Electronic Portfolio of Krissy Venosdale


Productivity and Professional Practice
Teachers use technology to enhance their productivity and professional practice.
	A. Teachers use technology resources to engage in ongoing professional development and lifelong learning.
	Technology provides a way to reach out to teachers in other cities, states and countries to discover a better way to teach. I enjoy using the eMINTS discussion list, Proteacher.net, and my school district Moodle to search out improved learning strategies to benefit my students. Utilizing technology to further my degree has been a wonderful resource as well. My Program of Study demonstrates coursework taken in online classes through University of Missouri and furthering my professional development.
	B. Teachers continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student learning.
	Following a visit to another eMINTS classroom, I completed a reflection which allowed me to really consider how technology was being used effectively in my own classroom. Reflection is the key to becoming a better teacher. Technology is an ever-changing world and it is important to recognize when a lesson does not go as planned. Modifications can always be made to make it a more meaningful learning situation for students. Following a lesson on force and motion, I reflected and determined what I could do to improve.
	C. Teachers apply technology to increase productivity.
	Each and everyday, technology helps to make me a more productive teacher. Microsoft word is used to organize my units and standards into an easy to read chart. I use Excel to sort and rank assessment data, I use an online gradebook to quickly average grades. I use PrintShop to create weekly newsletters to inform parents, and I use Dreamweaver to quickly create weekly lessons and meaningful learning experiences for my students. The internet provides and infinite amount of photos to support lessons on the SMARTBoard and lessons become far more interactive with ease. At open house, it is very hard to spend time with each and every student's family. Technology allows me to present information on the SMARTBoard that parents will want to know, while I spend more personal time chatting with each family. My classroom Moodle allows students to log-in, quickly make their lunch choice and head right toward their morning links and assignment.
	D. Teachers use technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, parents, and the larger community in order to nurture student learning.
	Through my classroom website, I have started a blog that is used to communicate with peers and parents. It is exciting for students to check and see their work featured on the blog. This is a powerful tool for connecting home and school in the community. A "Parent Place" section of my website provides parents with important links, a quick way to contact me, and information they may need about our classroom. In my school, I started the Hillsboro Elementary Moodle. I continue to add to the Moodle and provide my peers with support in utilizing it. It has become a place for all teachers in the building to collaborate, share, and discuss curriculum, activities, and current school events. Teachers are able to add to it, access it from anywhere in the world, and use it as a powerful collaboration tool.