I heard about Little Bits a few years ago.  At the time, I was a 5th-grade science teacher.  There was an interactive display set-up at the local children’s museum and I tinkered with the brightly colored puzzle pieces of circuit connections.  This brought to mind a few questions. Can students truly understand the basics of circuits […]

In my day-to-day life, I work as an instructional technology specialist for a rural school district located just outside of Austin, TX.  A fun feature of my job is my freedom to test products.  There are so many educational materials that support learners of all ages acquisition of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  I like […]

I started my career in education as a Prekindergarten teacher.  Working in early elementary, fostering foundational skills that students will utilize throughout their educational career and later in life, has guided my instruction and continued learning.  A few years ago a good friend of mine began her teaching career in the same setting.  Sarah is […]

This semester I worked on two project plans that went far beyond what I might have detailed as a project plan at the start of my career as an Instructional Technology Specialist.  One of the main functions of my position is offering relevant professional development that can be used in the classroom setting the day […]

After the design process is complete, the time for the implementation of the plan begins.  Participant buy-in is a key factor in the potential success of any program. With an innovative plan that is relevant to the learners, the potential of implementation success is more likely.  The CLEAR model guides instructional designers in the process […]

As a teacher and a learner, I find that the most relied on version of technology used in any learning setting are the combination of an overhead document camera and computer.  Teachers rely on this set-up to present material to learners.  The overhead projector and document camera are amazing tools, but they are not interactive.  […]

I often help elementary teachers use robots to support their core content instruction.  As a former elementary teacher, I see the value in using novel technology to support teaching and learning.  I want learning to be fun as well as rewarding and relevant. Computer Science is a growing field, using robots to support instruction is […]