Little Tech Stop

The end or just the beginning

As I reflect on the past 18 months of grad school, I am having a hard time saying I am done. One chapter of my life may be ending, but I feel like I have a new hope in my career. So looking back, to actually summarize my learning almost seems impossible. I like to think about all the things I have achieved through my new gained knowledge. I think about the new connections I have made and the relationships I have built. Also, the influences I have had on all my students and their future. The program has allowed me to learn through my students and give back to them so much more than before.

Check out how the COVE method and CSLE have changed my way of teaching and leadership skills.

Here I am again… Starting with my “Why”

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The Gateway to Success

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“You see, I am working on a plan. A plan for each one of you! A plan that will make you more valuable to your future employer. This year, we be creating partnerships in the community, working on authentic projects to showcase in your personal ePortfolio.”

Books on the Kitchen Table

As soon as I find a moment to sit still, here are my top three books to read. As you can tell from the titles, these books are definitely not in the same genre!

The PLAN

Early College High School Eportfolio Initiative

Since 2002, the Early College High School Initiative continues to be a successful innovation and positive change in the path of education (Vargas, 2017). I propose to highlight student performance and creativity through ePortfolios both as a workplace and a showcase: process and end product (Barrett, 2010).

The moment I applied for the Digital Media teaching position, I knew the impact I could have in an early college high school. I plan to pull my past work experience as a graphic designer and college instructor to guide my students through the personal journey of building an ePortfolio. In my classroom, students will be in a learning environment that suits their learning style and personal goals. As a teacher, I will “deliver the right experiences,” for my students (Horn and Staker, 2015). Students will see a blend of face-to-face class instruction, online personalized learning, field trips in the community, video conferences and further development of 21st century skills. Students will be encouraged to bring their own technology to class as well as utilize classroom resources; somewhat of a BYOD environment.

If you were to walk into my class, you will find student inquiry and pace driven by real world dilemmas laid out in the form of project-based assignments. You may see me sitting with a group of students, mentoring and giving personal feedback simultaneously. Real time assessments and constructive feedback are always welcomed by both student and teacher. Each skill and assignment will be uploaded to a student’s working e-portfolio. As the year progresses, students will revisit projects for revisions.

Start with the Why!

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” – Simon Sinek

For the past 5 weeks I have taken the first step to complete my Masters in Education. I ended the course wondering what my “why” was. I have always wanted to have a masters and have searched, attempted but never committed to success. We learned early on about positive growth mindset. This shed light on my hesitant attitude towards continuing my education. Although overall, I am optimistic about my future, somewhere in there I am fixed on not pushing forward. I know I will continue to fight this mindset, so I am glad I started off identifying some issues I may have towards my goals.

Continue reading “Start with the Why!”

This is what it’s all about…

“Hi Mrs Little it’s Kyler. Hopefully you remember me, I had to move last year when I was in your class and you are still one of my favorite teachers if not my most favorite. I wanted to say thank you for the time in your classroom. You made learning the hardware and software fun and made me interested in computers. Now I’m in Principles of Info Tech and planning to take more advanced classes in tech. I’m also am pursing a job in tech and computers. This wouldn’t be true if it wasn’t for you, you made me have interest in computers and I found I’m pretty good at them so thank you, you’re one of the best teachers I’ve had undoubtedly.”