Katherine Hicks
Internationally Minded.
Spartan Educator.
Life- Long Learner.
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Foreseeable Future
Introduction
Being employed by the Falls Church City school district has allowed me to work with students who are excited about learning and always eager to push themselves outside their comfort zone. In many ways, I think I learn just as much from my students as they learn from me! My students are thinkers, risk takers, and passionate about learning. I try and channel that same “fearless” attitude my students show and apply it to my future in education. I have always loved being a leader, but after only two years as a classroom teacher, I haven’t gotten the chance to let my voice be heard. Moving forward, I have plans to change this. My first goal is to become a “National Geographic educator” by completing a course and organizing a school/community project. My second goal is to research and trial various digital portfolios for all the fourth grade classes at my school to use. Finally, I plan to take a technology leadership role in my school and or district.
Goal 1: National Geographic Educator
One of my favorite parts of working at Thomas Jefferson Elementary is that it is an International Baccalaureate (IB) school, meaning that it is a part of a global K-12 program that focuses on similar central ideas, lines of inquiry and approaches to learning. This program encourages the students to take action by applying their learning to the real world. This program is such an incredible part of a student’s experience in Falls Church City, that I wanted to find a way that I could involve the community!
One of my fellow educators, Heidi Lang, told me about a program designed for teachers by National Geographic called the Nat Geo Educator Certification. This professional development opportunity focuses on educating students of problems facing the world today and encourages them to take action. After reading about National Geographic's mission and potential benefits for students, I knew that it exemplified the goals of the IB program. My hope is to complete the three week course and implement a community project using the National Geographic resources provided. This would allow my students to be leaders in Falls Church and encourage them to follow Gandhi's advice by “being the change they wish to see in the world.”
Goal 2: Research and Trial digital portfolios
As the students move through the IB program, schools/teachers are encouraged to create a portfolio for each child that follows them from Kindergarten through twelfth grade. A few years ago, our district stopped creating these portfolios because storing physical copies for 700 students required space that we simply didn’t have. My solution to this problem is a digital portfolio that is used by all teachers in Falls Church.
After visiting the website CommonSense, I realized just how many platforms have this portfolio function. On this site, they provide pros and cons to each tool and even include a detailed review! Of the 15 websites, there were two that seemed to have potential including Seesaw and Dreamdo. My plan is to read the book, Digital Portfolios in the Classroom: Showcasing and Assessing Student Work, by Matt Renwick. This will help me learn more about digital portfolios and assist me in making a plan of implementation in my classroom. My hope is that I can choose either Seesaw or Dreamdo, trial it in my class and then present a plan to the IB coordinator for implementation of the selected platform across the fourth grade in 2021.
Goal 3: Technology Leadership
My final goal is to be in a technology leadership position within the district. When looking back on my educational career plan, I didn’t think that technology would be at the forefront. However, after working in an area with so much technology, I realized how impactful technology can be if used in a meaningful way. As I began my Master of Arts and Educational Technology (MAET) degree at Michigan State, I started to realize how many missed technology opportunities there were in my school. As I became more comfortable with various forms of technology integration, the more I wanted to share this knowledge with my peers. I plan on continuing my digital learning by following the blog by Fayette Public Schools that offers "tech snacks" to keep educators up to date with emerging technology. My hope is that one day, I can be a mentor to other educators and in turn, better prepare our students for the rapidly evolving future.
Conclusion
Of all the things MAET has taught me, my number one take-away has been the possibilities for my career. As someone in the education profession, I am always looking for new ways to push myself and my teaching. Learning about educational technology has opened new doors made the foreseeable future full of exciting possibilities.
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Sources:
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Fischer, K., & Johns, A. (2019). Tech Snacks – Wheel of Names, Spooky STEM, Creator Studio. Retrieved from https://blogs.fcps.net/.
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National Geographic Society. (n.d.). Educator Certification. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/professional-development/educator-certification/.
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Renwick, M. (2017). Digital portfolios in the classroom: Showcasing and assessing student work. ASCD.
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Student Portfolio Apps and Websites. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/student-portfolio-apps-and-websites.
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