UDL and Internet-based Tools

Looking Forward to My New Teaching Assignment

I am so excited to be teaching at Wasatch High School this fall, I have heard such great things about the school, students and the community! Something I am especially excited about is Wasatch School District's commitment to helping students excel in the 21st century, one way is through a 1:1 technology environment. Each student having their own computer, that is awesome! The opportunities for students to be creators of knowledge and empowered to make change has reached a whole new level. Although I have not experienced first hand having students with their own devices I look forward to the possibilities. I wanted to post a couple things I am excited about and which you should be proud of as community members and parents of students who attend a Wasatch School District school.

1. Students Must Create- Now that students have instant access to the facts we need to move beyond teaching students the basics to taking that knowledge and creating new ideas. I believe young people have great ideas and can be great problem solvers, they just need to be given the chance. I look forward to giving students the opportunities to solve problems and create new ideas, using history as our backdrop. I have read up on the academic standards and expectations here are Wasatch, as a result I have no doubt that students will be creating some pretty amazing things.
2. Learning Digital Citizenship is Imperative- Spending most of our time on the web as students and I learn together, it is important that students learn what it means to have good "Digital Citizenship" in order to be safe as well as respectful while on the web. A great source I have been introduced to through my studies at the University of Florida while pursuing my Educational Technology degree is Common Sense Media. Common Sense Media is a great site for teachers, parents, administrator and students to better understand what it means to be a responsible digital citizen. Good digital citizenship is a skill that will empower students as they move into the world of work after high school.
3. Canvas Rocks- Wasatch School District use the Canvas LMS (created by Instructure)to help organize their learning environment on the web. I worked with Canvas at my previous teaching position and love the possibilities it holds. There are some great things Canvas does to help teachers spend more time teaching and students spend more time learning and creating. Although I don't work for Instructure, I would love to have the opportunity in the future, I would have to say they have the best LMS out there right now. I know there are many options when it comes to LMS platforms, perhaps I am bias because they are a good ol' Utah based company but I think it is a great tool. I am excited that Wasatch School District uses Canvas and I can assure my students we will be using it a lot in the fall.

I know there will be many other great things I find at Wasatch when I start this fall and I will be sure to share them with you, so you will know what great things your kids (or kids in general if you don't live in the Heber Valley) are doing with their education.

Please, if you have any great things, using technology or not, you are doing in your teaching please share. I will also be sure to share as I go throughout my teaching experience in the Wasatch School District.