Connected Learner
Connected Learner
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Coaches model the ISTE Standards for Students and the ISTE Standards for Educators, and identify ways to improve their coaching practice.
Coaches model the ISTE Standards for Students and the ISTE Standards for Educators, and identify ways to improve their coaching practice.
Artifact Description: In the fall of 2016, I completed the courses to become a Google Certified Educator, Level 1. This certification represents my competency with the usage of Google Suite tools and products. It also certifies that I know how to implement these tools into the classroom effectively.
Implementation: The skills acquired through the Google Certification are essential to my teaching practice. In general, I learned about the basic functions of all the Google Suite applications and how they could be used to enhance my teaching practice. During this time, my school district was using Google Classroom as the primary mode of presenting students with digital assignments and resources. Through Google Classroom, students can access Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, and more. Knowing how to link and work those programs was incredibly useful in supporting my colleagues as they learned how to do so. Additionally, my colleagues and I use Google Drive to house all of our lessons and subsequent student materials. I was able to support my colleagues in organizing and maintaining these resources as they evolve year to year.
At the very beginning of the COVID-19 global pandemic, my school district continued to use Google Classroom to stay in touch with our completely asynchronous students. As a result, many teachers who had not been actively using Google Classroom prior felt that they needed additional support and training to effectively use the platform. Teachers also reached out to me asking for training on how to use Google Suite products like forms to check in on their students.
2A. Pursue professional learning that deepens expertise in the ISTE Standards in order to serve as a model for educators and leaders.
2A. Pursue professional learning that deepens expertise in the ISTE Standards in order to serve as a model for educators and leaders.
Impact: I was able to provide professional development on both Google Classroom and the most commonly used Google Suite products to support my colleagues at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. I offered this training several times during March and April of 2020 in which I employed what I had learned in my previous certification courses to help troubleshoot and support my colleagues. This was highly beneficial because, at the time, not many teachers were fully comfortable with how to use these platforms. I also provided a session on how to set up a Google Site. This was in direct response to the district requiring each teacher to have a “home base” for students to find information for each class. I used what I had learned in the Google Certification training to share with my colleagues and help them produce easily navigated websites.
Reflection: I believe that my mastery of the Google Suite and subsequent earning of the Level 1 badge demonstrates my competency of indicator 2a. In order to be an effective coach and technology leader on campus, I need to be constantly learning how to use technology in order to share with my colleagues. It should be noted that I completed this training in 2016. As it is 2021, my certification is out of date because it only lasts for three years. I am excited to move forward in renewing my Level 1 certification and completing the Level 2 training in the future.
2B. Actively participate in professional learning networks to enhance coaching practice and keep current with emerging technology and innovations in pedagogy and the learning sciences.
2B. Actively participate in professional learning networks to enhance coaching practice and keep current with emerging technology and innovations in pedagogy and the learning sciences.
Artifact Description: These are images of a few of the professional learning communities that I participate in or belong to as a way of growing my teaching practice. Twitter and Instagram have allowed me to connect at both a local and nationwide level with educators who are passionate about sharing their ideas. NSTA has been an amazing community of science teachers from across the country who are promoting equitable and engaging science teaching. NSTA hosts frequent conferences that I have both attended and presented at.
Implementation: Twitter and Instagram have been such a big part of my teaching and subsequent coaching practice. Whenever I am looking for new ideas or ways to engage with students, I take to social media. It is an incredibly powerful tool and resource that connects you to people you would not otherwise have access to. I have spent years growing my network on both platforms to include people from my district, people I have met at conferences, and people from across the country who are simply internet friends. As a part of the CSUF Ed Tech program, we engaged with each other via social media and that has allowed me access to a whole new set of teachers to learn with and from.
NSTA was one of the first professional conferences I attended as a student-teacher. I was immediately intrigued by the community of science educators gathered at the conference. I attended sessions where I learned from teachers with a wide range of experiences. I have since kept in touch with many people I have met at conferences via social media and I have begun to present at conferences now that I have become more confident in my own teaching practices. In fall of 2020, I presented at the virtual conference on the topics of 3D NGSS assessment & equity in a co-designed chemistry unit (periodic table trends). I discussed 3D NGSS assessments that support Latinx and ELLs and shared examples of 3D assessments in a chemistry unit, and tools for designing the assessments.
Impact: Prior to getting involved in social media, I would spend a considerable amount of time searching for strategies, lessons, and tips that could help me support my students. It was a daunting task to comb through blogs and research and decide what might work. The narrative aspect and immediate accessibility that is provided by social media like Twitter and Instagram have encouraged me to reach out for help and also become a resource for others. I was able to meet teachers who would be new to my school site that found my social media channels. We connected and shared ideas for the start of the school year. This also allows us to keep up with the awesome technology-based lessons we are sharing on social media. NSTA has also proven to be a place of learning for me. I have seen how other teachers are implementing technology into science teaching and I have been able to translate that for myself and my colleagues. It has also allowed me the space to share what I am doing to implement technology into the way that I assess students and share that with the community at large.
Reflection: Growing my network of educators both digitally and in-person has been essential to developing competence towards indicator 2b. As a technology advocate, I am constantly looking for new ways to integrate technology into what I teach. I have been able to ask questions and engage in conversations I would not normally be able to have with educators all over to support my learning. Twitter and Instagram both offer the opportunity for professionals to develop their ideas about technology and pedagogies for implementing it. I also believe that my involvement with NSTA both as a participant and as a speaker have shown my competency in indicator 2b. Once again, I have expanded my network to enhance my personal learning and coaching abilities through attending and participating in the conferences offered by NSTA.
Artifact Description: This artifact is a drill and practice computer-based instruction (CBI) software that I developed along with three other CSUF Ed Tech cohortians. This software was designed to support one of my colleagues in providing additional practice in identifying and naming coins by the color, size, and their two sides. The target audience of this software was students with moderate to severe disabilities at the elementary school level. In order to create this product, my colleagues and I met on a weekly basis to develop the software, discuss timelines and goals, and reflect on the overall successes of the software. The design process was made easier by having shared goals with other educators who all brought different skills to the table.
2C. Establish shared goals with educators, reflect on successes and continually improve coaching and teaching practice.
2C. Establish shared goals with educators, reflect on successes and continually improve coaching and teaching practice.
Implementation: The implementation of the design process occurred in stages. First, we worked to identify what kind of software we wanted to produce. This was done through a collaborative brainstorming process in which we all made suggestions that ultimately led us to the shared goal of creating a drill and practice coin recognition software for moderate to severely disabled students. After this decision, we focused on identifying roles for each group member that would support our individual and group success as we worked on the design of the software. Once a week we met via Zoom to collaborate on the creation of the software, troubleshoot any existing problems, and discuss progress towards reaching our goals. Once an initial version of the software was created, we administered a series of break-it tests and usability tests to find any design flaws or issues that needed to be addressed. As a result, our group was able to reflect on what worked and what needed to be changed before the software became widely available to students. Ultimately, we ended up with a functional drill and practice software that supported student’s recognition of coins.
Impact: This work not only positively impacted the students who got to use the software, but also positively impacted me and the three other teachers who developed it. With specialized roles during the design process, we each got to work as curriculum/software designers which allowed us to build our coaching experience. Acting in the capacity of the team manager provided me with the opportunity to ensure that each team member was meeting their personal goals as well as the goals for our group. I was able to celebrate with my colleagues when a key piece of the software went live and shared in their frustration when something didn’t work quite as we had planned. I also had the opportunity to contribute voiceovers for each of the commands on the software to promote auditory comprehension. This experience also gave me space to learn how to use PowerPoint to create an entirely new piece of software, something I had not previously been able to do. I look forward to being able to use these skills to grow my teaching practice and to teach others how to build their own software when something they want does not currently exist.
Reflection: This experience of creating and developing software shows my proficiency in indicator 2c by establishing a goal for the product with my colleagues and reflecting to continually improve the software. By learning to manage other educators to meet a shared goal, I feel like I have learned to be a technology leader. I also continued to add skills to my repertoire, such as how to use PowerPoint to build new software, that I can take back and translate to coaching other colleagues in the future.
Overall Standard Reflection
Overall Standard Reflection
Over the course of the last few years, I have been working to develop my skills as a connected learner. When I started teaching I knew that using the Google Suite products was going to be a big part of the work I was doing. I immediately sought out additional training via the Google Educator certification to ensure that I knew how to use these products to reach their full potential. What I learned in that training was able to support me immensely while I was supporting my colleagues. This shows that I have reached competency in indicator 2a. I do acknowledge that my certification is out of date and needs to be renewed but I am confident that it will only serve to continue to support me as I support other educators. My experiences with social media have also connected me to so many educators to learn and grow with. Social media has allowed me to be a part of professional learning networks that I would otherwise not be able to reach because of geographical distance. I love searching through social media to find new ideas to engage students and support fellow teachers. Additionally, belonging to a professional network of science teachers like NSTA has provided me with the opportunity to get to know science educators who are passionate about teaching NGSS and focusing on student sense-making. As both an attendee and now a presenter at NSTA conferences, I have been able to stay connected with the technology trends that are helping support science teaching and learning. I believe that my participation in social media in conjunction with NSTA shows my competency in indicator 2b. Lastly, my work with my Ed Tech cohortians to generate a CBI software had us establishing a shared goal, reflecting on successes, and correcting flaws in the product. The design process lent itself to being a collaborative time of both teaching and coaching for all participants. I believe that this design project has shown my competency in indicator 2c. Overall, I feel like I have grown to show competency in all areas of standard 2.
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