As teachers we often base our years from August to July because that is how we normally plan our years. Yes, we all celebrate the "New Year" in January, but my "New Year" actually began in August when I was hired as a Technology Integration Specialist for my high school and two feeder middle schools. Prior to the position I was teaching Social Studies. I had 6 years of experience under my belt, but always had a passion for technology and integrating it into my classroom.
As a social studies teacher I was always creating lessons for my students using technology. Whether they were creating Power Point Presentations, completing Webquest, using the Internet for Research, or in some cases creating videos; I was constantly encouraging the use of technology by my students as part of assignments and projects.
Until this new job move I was unaware of all the technology and software that was not only available to me, but also available to my students. I was finding websites like Prezi, WallWisher, GoAnimate, ToonDoo, Blogs, Online Timelines, Wordle, Glogster, just to name a few.
As part of the job, teachers at my high school are responsible for creating a technology project where students must create a final product using technology. English teachers have created Piclits, websites to review novels they are reading, Glogs for book reviews, cartoons, and videos of novels that are created as a movie trailer. Math teachers have created comic strip word problems that will be used as Bellringers, and will soon be creating videos, websites, and digital storytelling for their projects. Later during the Third Trimester I will be working with the Social Studies Department.
So as I look toward the next year and the future of my job as a technology integration specialist one has to ask, "What is/are your News Years Resolution(s)?" Honestly, I don't know, and honestly, I can't remember ever keeping one that I did make previous years. What is funny is that there is a website to help you with that. Free Technology for Teachers posted a link to a News Years Resolution Generator, and I thought I would share that with you all as I try and develop a resolution of my own...in the next few hours.
May the year 2010 (By the way, it is Twenty Ten, not Two Thousand and Ten) provide opportunities for growth both professionally and personally. Hopefully this blog will be one of many to help you achieve that growth.
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