Please edit this template to provide your colleagues with some info about you.  This page will also be the jumping off point for your Teach 21 project.

 

About Matt Faircloth

 

Contact Info:

<SCHOOL NAME>

mfaircloth@lowndes.k12.ga.us

<SCHOOL TEL>229-316-1864

Blog: http://www.lowndes.k12.ga.us/alrowell

Website: http://www.lowndes.k12.ga.us/alrowell

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/locotech

 

About Me:

I have been teaching for almost ten years.  I have taught sixth, seventh and eighth grade science and English.  I currently hold a Master's and Specialist in Educational Leadership and I am returning for my Dorctorate in Curriculum and Instruction in the Fall at Valdosta State.

 

A Positive Experience with Instructional Technology:

I attended a session at a science conference two years ago showing how to use technology in the classroom.  The main topic that was discussed was having students make videos that related the content they had learned.  It was a creative way for them to apply their knowledge and teach others these concepts.  I have tinkered with it for the last two years but I feel like there is something missing.  The students really enjoy working on it and they do a wonderful job being creative, but I need to tweak it somemore. 

Interests:

• My family.  I have a beautiful wife, Lindsay, and three wonderful children:  Nathan, Drew and Emily
• Alabama Crimson Tide Football
• New technology and how it works.

 

My Teach 21 Project

This year my project will have two seperate parts.  The first part will focus on me producing podcasts of my lessons so that students will be able to have access to my lessons when they are absent or would like to review the material for studying.  I plan on using Microsoft Photostory to present my Powerpoint slides and then add audio of me teaching the lesson.  Students would then be able to download them to their computer or their MP3 player/iPod.

     The second part of my project will focus on the students producing their own videos to teach content related ideas to their classmates and future students.  Students will write their own scripts and then video their productions.  They will then edit their projects to be published as a podcast or DVD.  Students will have to implement higher order thinking skills to produce good quality videos that are focused on content as well has being entertaining.

 

Resources that I will need include: a digital video recorder, tripod stand, green screen, digital video tapes/memory card

 

The following National Educational Technology Standards will be addressed during these projects:

1. Creativity and Innovation

2. Communication and Collaboration

3. Research and Information Fluency

4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making

5. Digital Citizenship

6. Technology Operations and Concepts

1.	Creativity and Innovation
	Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:
	a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes. b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression. c. use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues. d. identify trends and forecast possibilities.
2.	Communication and Collaboration
	Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:
	a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media. b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats. c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures. d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.
3.	Research and Information Fluency
	Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:
	a. plan strategies to guide inquiry. b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media. c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks. d. process data and report results.
4.	Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
	Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students:
	a. identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation. b. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project. c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions. d. use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.
5.	Digital Citizenship
	Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students:
	a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology. b. exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity. c. demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning. d. exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.
6.	Technology Operations and Concepts
	Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students:
	a. understand and use technology systems. b. select and use applications effectively and productively. c. troubleshoot systems and applications. d. transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.