Time for a New Post from the HST Library!

Well, I realized that I am long overdue for a post to my blog, but I have been wrestling with the fact that I am not sure I have anything new to say or share!  My dilemma, what to blog about concerning instructional technology for Pinnacle?  Well, I had a realization last night that as an educator, I am charged with so many things, but one thing is to empower my students to be independent thinkers and doers!  Well, since the new semester has begun and my Video Broadcasting class is full of eleven new seniors, I was thinking about how well they have been prepared for the "real-world" here at Highland.  My students come to me as fluent users of multiple technologies.  They get to apply what they know in my class, and often, they are teaching me something new.  What a beautiful model of a successful education, when these second semester students can indeed take the proverbial bull by the horns and work either independently or a group to plan, create and edit digital productions for the school audience and beyond.  They are well-versed and experienced using Google Classroom now - it is second nature to them.  They use digital cameras to film video segments and edit them with advance Adobe software.  I have the privilege of guiding them, but they are the "hands-on" doers!  So, what am I doing with instructional technology as a Pinnacle leader?  I am sharing ideas with colleagues and pleasantly watching eleven soon-to-be high school graduates prepare for life after high school.  I am the facilitator and they are the creative minds behind video projects with purpose!  I feel fortunate every day to be their teacher!

I get to wear two hats here at Highland, teaching video broadcasting and serving as the school librarian.  One of my projects this school year is upgrading our workroom to a Makerspace for the students and staff at the school.  So, we now have our S.T.E.A.M. Room, ready for students to use to create, well...whatever they want to create.  Of course I need funding for supplies and equipment to continue to improve this space, but it is a start.  Here are some pictures of this work in progress:

Happy February!  And, if anyone knows of a local business or two willing to partner with me here at Highland for improving our S.T.E.A.M. Room, let me know! :-)