Go onto the campus of Montclair High School and you will see some new and very impressive changes. Even before Measure P takes shape on this campus, MHS has taken some solid measures to upgrade their school. The south building is state-of-the-art, equipped with collaborative desks and computers for students to work at in every room. The doors are equipped with new keyless locks, making the campus safer and easier to monitor. Not only that, but there's a new teacher on campus who is making an impact of her own: Christina Depweg. Thinking that school ended at 2:30, I showed up a little early to beat traffic of cars and kids leaving school for the day. What I didn't realize was that school ended at 2:55. Instead of hanging out in the office, this was a perfect chance to watch Christina in action. She welcomed me into the room and immediately got back to instruction. There was certainly technology integrated into the lesson, but it wasn't the focal point. The way that she has implemented her iPad, whiteboard, Doceri, and teaching style make it seem like she's been an educator for years. The next observation that was easy to make was her proximity to her students. The only time that her students saw her at the front of the room was to point out a difference in angles. Other than that, the iPad allowed her to roam the room, using proximity to quell any side conversations and encouraging from everywhere. Whether this was intentional or not, I was thoroughly impressed. Before the bell rang to end the day, the students in Ms. Depweg's Dojo were locked in and ready to participate. It was evident that a safe environment had been created and students were encouraged to participate without fear of reprimand from the instructor or ridicule from the class. While I was only there for a short amount of time, Christina proved that a new teacher with the support of good admin and a solid team are bound for success. After class, we got to sit down and chat in a little bit more detail. Right now, as with many of the teachers in CJUHSD, Christina is getting comfortable with using Doceri. She was able to flow effortlessly between slides, annotating over the images and creating a natural transition for her students from problem to problem.
One idea that Christina is using with her new iPad and Doceri is the ability to share slides with students. Whether it is by emailing, sending through school loop, or showing students the next day, she is eager to support her students in AND out of the classroom. I am eager to get back into her room to see how she continues to evolve as an educator and improve the awesomeness that is nurtured in her room and out of it. If you would like to identify someone (even yourself) for the Teacher Spotlight in CJUHSD, please let us know. We are trying to showcase as many great teachers as we can! John
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AuthorsDemi, John Stevens, John Corrow, and Paula are excited to visit classrooms and meet with teachers to see some of the awesome things that are going on within CJUHSD. Archives
February 2016
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