Congratulations Mrs. Colon

Meet Claribel Colon a Science Teacher at Frank Tejeda High School. Mrs. Colon is known for her outstanding instruction of FTA students and being a Technology Leader.

What technology do you use in your school ?  
This school year I’ve been using Google Apps including, Google Drive, Slides and Docs. I also have been creating my own website using Google Sites. And in the Science department we created a Group (within Google Apps) for collaboration.

What impact has it had on your teaching and students?

The first impact would be flexibility with my personal schedule. Google Apps have allowed me to work on my documents from anywhere at any time, even when I do not have WIFI. In the classroom I like using Google Slides whenever I have to lecture because it gives my students a reference to everything I’m saying and it is easier for them to follow me. I also like to include exciting videos into my presentations which I do seamlessly using slides and YouTube. Then using Google Docs, I create a guide to take notes for each presentation. These guides keep my students focus and on task during lecture. As a department, we are also beginning to use Google Drive and Groups to collaborate between us. Even though we are teaching different subjects, we share the same students. Google Sheets for example, is a good tool that we can use to evaluate data, we can easily share with peers, and work on the document, all at the same time. I am new to the teaching career, but I look forward for the next year when I will incorporate a lot more technology into my classroom as I make a transition into the flipped classroom.

What advice do you have for other teachers?

I would advise other teachers to not be scare to try new things in their classrooms, specifically the use of technology. There’s a lot different resources out there that you can use to get student’s attention. Also, ask for help. There’s a lot of teachers and people in the district available to help you with any concerns or ideas that you might have. Sometimes all you need is a little hand to put an idea into motion. Asking for help to the right people can absolutely put on the right track.