Rebeka+T.

Hello there! I am Rebeka (Thompson) Smith. I've been married for two years but I still can't decide on what I'd like my last name to be. I grew up just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. I live in New York with my husband because his job __FINALLY__ brought us here. This is my fourth year teaching grades 5-7. I began my career as a founding teacher at a charter school in Washington,D.C. My current job is amazing. I was blessed to teach English and Social Studies to a group of wonderful kids last year as 5th graders. We're now approaching the end of our second year together, I don't know how I will handle giving them to another teacher. [Side note: If you ever get the chance to 'loop' try it. It has been an unforgetable experience!] I live for brunch (the only time I get to spend with my husband all week) and have written a few blog entries about my favorite experiences. I might share them ... maybe.

I am currently enrolled in the Curriculum and Teaching program in which I will be graduating this August. I would like to try something new next year, but since I can't decide on my last name, I'm not sure how it easy that decision will be. I am pumped to learn how to best utilize new technology in my classroom.

[|Portfolio]
**__Personal Use Project __** ** [|https://twitter.com/#!/Smithishistory] ** ** [] **

**__My Life as a Technology User__**

I was born into a family that survived on the ideas an concepts of technology. My father worked for an oil company in Alaska as a systems manager and operation (telephones and electric power plants). Naturally, I associate many of my technological experiences with my Dad. I began using our personal home computers in the late 80's and early 90's with a little coaching from my Pops. I played games like Solitaire, FreeCell, and DOOM; I will never forget how much I love and loathe that game. I remember playing for hours and hours trying to not die every five minutes. Yet, after every "marathon" gaming session I would suddenly find myself afraid of my basement and would up the stairs and jump on the coach with my parents. By the way, I forgot to mention I was like 8. Way to go, Father of the Year!

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__Goals __ o Find and participate in webinars for Technology use in the classroom

o I would like to update my twitter account regularly to engage, encourage, and motivate my students to be thinking about social studies, the world around them, be engaged in civic activity, and engender a sense of “researcher mentality” through inquiry based tweets [PERSONAL USE PROJECT]

 o I am also writing a reading response log based on another course (Motivation) on my Wordpress blog. This all connections to some of the things I’d like to write about in a possible dissertation so I will update and post my blogs

o Advocate for the use of my iPad in connection with my Smartboard (an app that allows me to use the Smartboard remotely)

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> o I want to reconnect to those parents by communicating with them and providing them some helpful websites and other information that they can use to help themselves and their children be successful in school.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">o Create a culminating unit on the ancient civilizations studied in Social Studies that is mostly web based. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">o Use Google Docs with the students to edit one another’s essays.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Copyright and Fair Use Glog]

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Statement on Digital Literacy]

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Digital Natives/digital Immigrants Support Article <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Baek, Y. (2008) What hinders teachers in using computer and technology in the classroom?]Exploring factors inhibiting the uptake of computer and video games. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 11(6), 665-671. doi:10.1089/cpb.2008.0127