Ms. B’s Thoughts

My responses..thoughts…and other stories.  Sums up a lot of who I am, what I believe and where I want to go.

Why You?  Why Google Teacher Academy?  What do you hope to gain?

I am sometimes described as a geek, a dork who is obsessed with technology.  I prefer to think of myself as passionate, a life-long learner who models technology use for my students and peers.  I am constantly amazed by the technological advances in our world.  I am even more amazed at the potential technology has for education and the future of our children.  Google has taken the read-write-web to a new level.  I am a huge fan of Google apps, the philosophy of the company and appreciate the ease at which students and teachers are able to incorporate the use of these applications into their learning and teaching. I often describe Google as THE place to start when immersing technology into teaching.  Google just makes sense.  I want to learn all I can and would be thrilled by the opportunity to network with people who share that same passion.

Favorite Teaching Moment.
Picture this.  12 young men.  All with learning disabilities.  Just finished up two long grueling days of state standardized testing.  We used a cart of Macbooks with audio DVD players to access audio versions of the exams.  The day is over and I say, go ahead and play.  They break out GarageBand and start composing.  None of them had ever opened the program before.  For the rest of the day, they tinker, learn, share.  Listen to this! They call to me from across the room.  Can we come in at lunch and play?  They are entirely hooked.  They feel success. We save all of the creations and burn a CD.  It was magical because it was spontaneous, simple, they were passionate and they were fearless.  Not always an experience for students with learning disabilities.

Role as a professional developer.

In addition to my unofficial role in our high school as a technology geek, I am the technology liaison for the Upper Peninsula Writing Project (UPWP) and work part-time as an adjunct instructor in the Education department at Northern Michigan University.  I have led workshops on Web 2.0 tools, digital-storytelling, blogs, wikispaces and co-teaching.  I provide technology support and lead teaching demonstrations during the Summer Institute of the UPWP. At NMU, I work with pre-service teachers each semester and have modeled technology integration and the concept of Personal Learning Networks in every aspect of my teaching.  As the team leader of the MI-Champions technology grant from MACUL, I facilitate monthly meetings to brainstorm, problem solve and inspire the use of technology throughout our curriculum.  I talk, talk and talk about the changes occurring in education and the urgent need for teachers to embrace that change.

Describe an obstacle in your career and how you overcame it.

The largest obstacle is still to be overcome– the shift in learning and instruction in our schools. I think of it as a large boulder that is slowly, but surely being chipped away. There are holes, cracks and eventually it will crumble and all schools will be places that children can learn with an individual style and at a pace that supports their ability. We will embrace the idea of teachers as facilitators of learning and open the walls of our schools to the world that is just waiting to be tapped by each and every child that walks on this planet.  How do we chip and crack this boulder? We collaborate, communicate and cooperate with each and every teacher that will participate.  We make the effort to be better, to learn each and every day.  We become the leaders of the change—and we do it now.