Author: contributor

Meet Najah Hylton, English 2 and 3 teacher

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What’s your first and last name?

  • Najah Hylton

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • English 2 and 3 teacher

How are you involved in education?

  • I teach English 2 and 3 at US Grant. This is my first year to do so. Last year I subbed at Star Spencer. I want to continue teaching English (maybe to a different grade, or creative writing) for the foreseeable future. Maybe one day I’ll get a master’s and teach at the college level too.

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

  • The ideal classroom is collaborative. The students know I am the leader and they come to me with questions, but they also trust each other and work together to try to enhance their own learning. The students are problem solvers who practice using their resources before calling in reinforcements.

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • Lead a session?! I wouldn’t! But if I HAD to, it would be about cultural relevance in the Language Arts classroom. Why do students have English class? Without using the standards, how would you summarize the objective of ELA learning? How has it changed in 10 years, in 20, in 40? Does our instruction reflect those changes?

Are you on Twitter?

If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.

Meet Howard Walker, ETS Coach

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What’s your first and last name?

  • Howard Walker

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • ETS Coach

How are you involved in education?

  • I coach and train teachers. I’m a 26+year educator with 16+ of those years as an instructional technology coach or trainer in the largest school district in the state of Oklahoma.

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

  • My ideal school/classroom is one where the Almighty is acknowledged by all, instructional technology is pervasive and yet transparent, and one where students do lots of teaching (and of course lots of learning of the highest quality); and teachers do lots of learning (and directing and of course lots of teaching of the highest quality).

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • “Using Google Apps for Student ePortfolio!”

Do you have a website or blog?

Are you on Twitter?

If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.

Meet Jason Johnson, Director of Instructional Programs

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What’s your first and last name?

  • Jason Johnson

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • Director of Instructional Programs

How are you involved in education?

  • Having taught in every grade from Kindergarten to 12 and subjects as diverse as music, literature, history, and competitive academics, I transitioned a few years ago to leading technology. More recently, I have moved into a position that better combines the areas of curriculum, professional development, and educational technology. This helps to bring better focus to technology and curricular initiatives and to align with ideas like TPAC and the SAMR model.

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

  • My ideal classroom would be one where everyone can learn as she or he is comfortable. It would be based around principles of individual sovereignty and human dignity. While technology would be an important component, traditional and even ancient methods, tools, and resources would still be useful and important.

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • Not sure. There are a number of areas I could contribute, but I’m not looking to lead necessarily. Some areas I can address are educational philosophies, technology concerns, strategic planning, and network security.

If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.

Meet John Allen, Educational Technology Coach

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What’s your first and last name?

  • John Allen

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • Educational Technology Coach

How are you involved in education?

  • I work with classroom teachers to help them integrate technology as effectively as possible into their everyday teaching.

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

  • It should be a place where students are encouraged to ask questions and seek answers. They should be given a variety of options to seek knowledge that is both important to them and the things they need to know. The ideal classroom is also a place where the teacher finds a way to read something aloud to the students every day.

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • Digital citizenship is not just a one and done kind of thing. It should be ongoing throughout the school year and cover the wide range of things students need to know to be save and responsible online.

Are you on Twitter?

If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.

Meet Don Wilson, Coordinator of Educational Technology

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What’s your first and last name?

  • Don Wilson

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • Coordinator of Educational Technology

How are you involved in education?

  • I have been an English teacher, a media specialist, a technology trainer and a district administrator before I came to Career Tech to help empower learners with technology.

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • I would like to participate in a discussion about how technology can enable more robust Project Based Learning.

Are you on Twitter?

If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.

Meet Amy Presley, HS History & Government Teacher

What’s your first and last name?

  • Amy Presley

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • HS History & Government Teacher at Northwest High School outside St Louis, MO

How are you involved in education?

  • Educator

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

  • High energy, interactive, high engagement & risk taking

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • no expert, but familiar with Assessment for Learning & Flipped Classroom concepts

Are you on Twitter?

If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.

Meet John Weidner, software developer

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What’s your first and last name?

  • John Weidner

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • software developer

How are you involved in education?

  • I wanted to be a teacher; but my sister (who is a teacher) talked me out of it. I got a degree in computer science and was trying to find a job writing educational software. But I never found that job. In 2001 I decided to create my own educational website – studystack.com. On StudyStack students or teachers can create online flashcards. The site then uses that data to create other activities like crossword puzzles, matching games and hangman.

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

  • Students are highly motivated to learn new things. Teachers motivate and guide students to reach their goals.

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • I could give a demo on using StudyStack.

Do you have a website or blog?

Are you on Twitter?

If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.

Meet Keith Denslow, Drama, Debate, Humanities Teacher

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What’s your first and last name?

  • Keith Denslow

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • Drama, Debate, Humanities Teacher

How are you involved in education?

  • Here is my current bio from my online class sections:Keith Denslow is drama and debate teacher at Skiatook High School and an adjunct instructor for Roger State University. Keith has over 20 years teaching experience in a variety of settings including coaching debate at the University of Nebraska, teaching in both public and private high schools in Oklahoma, and at Bacone College. He has taught Public Speaking for Rogers State University for over 13 years on the main campus, at the Bartlesville campus, the Pryor campus and online. He is a native of Ada, Oklahoma and attended East Central University for undergraduate degrees in Business Administration and Speech Communication. He holds a Master’s degree in Communication from the University of Oklahoma. He received the Outstanding Speech, Debate, and Theater Educator Award from the National Federation of High School Speech, Debate, & Theatre Association in 2012. Oklahoma Speech Theatre Communication Association awarded him the Outstanding Speech Educator Award in 2007. Keith has also received the Carolyn Crowley Award from the International Listening Association for teaching listening skills, the Outstanding Young Speech Teacher Award from the Central States Communication Association, and a Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholarship to Japan.

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

  • Lately, I am interested in Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) environments combined with Smartboard presentation technology and soundfield audio, using direct response survey and testing.My ideal school would be one where fine arts and creativity are of equal value to other subjects in the curriculum.

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • A discussion session about:
    What is the future of education?Or a session on:
    How our technology changes how we communicate

Do you have a website or blog?

If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.

Meet Jody Maxey, 6th Grade Science Teacher

jody-maxey What’s your first and last name?

  • Jody Maxey

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • 6th Grade Science Teacher

How are you involved in education?

  • My personal goal every day is to answer this question with a YES! Would I WANT to be in my class today? If I can’t answer yes, then it gets changed!

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

  • Creativity, Inquiry, Discussion, Laughter, Technology, and no testing!

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • Building relationships with the kids through activities (big or small) that get the kids WANTING to come back to class tomorrow.

Do you have a website or blog?

Are you on Twitter?

If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.

Meet Calypso Gilstrap, School Librarian

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What’s your first and last name?

  • Calypso Gilstrap

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • School Librarian

How are you involved in education?

  • School Librarian, Oklahoma School Librarian chair, former English/Speech/Drama/Debate teacher, NBCT, ToY district finalist

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

  • Autonomy with students; Planned Chaos. I want to see student art on the walls and bins of basketballs rolling down the hall. I want to taste cookies which are being sold to raise money for homeless students. I want to hear high fives and the school fight song sung at the top of our lungs. I want students wearing orange and black from head to toe; then a suit on their way to a debate tournament. There should be no bells because we respect time enough to send students to the next subject. Collaboration and partnership are not an event; they are part of our culture. We make a difference in our community because we plan our lesson around impacting the culture outside of our campus. And of course at the middle of it all would be one kick a$! library.

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • GoogleApps
  • Building authentic lessons
  • Using your school library
  • Flipping your classroom

Are you on Twitter?

If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.