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October 2013 - Aaron Berklund

Aaron Berklund is a 5th grade Math and Science teacher at Stephen F. Austin Elementary School and was nominated for the Educational Technology Star of the Month by Kathy Payne, Science specialist. Like other 5th grade teachers in the district, Mr. Berklund and his students have access to a laptop cart provided through a district technology initiative. Ms. Payne recognized that Mr. Berklund’s students had logged in and were “proficient using Edmodo in the second week of school.”

Student using technology Edmodo is Mr. Berklund’s favorite technology tool to use with students. Students use Edmodo up to four times a week during class. Mr. Berklund and his teaching partner Mindy Merling use Edmodo to create quizzes for spelling, dictation, and content specific vocabulary. Students take quizzes on Friday during class and are able to receive immediate feedback on their correct and incorrect responses. Since many of the parents have connected to Edmodo via Parent Codes, they are also able to receive feedback on their child’s progress in class.
Student using technology
Mr. Berklund loves that technology allows him to easily “accommodate many modifications” that his students may have. The technology also allows for all students to participate in class without having to be “singled out in front of everyone”.

In addition to the laptops, Mr. Berklund also has classroom access to a Promethean ActivBoard which he uses daily. He traditionally incorporates his Promethean ActivExpression clickers into the class during the second half of the year. Mr. Berklund is a campus and district technology leader who helps promote student technology use with other teachers. Ms. Payne states, “Mr. Berklund doesn’t abandon the science curriculum. He integrates technology into science.”