Name
Kristy Olin
What Do You Teach?
English IV - 12th grade
Where Do you Teach?
Robert E. Lee High School
How Long Have You Been Teaching?
11 years
How Does Educational Technology Play a Role in Your Classroom?
It is an extension of the learning process. We can access our textbook online, but can also have an assignment to complete on their iPads. We now are at a place where the learning can more easily meet the learning styles of our students. It has become a vital role in my teaching to keep my students interest level up, but also to connect to skills they will need upon graduation.
How Do You Find Technology in the Classroom Helpful?
It allows me to use less paper...but then it also forces better organization on my students. Connecting my iPad to the Promethean board allows them to see how to complete a task, how to organize their apps, documents, or projects. It allows me to create documents and AirDrop them immediately to my students or upload them to Subtext. It allows my students to upload papers to TurnItIn.com easily from Google Docs. It also allows access to resources unthinkable 10 years ago.
What Is Your Favorite Piece of Classroom Technology? Why?
I love the iPads. My students never want for a book on our GRIT / SSR Time Fridays (individual reading time). They have an ereader program for getting books. I think the Subtext app is one of my favorites because my students can participate in discussion of a text, as well as, take a poll, or answer a question...open ended or multiple choice. If all else fails they can connect to Google, a wiki or even email me from the site if they cannot get a question answered. Another soon to be favorite is Flashcards by NKO so we can put vocab, terms, etc on cards immediately, and export too.
What Is On Your Technology Wish List For Your Classroom? Why?
Most of my wish list is not for my classroom per se; I have new technology that I have not mastered as of yet. My wish is for Baytown to become a Mecca of wi-fi; many of my students do not have access to wi-fi and need it to finish work for class. I also wish parents of our students could benefit from technology, either with classes, extended wi-fi or connectivity to the educational process...one app I am trying out for those purposes is Class Dojo.
What Do You Love Most About Teaching?
I have always worked with teenagers...they keep you young at heart. They often struggle with the complexity of what a literature class entails. So when the "aha" moment comes and the glassy-eyed expression changes to one of knowledge and understanding...and you are responsible for that...it is worth the trouble of going the extra mile and dealing with the less than pleasant pieces.
Nominated by:
Lori Roberts, Educational Technology Specialist
"I'm not sure she knows it, but Kristy is a technology leader on her campus. She is always willing to try something new with technology in her classroom even if she is unsure of the outcome. This experimentation is great not only for fellow teachers to see, but also for her students. I love Kristy's enthusiasm for her subject matter and integrating technology into that to better reach her students."