Welcome!
About Me
One of the main themes throughout my teaching is my use of technology throughout my lesson plans. It is very important to me to use technology that is pedagogically sound and not just using technology for technology's sake. I have had my students conduct webquests on the Internet to locate and retrieve information related to the lesson. In addition, I used student response devices to review for a test and to gauge what topics needed to be reinforced. I also used an ELMO machine to document student work and enhanced lessons with podcasts and blog posts.
I also make sure to involve myself in student extracurricular activities. I have done so by coaching both cross-country and track. One of the aspects I enjoyed the most from this experience was the opportunity to inspire students outside of the classroom. Also, the methods of motivation that I used in coaching helped improve my motivation practices in the classroom. Coaching opportunities are something that I would like to pursue in the future.
The biggest reason why I am so excited about technology and Web 2.0 is the ability to create a Personal Learning Network. I am very fortunate to come from a family of teachers, but I am also harnessing the power of the Internet to create a much wider and deeper network of experts. I am doing this through a variety of ways. One of the most important is my RSS subscription to various educational and education technology blogs to are fed into a reader. In addition to that, I also use the micro-blogging site Twitter that allows me to follow people that I consider to be experts and allows others to follow me. I subscribe to podcasts on various educational issues and technology updates. I also participate in a number of social networking sites including Facebook, Classroom 2.0, The Flat Classroom Project, and Google for Teachers groups. The reasons for creating my Personal Learning Network are twofold: to better myself professionally, and to be able to pass along this knowledge of how to create a PLN to my students. In this age of information that we currently live in, informing students how to control and create their learning is critical for their success in the 21st century.
In addition to my passion for technology, I feel that I also bring a unique set of experiences to the table as a Business Educator. I have five years of professional work experience that touches on a number of subject areas throughout the Business Education curriculum. Immediately after college, I was an Account Executive with AT&T Media Services. While in that position, I was able to gain sales and marketing experience. After that, I worked for four years as an Assistant Branch Manager at Washington Mutual. It was through this that I gained experience through all aspects of personal and corporate finance, what goes into staff management, and everything that is involved in human resources. In additional to my normal job duties, I was also the regional coordinator for community volunteering efforts. I worked with a variety of organizations to coordinate various activities from fundraising for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, to teaching Junior Achievement classes at underprivileged schools, to becoming certified by the IRS and preparing tax returns for low-income families. I strongly believe in giving back to the community and would like to develop/continue a program like this to teach our next generation about the importance of volunteering.
Philosophy of Education
I strongly believe teaching should encourage and inspire the active learner in every student. It is my responsibility to discover each student’s strengths and weaknesses and to discern how to provide opportunities for each student to improve both academically and socially. I strive to achieve this through differentiation in my teaching styles. I believe in the boundless potential of all my students. I aim to develop students morally to become socially conscious. By being a stand up role model of good character, I hope to see my students imitate those qualities in their own behaviors.
In order for students to have a balanced relationship between school and home, I feel it is integral to effectively communicate with parents in a timely manner. Also, parents should be notified when their child does something positive, not only when there is something negative to report. Not only does this reaffirm my credibility in the parent’s eyes, but the student receives such positive feedback at home that he/she comes to school more motivated.
In addition to what I've state above, there are other views on education that I hold. I believe collaborating with my colleagues not only betters my teaching, but also the profession. When creating lessons, I strive to teach concepts as opposed to facts. I try to incorporate cross-curricular aspects in my lessons as much as possible. An important aspect of teaching is the assessment which should be balanced, on-going, and serve as a learning tool. Students should have numerous opportunities to reflect on their work and make goals for the future. This will promote independence in each learner. Teaching is a life-long learning experience which I passionately embrace each day as I stand before my impressionable students.