David Lee EdTech

I try to build protective factors (health-related skills) and developmental assets (building blocks of human development) for my students through my instruction, curriculum, and classroom management. In my curriculum, I have incorporated projects that focus on the importance of healthy family and peer relationships. In my instruction I have modeled online safety procedures that involve safe decision-making and refusal skills (ignoring online strangers or ignoring ads).  In my classroom, I also define  computer lab expectations  that promote appropriate behavior: C ome to class with clean hands.​ ​O perate only YOUR equipment properly. ​ M onitors off! ​​P ush your chair in when you are done. ​ U se your inside voice. ​T ake care of your computer station and leave it the way you would like to find it. ​ E at and drink outside the computer lab. ​ R aise your hand if you need help. ​ L isten to the teacher's directions carefully. ​​A lways work toward your bes...

App that trains you to speak, write, listen, read, and process more effectively!

Have your students practice their spelling and pronunciation. This game requires students to spell out words to build the largest tower they can. As the tower goes higher, the words get more difficult. Once you make a mistake the tower will collapse. However, you can earn bonuses to level up and unlock achievements. You can also solve mystery words and jumbled words. You can find it at chrome.com/spellup. 

IDEO ,  an innovation and design firm, utilizes a design process that helps them develop products that we use everyday (computer mouse, high tech medical equipment, ski goggles, computer screens, etc.). In an  ABC Nightline report , the company revealed some of its secrets and demonstrated their process by designing a shopping cart.  The following are some of the highlights of the report:  The members of the design team were  not product experts , but were  experts in the process of design . The project leader is chosen based on her or his  ability to work with groups .  The design team members are from a  wide-range of fields . This results in different perspectives and solutions to a project.  There  should not be a hierarchy system  in an innovative culture.   The design team  speaks with product experts  (people who use, make, and repair the product) because it is fa...

Differentiation   In Carol Ann Tomlinson’s book,  “Leadership for Differentiating Schools & Classrooms,”  it describes differentiation as “teacher’s reacting responsively to a learner's needs,” and reacting in an active and positive manner. It is the opposite of the idea that all students learn the same way and should be provided with the same type of instruction. Instead, it focuses on the specific learning needs of each individual. The elements of curriculum that can be differentiated are content, process, and products. You can differentiate also by using student characteristics, such as readiness, interest, and learning profile. Among Tomlinson’s instructional strategies, I would love to use the following: learning centers interest groups group investigation  learning contracts Universal Design for Learning According to the  National Center on Universal Design for Learning,  the purpose of Universal Design for Learning is to provide all...

Danah Boyd, a Principal Researcher at  Microsoft Research , talks about some myths related to the term,  Digital Native,  in her book,  It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens .  Here are  some interesting quotes found in  chapter 7, "Are today's youth digital natives?": "Because teens grew up in a world in which the internet has always existed,  many adults assume that youth automatically understand new technologies ." (pg. 176) "I interviewed teens who used programming scripts to build complex websites.  I also talked with teens who didn’t literacy know the difference between a web browser and the internet."  (pg. 176) "Teens may make their own media or share content online, but this  does not mean that they inherently have the knowledge or perspective to critically examine what they consume . (pg. 177) "Not only is it fraught, but it obscures the uneven distribution of technologi...

The goal of  STEAM education  is to teach science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics to students by engaging them in rigorous real-world projects. Addition to STEM education , STEAM focuses on aesthetics and the creative process of solving problems.  Students can utilize the D esign Thinking  process to find resolutions to problems that involve any of these academic subjects.  STEAM education also requires students to learn in context, make connections between core subjects, and work with others to develop solutions. These projects develop students' 21st-century skills, including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.  Gaining interdisciplinary content knowledge and developing  21st century skills prepares our students for their future in higher education and the workplace.  Other Resources: Hilburn Academy STEAM Education ...