Hello! My name is Meredith Sweeney and I am starting my ninth year as an 8th grade teacher at Horning Middle School. My background, and current teaching position, are in Literacy, but I have also greatly enjoyed teaching U.S. History in a blended humanities model.
My experience with technology in the classroom has changed over the years. In my first few years in a regular English Language Arts classroom, technology was only used to project lessons, with the occasional use of the school computer lab to type papers. After experiencing frustration about being unable to reach all students, another teacher and I tried a blended humanities class, in which we combined U.S. History and Literacy curriculums using an online platform to disseminate and collect student work. Researching and practicing blended teaching strategies, learning from colleagues, and exploring at Waukesha One Conferences has opened my eyes to the possibilities that technology provides to differentiate instruction, allow students to shine and practice skills in different ways, as well as allow for more student choice in content and pacing.
The apps and technology tools themselves usually overwhelm me at first. I am not the type of person who enjoys playing with apps. Once I see the possibility of a new tool though and use it enough to feel comfortable, then I can get excited about how to use it in different ways in the classroom. My goal with technology is to empower students to own and share their own voices and learning, without relying on a teacher. I am excited for the opportunity to learn more!
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