My Bio

My Biography

 

 

Hello, I'm James Schoppe and this is my biography.

 

       I was born in Houston and raised in Richmond, Texas. I graduated from high school in 2000 from B.F. Terry High School in Rosenberg, Texas. After high school I attended several colleges and universities, my first three semesters of college was at Blinn Junior College, in Brenham, Texas then I transferred to Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. While attending Texas Tech I joined Delta Sigma Phi fraternity and had a great time, however Texas Tech wasn't for me. In 2004, I transfer once again and moved to Huntsville, Texas and graduated with a BS in Geography from Sam Houston State University in December 2005.

 

      While at Sam Houston, I met my wife, Christa and soon after graduating we moved to Tomball, Texas. We have two children, Giselle and Thomas. After graduating from college, I got my current teaching job at Elsik High School, in Alief ISD. Since 2006, I have taught all subjects under Social Studies, these include, Geography, World History, American History, Economics, U.S. Government, Sociology, and Psychology.   

 

       My number one hobby would be collecting historical artifacts from ancient Egypt dating from 1500 BCE all the way to World War II era artifacts. I enjoy showing my artifacts to my students as the students learn about different historical topics and time periods.

 

       I'm currently a graduate student at the University of Houston Clear Lake, where I working towards becoming a middle school/junior high school or high school administrator. I want to be an administrator so that I can lead and teach teachers and students to achieve their very best. I also love curriculum and as a campus administrator I hope I can learn and create new curriculum that incorporates 21st Century technology. I hope to be at least an Assistant Principal of a local middle school/junior high school or high school within the next five years.

 

       My philosophy of school leadership is that as a principal I believe that developing strong positive relationships with the students, parents, and teachers is the key to successful learning. I also believe that as a principal I need to keep an open mind about others ideas to improve education and the learning process and to lead by example.

 

 

     

My Podcast Site » Blog Archive » Highlights about applying technology successfully in the classroom

My Podcast Site » Blog Archive » Highlights about applying technology successfully in the classroom

Applying Technology Successfully in the Classroom

Today people live day-to-day incorporating their work, play, and down time with technology.  Many adults e-mail, text, listen to music, or surf the internet through a computer or handheld devices, however, adults did not grow up with these devices and therefore, had to learn how to use them, usually not to their full potential.  Children today grasp technology at a very young age, which is why it is important for educators to understand and learn how to use technology most effectively.

Many teachers assign classroom projects that are often delivered and presented using poster board, markers, and a type out page. The students then proceed nervously while standing in front of their peers. The students and the teachers often wanted more from the project, but the problem lies with the lack of computer skills or technical knowledge from the teacher. Campus or district administrators should improve teacher’s technical understandings through professional developments that emphasize on how to create lessons that allow the students to actively learn and present amazing and engaging projects. Research from the Department of Education reported that “technology use allows many more students to be actively thinking about information, making choices, and executing skills than is typical in teacher-led lessons. Moreover, when technology is used as a tool to support students in performing authentic tasks, the students are in the position of defining their goals, making design decisions, and evaluating their progress.” (Singh, 2000). Click here for more information. School administrators would see a fundamental change in student learning by educating teachers through professional development that taught how to create lessons that involve high student interest and rigor through computers.

However, informative technical professional development often lacks the methods on how teachers can create lessons that allow for student led learning. Equipping teachers with the knowledge on how to best correctly use technology in the classrooms have shown promising results. Margaret Honey from the Center for Children and Technology discovered that lessons that incorporate computers must include “active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connections to real-world contexts” to successfully enhance student learning. (Honey, 2005).  However, Margaret Honey reports that “use of technology is more effective as a learning tool when embedded in a broader education reform movement that includes improvements in teacher training, curriculum, student assessment, and a school's capacity for change.” (Honey, 2005). Click here for more information. Profession development will only be successful if the entire teaching staff of the school or district not only understands the uses of technology but embraces technology within the classrooms.  

Districts and campuses that do embrace professional development that guides teachers to create lessons that include technology have seen great strides in student learning. Studies from an El Paso Texas middle school have shown “that computer-trained teachers maintain classrooms that score higher in math than their peers who did not have such training” (Valenzuela, 2004). It was also noted that “when teachers have a positive attitude about using technology, they often excite students’ interest in technology as well”. (Valenzuela, 2004). Click here for more information. Susie Valenzuela’s research exposes while it is crucial for teachers to be trained on effective ways to use technology, teachers and schools also must change their attitudes on the changing world that they live in in order to educate students at their utmost potential.

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Applying technology successfully in the classroom from Kingjames121

References

Honey, M. (2005). Critical Issue: Using Technology to Improve Student Achievement. Critical Issue: Using Technology to Improve Student Achievement. Retrieved June 7, 2014, from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te800.htm

Singh, R., & Means, B. (2000). Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Archived: Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Retrieved June 7, 2014, from http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html

Valenzuela, S. (2014, January 1). Technology's Effect on Education . Technology's Effect on Education. Retrieved June 7, 2014, from http://www.dominicanu.com/masters-in-education-resources/technology-effect-on-education/