Key teacher using technology to stay connected
Jorge Rodriguez, using technology with some of his students
Health and physical education teacher Jorge Rodriguez has been using the latest technologies in his classroom for years, whether through apps like “Too Noisy” and “Classroom Dojo” to help manage student behavior or tools like “Dropbox” and “Quick Office Pro” to reduce the amount of paperwork he handles daily.
Now, the Harvard Elementary School educator is using it to mentor a group of first-year teachers.
“Right now, what I’m doing is having virtual meetings using Google Hangouts,” said Rodriguez. “We talk about upcoming events and curriculum. And what’s cool is that you can screen-shift and show people different things. But for them, it’s all done in the comfort of their own home, or wherever they are.”
Rodriguez is one of about 50 educators who has been designated a “key” teacher by HISD for their mastery of subject matter and their ability to share it with others. Each one mentors a group of new teachers covering the same subject matter they do.
“Jorge has overcome one of the challenges that faces many of our key teachers—communication,” noted Manager of Professional Development Design Gail McGee. “Google Hangout allows him to interface much more personally with his group of beginning teachers.”
Rodriguez also launched a weekly blog called “Tech for PE” on WordPress in April to share information with other teachers on his use of technology in the classroom. You can read his latest entry here. Another key teacher, Margie Osorio, was highlighted in the May 31, 2013, edition of eNews.
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