Project LEARN 21C

2003-2004 Malden Teams

Team A - Massacres, Messengers and Misunderstandings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Linda Patrie

 

I knew when I was in the third grade that I wanted to become a teacher. "Correcting all of the papers would be so much fun!" I thought. So after graduating from Boston State College, I was hired as a fourth grade teacher by the Malden Public Schools. Many varied challenges awaited me there. During the first five years of my teaching career, I taught fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, and one of my most memorable experiences was as a teacher in the Major Work Class, a program for accelerated students. Teaching is fun, I have discovered, in spite of correcting all of the papers After the arrival of my first child however, I resigned from my teaching position to become a full time mom.

 

Several years and three children later, I decided to return to teaching. Over the past fourteen years, I have earned my M.Ed. from Cambridge College, taught various grade levels, and have worked in several schools in Malden. Currently, I am teaching at the Linden Middle School in the gifted program at the fifth grade level. .It was during summer workshops and courses in gifted education and talent development at the University of Connecticut that I became more aware of and interested in the possibilities of using technology effectively in the classroom. Co-authoring a PBU as part of a collaborative team has proven to be an extremely exciting, challenging, informative, and rewarding undertaking

 

Emily Prince

I am the Special Education Team Chairperson at Ferryway School . I earned my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology at the College of William and Mary, and my M.Ed. at Lesley College . I am certified in Elementary and Special Education. I have done additional graduate work in reading instruction and assessment. Before working in Malden , I was a special education teacher in private special education programs in Boston and Arlington . Students from the Greater Boston area attend these schools to address their learning, behavioral and emotional needs. For 10 years I taught high school aged students most subjects. I have also held the position of assessment and reading specialist.

 

I have always had an interest in curriculum design, assessment and analysis, taking every opportunity given to attend classes, workshops, and participate in teacher-based research. My area of study has generally been in reading and language skills in middle-school and high school learning-disabled populations. I have also designed a small research project to study the acquisition of meta-cognitive skills in this population. It was during the design of these projects that I became more familiar with the use of technology in education.

 

In my current position, I am responsible for coordinating the initial and three year re-evaluations meetings for special education services. I also coordinate and consult to the teachers regarding methods for instruction, modifications and special education regulations. I work extensively with school psychologists to review cognitive testing and academic progress. I enjoy the analytical process, however, I miss working directly with students on a daily basis.

 

I became interested in the PBU design program when I saw the data showing that several students with disabilities had shown significant progress on the MCAS after participating in the Saugus Ironworks PBU. Although there are plenty of technology resources available to teachers in Malden , it is not clear how comfortable teachers are in using it as an essential part of instruction. So often the computers are used as a reward, or as a word processor. We have many students who could benefit from the integration of computer based technology simply because of the possibilities it offers in accessing instruction. Not only can it provide a multi-sensory approach to the material, but with universal design techniques, it can make previously unattainable material, heard, seen, repeated, interactive, clarified, etc.

 

Elaine Rittershaus

I've been employed by the MPS since 1998 as an Instructional Technology Specialist, Magnet Program Focus Teacher, and Title 1 Computer Specialist.

 

I have a B.S. in Elementary Education from Lesley University with a concentration in Math, Science, and Computers; M.Ed. in Elementary Education from Lesley University; I'm also enrolled in the Framingham State College Instructional Technology M.Ed. program.

 

I've held the following positions in Malden Public Schools:1998-9 Title 1 Computer Specialist, Chester Holmes Elementary School, Pre K-Grade 6; September-November 1999 Title 1 Computer Specialist K-4, Ferryway School K-8 for Math, Science, and Technology; November 1999-2002 Magnet Program Focus Teacher, Salemwood School K-8 for Visual and Performing Arts; 2002-present Instructional Technology Grades 5-8, Forestdale School for Dual Language K-8 and Linden School for Communication, Humanities, Multimedia and Gifted and Talented Education K-8

 

I believe Project-Based Units may be one of the best ways to engage students in content area subjects by hooking them with technology. Making connections between subjects helps students gain knowledge and better understanding in order to achieve what is expected of them in each year of their schooling. The integration of technology also allows teachers to create units of study that are accessible to more students with special needs. Unlike a textbook, a PBU can use such things as movie clips, hyperlinks, and sound in one package to keep students' interest and motivate them to learn in an interactive way.    

 

 

Team B - Quiero ir a casa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Katie Burke

My name is Katie Burke. I am a Spanish teacher at the Forestdale School in Malden . I teach Kindergarten through sixth grade. Before teaching in Malden , I taught at the Winthrop Middle School for three years, teaching Spanish to grades five, six, and seven. I have a B.A. in Spanish from Saint Anselm College, and am working towards my Masters in Education. I traveled to Spain during my junior year of college, and spent a semester in Granada . I also spent six weeks in Guatemala in the summer of 2002, studying the language and culture, and traveling throughout the country.

 

Aside from teaching Spanish, I also work with two adolescents with PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder), a form of autism. I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to participate in the L21C course. I learned a lot and had a great time building the PBU.

 

Kate Connors

Hola. My name is Kate Connors and I am a 3 rd /4 th grade Spanish teacher at the Salemwood School in Malden , Massachusetts . I recently graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2002 with a BA in Spanish and International Affairs and a minor in Education. I am certified in Spanish (K-8) and I am working towards my Elementary certification.

 

I have been teaching in the Malden Public School System for one school year and a half. I started as a substitute teacher in Malden working with grades K-8 and was offered the Elementary Spanish position for the school year 2003-2004. I have always had a strong interest in education which is reflected in my past job and volunteer experiences and in my educational practicums at UNH. I enjoy being in the classroom and jump at any opportunity to enhance my classroom experience for me and most importantly for my students.

 

Laura Duran

Nací para hablar español. I was born to speak Spanish. At least this is the way I felt while I progressed in my studies of Spanish. During my senior year in high school at a magnet school in Boston , MA , I had the opportunity to enroll in Spanish V, a class designed for native Spanish-speaking students. As the only non-native student, my eyes were opened to the fascinating world of immigrant latinos in my city, as well as to their unique needs. I knew then that I wanted to spend my life helping people, particularly Spanish-speaking people.

 

During my years at Simmons College in Boston, where I received a B.A. in Spanish (and the Award of Foreign Languages and Literatures ), my love for and knowledge of the Spanish language and its many vibrant cultures and traditions expanded, as I spent a summer studying advanced courses at Middlebury College Summer Language School in VT, and also a year abroad studying with New York University in Madrid .

 

Upon graduating from college, I married the love of my life, a native Madrilian, and shortly after we moved to Madrid , Spain , where we lived for eleven years, raising our family and working in a church. During this time, I had the privilege of working with children and youth, teaching (Religious Studies and English), organizing and directing children's camps, and serving as a counselor at youth camps, in Guadalajara , Spain . These experiences and many others prepared me for the years following, when we would move stateside and I would become a public school Spanish teacher.

 

We returned to Massachusetts in 1996, and in 1997 I received my teacher certification. Since then I have taught for three years:

What I most enjoyed about this fantastic year was: designing and teaching what was basically a college level Spanish IV course to some of the top students of the senior class; and the many projects I assigned to my Spanish I students, which immersed them in the use of the target language and were also pure fun! (real-live flea market "El Rastrillo"; talent show "El Espectáculo"; fashion show "La Pasarela" and puppet show "El Guiñol".)

 

I chose this position because of the freedom offered to develop the curriculum, and I had been seeking an opportunity to implement TPR (Total Physical Response) in my classroom. This I did at Collins , and it was a total success! Students, teachers, parents and administrators marveled at the effectiveness of this pedagogical technique, as beginning students from day one began speaking and using the target language with understanding. I also taught a Spanish class to 7 th grade native Spanish speakers.

 

The rich diversity within the Salemwood community has provided the perfect atmosphere for focusing on the many wonderful cultures and languages represented within the student body, and fostering an appreciation for these fascinating differences and similarities. This has led to a strong emphasis in my curriculum on the varied traditions and cultures within all the Spanish speaking countries. Students have prepared several projects that have widened their understanding of the Spanish speaking world and language, and these colorful projects, hanging in the hallways, have been praised and appreciated by all who pass by.

 

I am truly grateful for the tremendous opportunity I have been given in the Malden school district to participate in LEARN21C , preparing this exciting PBU and learning valuable technological skills that will enable me to implement the latest technological methods in my classroom.

 

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