The Nerdy Teacher: Technology Curriculum Specialist

Isn't that a fancy title?

As of yesterday, I am the new part time Technology Curriculum Specialist for Grosse Pointe Public Schools. I'm very excited to get the job and I can't wait to get to work. My main focus will be working with teachers across the district on integrating technology into their curriculum. I will spend days with individual teachers as I learn their teaching styles, suggest great tools that match their style and help them build lessons using those tools. I feel like I get to be a student and a teacher at the same time as I learn new things from different curriculums and help teachers learn about great tools that my PLN shares on a regular basis.

My blog will switch in focus a bit as I will write a bit more on working with staff in my district on tech integration. I will still be reviewing cool apps, tools and other great things I stumble upon, but now I will get a chance to view tech integration from a different side and I look forward to sharing what I learn along the way with all of you.

Since the tech job is part time, that means I will still be in the classroom part time. I couldn't be happier with this set up. I feel like I need to be in the classroom so I can actually use the tools with students to better help the staff in the district and my PLN as a whole.

I will be teaching 3 classes American Literature this year. I'm excited because I love American Lit and have taught it for years. I'm sad because I will not be teaching Freshmen. That means I will not be able to follow up The Epic Romeo and Juliet Project with another movie. I can honestly say I watched the movie the kids did twice this summer and am still blown away by what they were able to accomplish. I loved working with Shawn Heyer and Shannon Miller from Van Meter and I look forward to working with them again. Without them, none of the last year would have been possible.

I have some fun ideas I intend to bring back with some fun tech twists when I dive into the American Lit curriculum. One involves putting Mark Twain on trail for writing vulgar and racist material. Stay tuned for that project. I have a feeling the trial might be U-Streamed. :-) That's all I'll give away about that project and others currently in the cooker.

I want to thank all of you for the support you have given me over the past couple of years that has given me the confidence to think I can do this job. I am sure I will be bugging you often for advice and stress reduction.

Thanks again and I look forward to sharing my new adventure with all of you.

- @TheNerdyTeacher