Last Friday, I had the privilege of speaking to 100 eighth grade students during a career fair. I was fairly certain that students knew what "technology" careers existed: computer programmer, IT, security, computer systems analysis, etc. I was also fairly certain that students didn't know what a Technology Integration Specialist was. Starting with upbeat music, Brighter Than The Sun & Best Day Of My Life, as the students entered, followed with my enthusiasm, and my connection with many of the students through my teaching of a technology tool in their classes during the year provided an eye opening experience for them. Students realized that a teacher in a school district doesn't just need to be in the classroom.
I didn't get into education with the intent to be a Technology Integration Specialist, however, "playing" with so many tech tools, teaching adults and students, and redesigning educational learning environments has truly been a calling that I love.
Maybe my presentation will bring the next generation of great people into the educational world as a Technology Integration Specialist.
View Link To Presenation
Presentation Highlights:
Slide 12: My Job: Investigating New Tech Tools
Slide 13: Rapid Fire - students opened the iPads and said the name of an app, I told the students exactly what the app was used for in education - Reason? Tech Integrators need to know many tech tools to provide teachers with ideas
Slide 14: Team teaching is one of the greatest aspects of my job
Slide 15: Providing tech support
Slide 24: Responsible Online: I showed them my iPaddiction blog and asked them to guess how many views it has had since 2010...they were amazed by the amount of people who are interested in what our school is doing with technology
