Blog Post #1: Welcome to My Blog!

         Welcome to my blog!


 

     Image Source: Personal Photo

           About Me

My name is Kate (she/her) and I am in my 7th year as a special education teacher. Before teaching special education, I taught a technology class in a general education classroom for 4 years. I currently teach 6th and 7th grade at a therapeutic day school. I received my BA in Secondary English Education and a minor in Community Service Studies at DePaul University. The Community Service studies minor allowed me to work with a variety of non-profit organizations around Chicago. I earned my MS in Special Education LBS1 at Dominican University. I'm finally feeling ready to go back to school and excited to return to Dominican to work on my Education Technology Specialist Endorsement.

   

Image source: personal photo
            

           Non-profit Work

Aside from teaching, I am a volunteer for a local non-profit organization, Girls Rock! Chicago.  I am a life-long Chicagoan, and feel like this is a great way to give back to my city. The mission of Girls!Rock Chicago is to build a socially just community with girls, trans, and gender expansive youth by developing leadership, fostering self-esteem, and encouraging creative expression through music. Working at this non-profit has allowed me to reflect on my teaching practices, especially when it comes to equity in education. Social justice is important to me as a teacher and a person. I also love working for this organization because I love learning and writing music. I play the guitar and dabble in the ukulele, keys, drums, and bass. Teaching guitar has been really rewarding and combines my professional skills with my passion. 

     

           Getting Ready for the Future

Although I've taught a technology class before, I'm excited to learn some of the newest trends in incorporating technology in the classroom. Having taught part of the year remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I am searching for creative ways to teach online (if I ever have to again). I am also looking forward to learning more about assistive technology to better serve students with varying needs. So far, I've used Co:Writer and Snap Read to help my students in class. I've also used programs such as Learning Ally and Lexia to support struggling readers.

I can't wait to post more in this blog as I continue to learn throughout this course!

     


     

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Comments

  1. Andy DunningAugust 31, 2021 at 12:47 PM

    Kate:
    Pleased to meet you! You can call me Andy. I’m nearing the end of my journey in the master of science in special education program. I will complete student teaching next year, and then it’s into the classroom as a full-fledged special education teacher! I hope that I can learn a few things from you as we work together. I, too, work in a therapeutic school program. I am a paraprofessional in the alternative program (the Academy) at Lockport High School.
    Thank you for sharing your passion about your work with Girls Rock! Chicago. I imagine that it makes a big impact on the girls who participate. I especially like that the organization is so inclusive. We have a transgender student in our program. Before he came to the alternative program, he struggled to find social groups that would accept him for who he was. I think he feels comfortable in our setting and with our students. It is a new experience for me, too. I grew up in a rather sheltered environment: 12 years of Catholic school. Inclusivity was not a hallmark of my education.
    I liked that you said “Social justice is important to me as a teacher and a person.” Promoting social justice in the classroom is fundamentally important to engaging and inspiring our students to succeed academically. And it’s just the right thing to do!

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownSeptember 1, 2021 at 3:51 PM

    Hi Kate! I loved reading your blog post. You sound like a teacher I wish I would've had and the kind that I hope my child one day has. As Andy also mentioned, I love your non profit work, and that it's rooted in social justice and inclusivity. I'd love to get involved in a program like that, although I have no musical talent at all, haha. Do you know of any programs that are similar to that in terms of the targeted group and mission, but might have a different connected hobby or something? If so, please let me know! I am excited to connect more with you soon via class!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. kjstanleySeptember 1, 2021 at 3:59 PM

      Hi! You don't need to play an instrument to get involved! We have lots of rules, including people running workshops. Would love to have you apply!

      Delete
    2. kjstanleySeptember 1, 2021 at 4:00 PM

      *roles

      Delete
    3. Katherine SchulerSeptember 1, 2021 at 4:10 PM

      Hi again, Kate! Just commenting again because I realized I was signed into a different Gmail account before, so the "Unknown" comment is me! I apologize! Thank you so much for that info to my question.

      Delete
  3. Chantell CurtisSeptember 1, 2021 at 9:44 PM

    Hi Kate, your blog post is so engaging! Girls Rock! Chicago looks like an amazing organization, and I must say, you look cool in your guitar picture. Equity in education is also a major priority for me; I believe enabling students to have equal chances for success benefits us all. Thank you for sharing about the work you do; I look forward to reading more of your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  4. KatieSeptember 3, 2021 at 7:58 PM

    Hi Kate!

    It is so nice to meet you! I enjoyed reading your blog post. The Girls Rock! Chicago organization sounds like it is very impactful for the individuals who are apart of it. There should be more groups out there that work to empower young women and teach them to love and embrace who they are. I am also a middle school special education teacher and I am sure we can relate with similar experiences we have had in our classrooms. I have never taught in a therapeutic school before, but I have had the opportunity to visit and observe. Like you, I am excited to learn new pieces of technology I can use in my classroom.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KatieSeptember 3, 2021 at 8:05 PM

      Sorry for the "Unknown" comment. The above post is from Katie McBride. It won't display my name through my school gmail account. Looking forward to connecting more throughout the class!

      Delete
  5. NMZumpanoSeptember 5, 2021 at 9:55 AM

    There are so many great strategies to use both in-person and remotely with students. One of my favorites is hyperdocs which seamlessly fit both situations. Thanks for sharing your path. The girls' group sounds both amazing and needed. Looking forward to learning with you this fall.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. kjstanleySeptember 7, 2021 at 3:29 PM

      I haven't used HyperDocs yet. That will have to be something I look into!

      Delete
  6. Diana MadrigalSeptember 10, 2021 at 1:04 PM

    Hi Kate,
    it was very nice reading about you! It sounds like you are adventurous and willing to try new things and the best part is that you love helping others. You are doing great things!
    I am also exciting to be blogging because I have never done it and looking at everyone's blogs I feel like I have a lot to learn from. For example, I dont know how to put GIFs and I need to learn because they make the blogs more funny and interesting!
    It was nice meeting you :)

    ReplyDelete

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