Teaching

The technology curriculum used at Hobart was designed by me for use in both the primary and upper grade computer labs. It is based on the Technology Standards for the state of California. Most of the curriculum parallels what the students are studying in the classroom, and long-term projects are tied in with our Language Arts program, SRA Open Court, or our mathematics program.

Click here to see my "Hotlists". These are collections of websites that I personally chose to accompany a specific grade level curriculum. They are games and activities that reinforce concepts learned in the classroom. Most of them have a minimum of advertising and are easy to navigate independently. Lower grades (K-2) may need a quick mini-lesson on how to use individual sites, but should be able to work independently afterwards.

Click here to see my web-based projects for grades 3 through 5. These are activities using the Internet to compile research and usually culminate with a multimedia project of some kind, using a wide variety of applications such as Comic Life, The Print Shop, Kidspiration, Microsoft Powerpoint, Excel, and Word. My 5th graders have even completed basic websites and Podcasts! Click here to see some of the finished technology projects from the last few years. My full portfolio is available upon request.

I also conduct Professional Development sessions for teachers on various technology applications, such as PowerPoint or The Print Shop, on websites that are particularly useful to teachers (such as one of my favorites Rubistar, an online rubric creator), and on integrating technology into the classroom. In addition, I conduct parent workshops in order to assist the school community in using technology resources to help their children perform better academically.

Technology

I personally set up and maintain a central file server for our school. It is an Apple XServe, with two mirrored 80GB drives for the operating system (one for back-up in case the first goes down) and one 500GB drive for file storage. I set up folders for each teacher and staff member, and individual class and student folders as well. All upper grade (3-5) students save their work to the server so that they can work on it in their classrooms if they choose. The central file server has been extremely helpful to teachers and students because they can access their files from anywhere in the school and they have a back-up in case their computer crashes. Using a file server also keeps the lab computers running quickly and smoothly because nothing is saved on them that would take up valuable memory. I also set up a teacher sharing forum on the server where teachers can share materials and lesson plans with each other, and a "computer help" folder with how-to guides, lab schedules, computer repair forms, and website shortcuts.

I perform basic troubleshooting and repair for the 250+ computers and 80+ printers we have throughout the school. They are mostly Apple computers, with some PCs. I collaborate regularly with classroom teachers and adminstrators to assist them with any technology-related issues that arise.

Web Design

Besides my own personal website, I designed a student-friendly website for Hobart Boulevard Elementary School at www.lausd.net/Hobart_EL, which is a tool for the staff, students and community. I also designed a strictly student-centered website at www.supersiteforkids.org for use in the computer lab and at home. I have also designed additional websites that are available for view upon request.