While I have used the tablet for most of my technology needs because I have it, but also because schools typically use windows, there have also been issues of frustration.  The tablet has been crucial in helping me try to flip and use more technology in my classroom presentations.

The Good:  it is up to date for the most part.  I have created a youtube page for some homework and studying help as well as some flipping to introduce new material.  The page is nothing fancy but the fact that I started it and the students use it amazes me.  The school system uses windows devices as well so most things can be easily transferred and used at school.  So in preparation and research for instruction it has been great.

The Frustration:  you can only use windows apps.  Many of the apps that I have wanted to use to communicate with students and parents as well as use for instruction are not windows apps and the windows version is just not as widely used.  There fore it is more difficult to use the tablet and easier to just use my phone for some items.  This is probably the biggest issue is that I wanted to use it to connect and communicate as well as in instruction but it is not the best device because of the wide array of applications other products can use.

Overall the tablets have been great and has been very helpful in allowing me the opportunity to integrate more technology that I otherwise might not have done.

Looking back at all the institutes that we have been a part of and reflecting on what we were able to participate in and accomplish, it appears there might have been a purpose to it all.

It started with team building and allowing us fellows the chance to become comfortable with one another as well as with the idea that we are expected to try new things and lead the profession.  From rafting trips and hanging out on the porch to presentations from guys with smart phones and flipping classrooms the first session of PD was there to get our feet wet literally and figuratively.

As we moved to Raleigh focus shifted to what are you actually going to try and do in the classroom and how does it relate to your externship.  I think this was probably the most challenging PD sessions for me and many of the fellows.  Trying to get all of our ideas and experiences into focus.  Heck I think I am still struggling to get all of my ideas into focus and functional in the class room.

The last session was the cap of putting the vision of the fellows as leaders together.  We had the opportunity to see aspects of the political process as well as think about how we can make a difference in NC as well as the US in terms of education.

Overall I think the best part of all the PD institutes was having to opportunity to work with  other teachers from all aspects of education, new Kenan Fellows and old.  Being able to take idea, tech tips, activities and philosophies back to our classrooms and make them work for us.  I feel the collaboration is without a doubt the most important and crucial aspect of good teaching, and all the PD institutes provided us with that.

Having moved from NC to NY and both schools having high poverty and being diverse cultural backgrounds, I have seen the idea of social media in classroom in a multitude of ways.  Having witnessed how social media can take a small issue among a few students and then turn it into a school wide issue, I understand why some schools and administrators have such a strong viewpoint towards its use in class.  However if this is the best way to communicate and reach our students then we as educators need to find ways to use it to reach students safely.  Personally I feel as though technology and teachers will constantly come up with alternative and safe ways to reach students in the best way to deliver content effectively.

I am not a huge fan of social media but do understand that there are ways to incorporate it effectively and safely in the classroom.  School systems have the right to pass rules that are in the best interest of their students safety so I understand the strict viewpoint against, I just don’t think it is the best approach to reach students.

We have finished the move and completed my first full week in a new school and new state.  I have ended up in Troy, NY for those of you were still wondering where the decision would take us.  With the new move to a completely different state, one thing still remains the same:  “kids are kids no matter where you go”.  My externship reemphasized one really important thing that applies anywhere you are dealing with young minds and science.  You have to give them a chance to touch, feel and experience in order to get their aha.

Even though we as educators, especially at the secondary level, struggle with getting to the content and sometimes forgetting to slow down and allow for those personal experiences, that many times is the most important thing.  I have found that in my new environment, kids will always need to experience science, not just listen to me or read it out of a book.  This past summer the 10 kids that got to experience all the different aspects of engineering had a different aha everyday.  They got the chance to experience things by doing and witnessing first hand versus reading about it or watching it on TV.  For any student young and old, that is probably the most important hook to pull all the concepts together.

So after all the things I got to do and see with the kids and their aha moments, that leads to my aha from the externship.  Don’t forget to give students a chance to manipulate and experience something.

Looking at the Common Core and Essential Standards, I feel they will end up having a positive aspect on teaching and using technology.  Even though they are cumbersome and difficult to get through at times, the use of technology will increase.  However I feel as though good teaching would continue to find new innovative ways to deliver and interact with their students.  The idea that the standards will force/guide teachers to use technology is not typically the best route.  Teachers, especially those who are intimidated by new technology will see the standards as a checklist and not necessarily change to what is better for their students.  Good teaching will continue without the standards for technology, however the common core may force some teachers who might not have tried anything new to attempt something different.  I guess that is movement in the right direction.

When it comes to relating my externship to curriculum, there shouldn’t be a problem.  Energy is in every science class’s curriculum in some form or another.  For chemistry it applies in multiple topics so I had a couple of ways to approach it and apply it to my curriculum.  I have chosen to focus on the renewable aspect and relate one of my experiences where I was given a chance to go into a research lab. The lab was at NCSU School of Textiles where I was able to watch nano-fibers be created and then used in creating rechargeable lithium ion batteries.

This experience gave me an opportunity to take a rather boring topic and think of new ways to introduce and relate the idea of a battery in chemistry class.  I am hoping to relate the new research that I have witnessed and show students how it can relate to multiple topics that are learned in class.  There are so many ways to introduce chemistry and energy into class and that is probably the biggest aspect that I have taken away from my externship.  I need to find more ways to relate and demonstrate how chemistry is being used in cutting edge research and is affecting aspects of the students everyday lives.

This is my second summer with the FREEDM System Center at NCSU participating as an RET (research experience for teachers), learning about energy and electricity.  This placement is great!  If you are interested in learning and getting tons of opportunities to experience energy in your everyday life then you would like this placement.  Over the five weeks of the program, a group of students and teachers perform labs and activities, take field trips and complete a research project working with PhD students at NCSU that involve electrical engineering

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Many of the experiments that are done are actual activities that I have used or adapted for my classroom.  The best part about them is getting to work with the students as they complete the experiments.  It allowed me to see how they are approaching the activities and how to adapt it so it can be more successful in the classroom setting.  I was able to see where they struggled, and what aspects of the activity caused the misunderstanding.

The field trips are probably the best part of the experience.  I have been able to see many things in a short period of time that I normally would have not get a chance to experience.  All of the fieldtrips are real world and relate directly to our energy usage at home.  Just to name a few:  UNC Cogeneration Power Plant, Harris Nuclear Power Plant, NCSU Clean Room, Duke Power Distribution Center, and CIsco.  Again taking these trips with students and getting to sit back and watch their experience, hearing their questions and seeing their reactions was a great insight to how they view energy in the world around them.

The biggest challenge is working the PhD students on the research project.  This year our project was creating system to place a PV system on an average single family home to reduce electrical power consumption during peak time.  I have forgotten how much math was needed and how difficult it is to learn a lot of new material in a short amount of time.  However we created a great product that can be used by almost anyone to create an estimate on how much it would cost to put a PV array on your home.  It can even be adapted for a classroom project on solar energy.  Here are few photos from the experience:

Leveraging technology?  I think the question actually becomes; are you keeping up with the times?  Just like teaching is an ever changing craft that requires the professionals to change/adjust their approach constantly to be successful, technology is lumped in the same way.  In order to keep up and reach as many students as possible, teachers need to keep up and use the technology the students are using.  This is the biggest challenge for me.  It is not whether or not I can use or understand the technology but rather can I keep up with the changes in technology to learn them quick enough or afford them in my personal life to incorporate them.  By the time we develop or start to use the technology in the classroom and get comfortable using it, something changes and our approach changes.  This causes to find a new technology or technique.

We will always have to find ways to bring technology into places that are strapped for funding, I think we are all used to that, but it is going to change every year or two, so can we change that rapidly to reach them?  I guess we have to, don’t we?

Believe it or not it was much tamer than the everyday stress of trying to get a 1 and 3 year old out of bed in the morning for daycare, rushing to pick them up after my externship and the nightly routine of getting them to bed.  Don’t get me wrong it was very difficult to be away but the time away allowed for better team building and focus while meeting all the fellows.

The 2 things that pop into my mind when thinking about the highlights of the trip are getting a chance to interact and see what the Kenan Fellow alumni are doing and of course getting know and spend time with 49 of NC’s finest teachers.

Actually witnessing and speaking to the likes of Paul, Justin and the many other alumni was a valuable experience.  I was able to get an idea of the places we can go and what innovative things we are expected to do.  This was probably the most exciting aspect as well as the most concerning.  We are expected to experiment and try new things which for many of us involves changing the way we have done things, not easy once we get comfortable.  This idea that we need to grow and innovate within our classrooms to lead fellow teachers did not hit me until end of the week when I had a chance to digest a little bit on the drive home.  As I have been thinking about this leading the way and changing our practices, my second highlight came into my mindset.

We are in a group of nearly fifty extraordinary teachers who all have their own strengths.  After spending our week together this was very evident.  From team building day 1, to rafting to struggling through technology issues to learn the new things that were presented, we have all the resources within our group to be successful.  Spending time and learning about everyone shows that we are a diverse group that can accomplish great things in many different areas.

How do we take all of our learning back so that our colleagues can gain from the experiences?

Do I have the drive to change and try new techniques in my classroom?

My fellowship is in renewable energy and most of the topics and experiences I have will be in the realm of Physics.  I am really hoping to use some the innovative things I see and get to participate in, to creating something exciting and real world for chemistry students to learn from.  Also teach me something along the way.

photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/anderserikhansen/6215658504/”>anders.erik.hansen</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>cc</a>