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January 2014 - Diedra Williams


Name
Diedra L. Williams

What Do You Teach?
Grades 1-5, Special Education/Life Skills

Where Do you Teach?
Lamar Elementary

How Long Have You Been Teaching?
1st year

How Does Educational Technology Play a Role in Your Classroom?
I use the DYMO Mimio with interactive programs like StarFall, ABC Mouse, and other interactive programs from Lakeshore. It helps me give whole class instructions, do assessments of their progress, and print out my results for documentation.

Student using technologyHow Do You Find Technology in the Classroom Helpful?
It keeps my students up and moving, engaged and learning! Having this technology has help to improve my students understanding and retaining information. With the Mimio I am able to give whole class instruction that keep the entire class engaged. 

What Is Your Favorite Piece of Classroom Technology? Why?
I love my Mimio! My kids are so interactive when we are using it, they respond to the lesson being taught when in other cases they wouldn't!

What Is On Your Technology Wish List For Your Classroom? Why?
I would love to have a student computer with a touch screen for my limited mobility students and a new projector (mine is a older one). We have one student computer now that is somewhat damaged, so use is very limited. Our wonderful CTS, Amanda Johnson, found me a projector in the scrape pile and has been able to keep it running for me until we were able to get another one. These items would help to keep my students engaged and learning! 

Student using technology What Do You Love Most About Teaching?
I love the students and how when they are engaged, they are learning and having fun doing it! They encourage each other to keep trying and working hard, I love to see them work together to achieve and move forward in reaching their personal goals in their education.  

Nominated by:
Amanda Johnson, Campus Technology Specialist at Lamar Elementary
"Diedra is a 1st year teacher. She asked me about using Active Inspire software programs that she had bought. I found an old projector and gave her a Mimio stick. Her students are engaged in learning with such enthusiasm! I have never seen such excitement in a Special Education classroom, learning the basic letters, numbers, and songs. It's a blessing to watch her and the students interact in this way of learning."