Tuesday, August 5, 2014

What a Rush!

Today I gave my first presentation about what I do as a technology integration.  I must admit, I was nervous about doing the workshop when I found out I would be closing the day.  I spent time thinking and planing about showcasing some Digital Design and Fabrication that I do at school with all of my colleagues.  (so thankful that they let me into their classes to do some digital things)  I HAD THE BEST TIME!  I was able to showcase what we do and spread the word about all of the cool things to do with making, digital design, STEM, STEAM, in all classes not just Techie ones.  I simply explained my roll and what happens and looked at how I view technology integration.  

My main view is collaboration!  This is the key to getting any design in classrooms working with everyone colleagues, students and utilizing each others expertise to build a great curriculum.  This has started and we have had some cool projects happening in the past few years.  I am glad I was able to showcase them at NJAIS digital educators conference.

I love getting to share what is happening at the school and what my colleagues are doing in their classes.  Some things that I shared:

  • Utilizing iBooks Author for students to create a digital magazine about Immigration in various countries. This was done in World Languages so the magazine was entirely in French or Spanish.
  • Using Voice Record, Audacity, and Wikispaces for a Modern US History Oral History Project.
  • Using Scratch to create Animations about the Perfect Paragraph and different cycles in Biology.
  • Creating Commercials, News Clips, mini lessons through iMovie, Educreations, bcontext.  (side note if you upload to YouTube you can create closed caption in various languages where you have to write the text this is great for World Language).
  • Digital Fabrication with a 3D printer and 123d Design, 123d Creature, Google Sketch Up
    • Creating Plant and Animal Cells
    • Jewelry (in Art class but this could be math too where they create a business)
    • Roman Architecture in Latin classes
    • Demons in English class (They read the Screw Tape Letters)
I realized we have done so much in this short amount of time.  My colleagues are amazing as they let me in to help collaborate on the projects bringing in the tech, art, computer science, digital literacy as they work on the content.  I am blessed to work with these amazing people

I was dreading the end of summer, but now after presenting what I do I am so excited for the new year!

BRING IT ON!!!!