Professional Development
Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources.
A. Participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning
B. Exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others
C. Evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning
D. Contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community
A. Participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning
B. Exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others
C. Evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning
D. Contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community
Google Certifications Level 1 and Level 2
For two of my graduate level courses, TE 891/893, I worked on completing my Level 1 and Level 2 Google Certifications. These classes consisted of learning about a wide variety of Google Apps for Education. Teachers had to review tools such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and even some of the other features such as Blogger and Groups. Since Nebraska City High School is a Google School, meaning each student has their own Gmail account, I thought it would be advantageous to complete these courses. Since completing these courses I have implemented several of the features learned from the training courses into my classroom. I am currently working on my Google Certified Trainer course. I must complete a screen recording of a training session that I would give to other staff members. Also, there is a quiz that must be completed as well. I would highly recommend these courses to any teachers at a Google School. It is a great way to familiarize oneself with all of the available tools and the training highlights ways in which teachers can integrate these tools into their everyday practices. These certificates are only valid for a certain time frame and therefore the candidate must stay up to date with the training. As we all know technology continually evolves and it is important for teachers to stay up to date with the tools available to us. By doing so we can continue to pass on digital skills that our students are going to need in their future careers.
The digital certificates below indicate that I completed each level and attained mastery. In order to attain these certificates there was a 3 hour test that consisted of multiple choice questions and a practical examination. The practical portion requires the candidate to complete actual "hands-on" activities that are then reviewed by someone at Google. Click HERE for a link to the Google Certification Website.
If you are looking for an online community that can enhance your technology skills then be sure to click the above link. All of the training is free!
ISTE #3A, 3D, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D
For two of my graduate level courses, TE 891/893, I worked on completing my Level 1 and Level 2 Google Certifications. These classes consisted of learning about a wide variety of Google Apps for Education. Teachers had to review tools such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and even some of the other features such as Blogger and Groups. Since Nebraska City High School is a Google School, meaning each student has their own Gmail account, I thought it would be advantageous to complete these courses. Since completing these courses I have implemented several of the features learned from the training courses into my classroom. I am currently working on my Google Certified Trainer course. I must complete a screen recording of a training session that I would give to other staff members. Also, there is a quiz that must be completed as well. I would highly recommend these courses to any teachers at a Google School. It is a great way to familiarize oneself with all of the available tools and the training highlights ways in which teachers can integrate these tools into their everyday practices. These certificates are only valid for a certain time frame and therefore the candidate must stay up to date with the training. As we all know technology continually evolves and it is important for teachers to stay up to date with the tools available to us. By doing so we can continue to pass on digital skills that our students are going to need in their future careers.
The digital certificates below indicate that I completed each level and attained mastery. In order to attain these certificates there was a 3 hour test that consisted of multiple choice questions and a practical examination. The practical portion requires the candidate to complete actual "hands-on" activities that are then reviewed by someone at Google. Click HERE for a link to the Google Certification Website.
If you are looking for an online community that can enhance your technology skills then be sure to click the above link. All of the training is free!
ISTE #3A, 3D, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D
Professional Organizations
NETA Member - 2017
ESU 4 Technology Integration Group - October 2017 and January 2018
In order to stay current with educational technology tools and trends I try to join professional organizations, follow educational technology groups on Twitter, and to attend educational technology seminars such as NETA. Not only is this for my benefit, but the benefit of my peers and my students. I continually try to pass on this knowledge to my students and fellow educators. At Nebraska City we are required to accrue professional development "points" in order to continue to develop better teaching strategies and methodologies. By completing this Master's program and continuing to stay connected to the educational technology world I hope to become a master teacher in both Spanish and Technology.
ISTE #5A, 5B, 5C, 5D
ESU 4 Technology Integration Group - October 2017 and January 2018
In order to stay current with educational technology tools and trends I try to join professional organizations, follow educational technology groups on Twitter, and to attend educational technology seminars such as NETA. Not only is this for my benefit, but the benefit of my peers and my students. I continually try to pass on this knowledge to my students and fellow educators. At Nebraska City we are required to accrue professional development "points" in order to continue to develop better teaching strategies and methodologies. By completing this Master's program and continuing to stay connected to the educational technology world I hope to become a master teacher in both Spanish and Technology.
ISTE #5A, 5B, 5C, 5D
Professional Presentations
In one of my graduate classes I created a website for an EdTech Camp that Nebraska City could have hosted. An EdTech Camp is a type of inservice but with this style the attendees decide the agenda and then the presenters are chosen from there. There a mini sessions provided on a wide number of topics. This website and idea of an EdTech Camp is an example of how I can contribute to my district and the professional growth of teachers in our district.
In addition to creating the hypothetical EdTech Camp I have actually led several sessions at our Spring Inservice.
Another project that I worked on was a 1:1 initiative for NCHS. This is outlined in the presentation below.
The website above and the presentation below are both artifacts demonstrating how I can contribute to the technological mission and vision at Nerbaska City High School.
ISTE #3A, 3D, 5B, 5C, 5D
In addition to creating the hypothetical EdTech Camp I have actually led several sessions at our Spring Inservice.
Another project that I worked on was a 1:1 initiative for NCHS. This is outlined in the presentation below.
The website above and the presentation below are both artifacts demonstrating how I can contribute to the technological mission and vision at Nerbaska City High School.
ISTE #3A, 3D, 5B, 5C, 5D
Research paper on the effects of a 1:1 Initiative
Click HERE to view my final research paper for TE 800.
This paper revolves around the effects that technology, specifically a 1:1 initiative, can have on student achievement. I conducted a mock experiment to see the effects that the Chromebooks had on Foreign Language learning. The study would have involved all of my Spanish I students. Two units would have been conducted during the study. Several groups would have used traditional paper and pencil methods while the others would have solely studied on the Chromebooks. A second round would have been conducted where the groups were switched. For both cases a pre-test and post-test was given. This way I could determine the growth score, the improvement in scores from the pre-test to post-test, for each student. The hypothesis was that students would see a larger growth score when they had studied on the Chromebooks.
While completing TE 800 Educational Research I focused largely on the effects of technology on Education. All the evidence pointed to the fact that if used correctly then technology can enhance learning. Students would be more motivated by the technology, they would enjoy the ability to create media instead of it being presented to them, they would enjoy the fact that they had choice and input into the classroom, and they would improve from the more immediate feedback from the technology.
At the end of the mock study it showed that those students who learned using technology saw a larger growth using the Chromebooks. If I were to actually conduct the study for real I would perhaps compare student learning using different types of media, perhaps Quizlet vs. another online vocabulary tool. This way I could see which type of technology works best for my Spanish students.
As mentioned above I am continuing to expand my knowledge on technology integration by participating in both real life and online professional organizations. I hope to be able to pass on this knowledge to the rest of my school, both teachers and students.
ISTE #3D, 5A, 5C, 5D
This paper revolves around the effects that technology, specifically a 1:1 initiative, can have on student achievement. I conducted a mock experiment to see the effects that the Chromebooks had on Foreign Language learning. The study would have involved all of my Spanish I students. Two units would have been conducted during the study. Several groups would have used traditional paper and pencil methods while the others would have solely studied on the Chromebooks. A second round would have been conducted where the groups were switched. For both cases a pre-test and post-test was given. This way I could determine the growth score, the improvement in scores from the pre-test to post-test, for each student. The hypothesis was that students would see a larger growth score when they had studied on the Chromebooks.
While completing TE 800 Educational Research I focused largely on the effects of technology on Education. All the evidence pointed to the fact that if used correctly then technology can enhance learning. Students would be more motivated by the technology, they would enjoy the ability to create media instead of it being presented to them, they would enjoy the fact that they had choice and input into the classroom, and they would improve from the more immediate feedback from the technology.
At the end of the mock study it showed that those students who learned using technology saw a larger growth using the Chromebooks. If I were to actually conduct the study for real I would perhaps compare student learning using different types of media, perhaps Quizlet vs. another online vocabulary tool. This way I could see which type of technology works best for my Spanish students.
As mentioned above I am continuing to expand my knowledge on technology integration by participating in both real life and online professional organizations. I hope to be able to pass on this knowledge to the rest of my school, both teachers and students.
ISTE #3D, 5A, 5C, 5D