This is my extended application for the Google Teacher Academy in Mountain View.
Update: I am a member of the 2012 Google Teacher Academy! Looking forward to the #eduawesome in December.This was my extended application for the Google Teacher Academy in Mountain View.
Professional development is no longer “Sit and Get.” With unconferences like Edcamp and TeachMeet, educators take an active role in their professional development. Consequently, my role as presenter has evolved into a more supportive role.
Professional development no longer needs to be face-to face. I co-founded Ed Tech Moment, a series of tutorials showing teachers how to integrate technology into their classrooms. Professional development can now be delivered any time, any place, and any pace.
Member of California State Superintendent’s Education Technology Task Force, 2011-2012
Hosted and coordinated the Social Butterfly lounge at ISTE 2012
46th Annual California Student Media Festival Winner: class music composition, 2012
EdCampSFBay co-founder and planning team 2011-2012
EdCampOCLA planning team 2012-2013
CUE Lead Learner, 2012
LACOE Digital Voice Award: teacher-created website k5tunes.com, 2012
LACOE Digital Voice Award: class music composition, 2012
LACOE Digital Voice Award: teacher-created music tutorials schooltube.com/channel/k5tunes, 2011
Creator of the #EduAwesome hashtag, and co-creator of the #edvid hashtag
I am an advanced Google Apps user. I have a series of tutorials showing teachers how to integrate Google Apps into the classroom. With my college students, I regularly use Google Forms, I require students to take notes on google docs, and use Google spreadsheets as a shared gradebook.
I use Google Apps in the elementary setting to collaborate with other teachers and share documents, and I teach my college students how to work collaboratively on presentations in Google Apps. I want to learn ways to integrate Google Apps into my daily classroom routines, and I want a more robust understanding of Google Apps, like adding scripts to spreadsheets and creating stand-alone Google Sites for my presentations that use my website’s domain.
At ISTE 12, I stopped by the Google booth, and immediately felt at home. The passion amongst Google Certified Teachers at that booth was palpable. They were friendly, ardent, and knowledgeable. I consider myself an advanced Google Apps user, but found that I was taking furious notes during presentations. I want to be part of this community of passionate teachers that not only integrates Google Apps into their classrooms, but also spreads the knowledge to their PLNs.
I accidentally taught an amazing math lesson. Nobody unlocked the classroom for me last summer, and I had a dozen college students waiting to learn about teaching math. The original lesson plan included centers, google docs, and videos. But, we had no classroom. Fortunately, EduPhotographers have shared amazing ways to integrate photography into the classroom. So, I took my students on a photowalk to teach them how to teach geometry to primary students.
Rather than looking at photos of geometric shapes, we took photos of geometric shapes. I sent my students off to take photos of rectangles, circles, and polygons. We came back together as a class three times to share our favorite geometric photos, and talk about how we could adapt this activity to kindergartners. The class was more engaged than I’ve ever seen, and all because someone forgot to let us into the classroom.
I taught four different grade levels in my first five years as a teacher. At the end of each year, I finally felt comfortable with that grade level’s curriculum, but moved to another grade level. Year after year, I never felt at home.
In my first year as a teacher, I felt confident with my ideas, but I didn’t have the practical knowledge. I quickly learned that collaboration is everything. I could work with a seasoned teacher to help me with pacing guides or worksheets, and I could contribute my cutting edge ideas to our grade level.
I have found that as my PLN has developed, I have become a more confident and effective teacher. PLNs are essential to a teacher’s success. Over the last five years, my PLN on Twitter has grown, my relationship with educators has strengthened, and I finally feel at home.
