It’s time for another Eduporium Featured Educator post and to introduce everyone to Michelle Carton, an elementary librarian. Michelle works at the Tudor Elementary School in Anchorage, Alaska, where she loves using technology with her students. In fact, she uses it so effectively that she received the Library Media Specialist of the year award from the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) and has a passion for helping students build the necessary real-world skills to be successful in their futures!
Michelle Carton
Elementary School Librarian, Tudor Elementary School, Anchorage, AK
Q&A:
Please share any innovative EdTech project(s) you've completed with your students as an educator or plan to complete.
I have developed a global and digital citizenship program for and with students, embracing connective technology for sharing their voice and overcoming physical isolation as Alaskan students. They teach students across the world about Alaska, connect with top experts in a variety of categories to assist in the accomplishment of sustainable development goals, and create action and awareness campaigns using video, infographics, and social media conservation. We embrace the creative technologies to connect, learn, and become global digital citizens. We hope you’ll check out our website!
What is a challenge you face with your EdTech use as an educator? What resources did you use or are in need of?
We tend to struggle with regular access to technology for students to capture their voice and passions. Also, access to technology that allows us to make 3D prototypes of students' ideas for solving local and global issues. Much of what we do is only possible at school. Students are assisting in the creation of visual media, but, as an educator, it all has to go through me with limited resources for their own creation.
Students creating virtual reality, for example, is possible with the skill set, but impossible without the tools. We were able to connect with Alaska Public Media and Indie Alaska Films, developing side by side as storytellers and information providers, needed especially in Alaska, and created storyboards and drawings of plans, but didn't have the technology and resources for students to independently create, film, capture, edit, create podcasts, and implement visual campaigns.
What are some of the real-world skills you or other educators have seen your students develop through regular EdTech use?
They’ve really embraced digital storytelling, creating a passion for learning about so many areas we never knew existed. By using technology, they’re understanding how people and life around the world is connected. The idea that creating a solution must first begin with an idea and then a prototype is also a focal point of ours as well as understanding that each of us plays a vital role in the sustainability of the Earth, which is great to see as an educator. Finding and reaching experts who students can learn from directly is something that virtual reality has helped make possible.
As an educator, what interests you most about Eduporium?
To me, using EdTech as an educator is about more than that just discovering some cool tools. Eduporium embraces the notion of technology being a means to do great things. Everything teachers need to help students become leaders is available and their team truly helps make teachers’ vision a reality. The workshops and resources for teachers truly help them develop as EdTech leaders, which is much of what I do when I present PD sessions around the world, both physically and virtually.
We thank Michelle for speaking with us and for helping to create such great experiences for her students! You can follow Michelle and her students on Twitter and follow us there as well as on Instagram. Look out next Friday, too, as we introduce you to another hard-working and innovative educator on our blog!