think through problems and come up with creative solutions, we are helping foster adults who will be open-minded, flexible, self-directed problem solvers who can make a difference in their own communities and the world. One way to give your students opportunities to be innovative designers is to do STEM challenges in your classroom. What is STEM? The acronym stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. STEM instruction is a unique approach to learning that allows students to work through a…
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Training Our Students To Be Internet Search Masters
You’ve probably encountered something similar in your classroom. Just imagine…. You’ve just shared with your students a research project you’re really excited about. Perhaps it’s geared towards exploring a current event in the news, learning more about animals in the Amazon, or letting students loose online to explore their own inquiry question for Genius Hour. You’ve explained expectations and have just given them the green light to start searching the web. However, to your dismay, as you wander the room you watch students typing full sentences into their search bar. Hands quickly fly into their air as they become click happy selecting websites, advertisements, etc. They struggle to summarize and…
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Empowering Learners through Self-Reflection
Teachers today are faced with the task of preparing their students for an ever-changing world. This can feel overwhelming when we cannot accurately predict the jobs that will be available when they hit the workforce 10 years down the road. Therefore, some people argue that on top of the normal educational goals of learning how to read, write, and calculate a math problem, we must also teach our students to be flexible, critical thinkers, to persevere when stuck, collaborate, and create. By focusing on cultivating these abilities in our students we can raise up a generation of empowered learners. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) believes in student…
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My Mission and Core Principles
My mission is to inspire and educate others on how to use technology responsibly to learn, collaborate, communicate, and create content. Through these four areas, my goal is to empower people to be change-makers in their communities. Guiding Principles: Equitable Learning Experience Digital Citizenship Change-Makers Diving in Deeper… I had to really think about it when asked to come up with a personal mission statement for my role as a Technology Coach. When I was a classroom teacher my goal was to build a personal relationship with each child, teach to their diverse needs, and help them fall in love with learning. Although I don’t have my own classroom of…
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Digital Readiness
For my Digital Readiness Project, I interviewed our the K-8 principal on our campus. I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about our school and be part of the discussion of how we can move forward. In the interview, I asked a range of questions that covered topics such as digital citizenship, technology policy, and how technology is being used on campus. Questions were derived from ISTE’s Standard for Coaches #7, and Mark Ribble’s nine attributes for digital citizens. I walked away with a good feel for how digitally prepared we are as a school to meet our student’s needs and help equip them for an undefined future. I have…
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Teaching Digital Citizenship
As a teacher, you know when something catches your eye and you take the second to jot it down on a sticky note (yes, a sticky note because most teachers love all those office supplies – sticky notes, cute paperclips, and colored pens. You can never have enough colored pens). Or perhaps you’re a bit more sophisticated and you keep track of an electronic to-do list on your smartphone or personal device. But then the sticky note gets lost, or the idea you heard of a while back slips to the back of your mind in the business of the day. Well, that happened to me recently. I had heard…
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Intro to SPU
When I was in high school I dreamed about going to Seattle Pacific University (SPU). However, my parents and I had a practical conversation that we couldn’t afford it at that time. Who knew that 11 years later, I’d be part of SPU’s graduate program in Digital Education Leadership. Being a nerd at heart, I couldn’t wait to get started with my studies. What I didn’t know was that we would begin by taking the time to get to know Seattle Pacific University better before we ever cracked open a textbook or started learning about the cutting edge of educational technology. Here are some items I took away while reading…
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Welcome
Welcome to my blog. I’m very excited to share my thoughts with you during my time at SPU.
