Introductions

[Demetri Orlando]

Welcome to this network!  Please take a moment to introduce yourself by posting a "reply" in the box below. Please always keep in mind that this is a public network, accessible to anyone on the internet.

You probably do not want to "follow" this forum. "Following" a discussion means that you receive an email message when someone else adds something new. Therefore, you should click "Stop Following" on the very bottom of the page, after you add your entry.

[Ileana]

Hi,

I'm currently a Spanish teacher in the upper school at Rye Country Day School. I'm participating in Digital Wave, a program that involves learning about technology, teaching, sharing resources and lots of exploration. Last year I learned about facebook and now I'm going to try twitter as well as using blogging for my honors classes.

[Anne Bedrick]

I am the K-4 art teacher at Rye Country Day School. I am very interested in brain development and the science of motivation. I teach art through choice and am a member of a group of art teachers who teach this way. It is called teaching for artistic behavior. The underlying idea is that we teach kids to behave like grown up artists and come up with their own ideas for learning... kids learn best when they pursue the things that interest them.

[Angela Gooden]

Thanks for having me! As an associate at The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), I am here to; help support and advance boarding schools, to chat with leaders and inspire thought leadership, to gather and provide resources for administrators and educators, and to interact with current and prospective students and families.

I'm looking forward to learning in this environment and chatting with everyone here!

[Laura Blankenship]

Hi, I'm in a new position as Computer Science Coordinator at The Baldwin School. I hope to connect with other teachers here. I also hope to get my new colleagues to join the network.

[Heather Pang]

Time to update your blog then! I have been reading your blog for ages -- glad to see you here. I teach 8th grade history at Castilleja School, an all-girls 6-12 College Prep school. I joined this ning ages ago, and I must admit I am not here much. But I would love to chat about the work you will be doing. You might want to link up with Matt Montaigne, our instructional technology guy, he is great, and I am sure (when he gets back from summer vacation) he would be happy to chat.

I would love to get some connections going among girls schools, create some partnerships, and provide an audience for some of the great work we do -- but then don't always get to share and discuss. My 8th graders make short history documentaries about the ratification of the constitution, and it would be great to show those to another 8th grade history class. And it would be a fantastic experience to look at the work other students are doing. Is that the kind of thing that would be part of your job to coordinate?

Best,
Heather

[Sharon Rippen]

Hi Demetri,
Well, the Wordle is quite interesting! I use that tool for spelling homework, and my second-graders enjoy creating a design with the words on their spelling list. I teach at a K-8 school in Olney, Maryland and have been doing so for ten years. I look forward to learning and contributing to this site!

[Wendy Zacuto]

Hi, Demetri,
I am a veteran of charter, independent and public schools as a teacher and administrator. My current passion is supporting teacher growth to help all students and I think the independent schools are out ahead of the field in many ways. Networking is so important.

[Steven Zaretsky]

Hi,

I'm a former independent school teacher hoping to return to the fold. Currently teaching TV Production at a large public high school in central Florida, I've also taught digital design, web development and psychology and was a technology specialist (integrationist) and have done a large amount of web development in the private sector. Hoping to relocate to the New York City area.

One of the things I'm hoping to learn about are some of the educational technologies used by independent schools that aren't in use (read: banned) by the school district I work at.

Thanks!

 

[Jacqui Murray]

Hi! I'm a K-8 technology teacher at a small private school in southern California. We're an IB school so much of what I teach supports classroom units of inquiry while shoehorning the necessary skills into short timeframes. I've been teaching for 13 years and each year, find so much about technology has changed. I try to keep track of it in my blog and my wikis, but it's a never-ending challenge. I hope to use your knowledge and experiences to help me stay on top of a constantly evolving field.

[Tiffany Musa]

Hi everyone!

I'm Tiffany Musa. I'm the Middle School Program Director, 6th Grade humanities teacher and 2nd-4th grade technology teacher at St. Anne's School of Annapolis. I'm looking forward to networking with everyone and sharing thoughts/ideas about technology in the classroom.

[Susan Morris]

Hi Tiffany,

I am a PreK teacher at Admiral Farragut Academy in St. Petersburg, Florida.  I am so fortunate to have a Smart Board and iPads in my classroom, yet there are days when I feel like these "centers" are really just  glorified babysitters, even though they are educational apps.  What are your thoughts or suggestions?

Susan Morris

[Susan Morris]

Hello,

I am a PreK teacher at Admiral Farragut Academy in St. Petersburg, Florida.  I have a multi-aged classroom of students who range in age from 3 to 5 yrs.  Our school started a school-wide STEM initiative two years ago, so last year, I decided to include the youngest students on campus.  I was thrilled with the results.  My PreK scientists loved putting on their lab coats everyday to conduct experiments. This year, I hope to incorporate more engineering ideas and enhance my technology curriculum.  I look forward to learning from each of you!

Susan