Two memories stand out from my early elementary years: checking out my first public library book, which was about a day in the life of children in Japan who were “getting up as I was going to bed,” and writing a report on Australia and learning the song Waltzing Matilda. By today’s standards, these are … Continue reading “Global Collaborator”
From the time we could speak and draw images on cave walls, humans have used stories to make sense of ourselves and and our place in the world. As new technologies have arisen, we have applied them to storytelling: pigment, pen and paper, printing press, photography, film, video, digital text and images and now, augmented … Continue reading “Digital Storytelling”
For the Community Engagement project in this quarter’s Teaching, Learning and Assessment 1 class, I chose to create a lesson that tied a hands-on technology lesson to 4th grade students’ learning about electrical circuits. Background I am fortunate to work with a talented technology teacher who introduced me to Makey Makey, a simple circuit board … Continue reading “Makey Makey & Scratch: Getting a 4th Grader’s Attention”
Over the past few weeks, we have been focusing on computational thinking in our “Learning,Teaching and Assessment 1” class in SPU’s Digital Education Leadership program. ISTE’s Student Standard 5c describes one of the key aspects of being a computational thinker: “Students break problems into component parts, extract key information, and develop descriptive models to understand … Continue reading “Storytellers: the Original Computational Thinkers”
Design Based Learning (DBL) projects grounded in Design Thinking principles have journeyed from graduate design programs all the way to elementary classrooms. Design Thinking appeals to students of all ages because it empowers them to solve problems that are meaningful and that have the potential to change the world in a positive way. Students build … Continue reading “Empathy: the Essential Ingredient in Design Thinking”
Organizing information using a combination of visuals and text can be a powerful way to both present new topics and construct knowledge. As part of my inquiry for Teaching, Learning and Assessment 1 in SPU’s DEL program, I wanted to explore what place digital mind mapping tools could play in an elementary school setting. I … Continue reading “Does Digital Mind Mapping Have a Place in K-5 Classrooms?”
As part of the Teaching, Learning, and Assessment 1 class in theSPU Digital Education Leadership program, I wanted to investigate best practices for designing meaningful elementary makerspace projects that balance student engagement, empowerment, and self-efficacy while avoiding the frustration that can be caused by open-ended projects and challenging technology. Background Making in Education In his … Continue reading “Making in Elementary: Finding the Balance”
My mission as a digital education leader is to: ♦ Share the joy and promise I find in using technology with educators and students. ♦ Promote equal access to digital tools and rich use of technology to help build lifelong skills of independent learning, critical thinking, creative problem solving and collaboration. ♦ Deeply understand the … Continue reading “Digital Education Leadership Mission Statement”
My Digital Readiness project was based on a meeting with Jonathan Briggs, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Eastside Preparatory School on November 13, 2018. My interview questions originated from the ISTE Standards for Coaches #5, Digital Citizenship, which includes support for: Equitable access and best practices for technology use Safe, healthy, legal, and ethical … Continue reading “Digital Readiness Project”
I am excited and honored to be joining my cohort in the Seattle Pacific University Digital Education Leadership MEd program. This bPortfolio will document my learning process, as well as be a place to interact with others who are passionate about the use of education technology that is accessible, engaging, and useful to a wide range … Continue reading “Welcome!”
