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8th
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Professional Background
I am pleased to be a part of
the MITTEN (Michigan Teachers Technology Education Network) project at the
University of Michigan-Dearborn. Currently, I am finishing my Bachelor of
Arts degree in English with a minor in History. I will be
graduating from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in December 2004 and
beginning my Masters in History at Eastern Michigan University in January 2005.
My pre-student teaching assignments have been at Reuther M.S. in Rochester,
Michigan and Stout M.S. in Dearborn, Michigan. Both of these opportunities
were tremendous learning experiences for me in a middle school Language Arts
classroom. Presently, I am student teaching with Ann-Marie Konyha in her
8th Grade Language Arts classroom at Central M.S. in the Plymouth-Canton School
District. I could not have had a more fulfilling teaching experience
because of the outstanding students that I have been fortunate to work with,
as well as, a phenomenal cooperating teacher. Ann-Marie and her students
have welcomed me into their classroom and have given me something that I will
remember throughout my teaching career. At the end of the day I may be
completely exhausted, but I leave with a smile because I am enjoying this
classroom experience. The staff is very positive
and supportive, creating a strong working environment and positive learning
atmosphere for the students.
My teaching experience
includes Henry Ford Community College CL2 as an adjunct music instructor and the Garden City School
District as a substitute teacher.
One of the many gratifying experiences I have had working with students is as a
instrumental music clinician in many of the school districts throughout Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb
counties. Getting an opportunity to work with these music students gave me
the desire to make education my career. I received an Associate of Arts degree in music from Henry Ford Community
College and have been a private guitar instructor there since 1995, as well as,
a professional musician in the Detroit area. This summer I participated in
the Early Literacy Program through the
University of Michigan-Dearborn School of Education and Westwood School
District.
School and Community Background
The Plymouth Canton-Community School District includes
fifteen elementary schools, five middle schools, and three high schools.
Central middle school is home to approximately 785 sixth, seventh, and eight
grade students and employs 40 instructional staff and 21 support staff.
The District, 54 square miles, encompasses the City of Plymouth, Plymouth
Township and parts of Canton, Northville, Salem and Superior Townships.
| Plymouth Canton-Community
Schools web site: http://www.pccs.k12.mi.us/ Central Middle School web site: http://web.pccs.k12.mi.us/central/
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Learning Environment
Central is the only multi-level middle school with three
floors. Each classroom contains two computers with direct internet hook-up
and a Dynacom system that allows for school wide video access as well as
"live" morning announcements directed and produced by a student
technology team. Central has one 30 station computer lab and the media
center has 30 computers for student use before, during, and after school.
With their teachers, students are also able to utilize a class set of lap top
computers for use in the classroom. All computers in the building include
Microsoft Windows, Power Point, Per, Word, Hyperstudio, Access, Excel, and a
variety of grade-level appropriate software. After completion
of the Star
Chart, Central Middle School was rated overall as
mid-tech. Students were given a technology
survey to assess their aptitude with the computer and their technology
environment. The results of the survey showed that the majority of
students had computer and Internet access at home.
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Central
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