Hello readers! My name is Emily Brown. I graduated from my undergrad with a BA in Mathematics and a BEd in Secondary to Young Adult Education. My journey in teaching started a mere five years ago when I got my first teaching job in North Carolina and made the move south from Ohio. Many people ask why I left Ohio, and why I chose North Carolina; I left Ohio because I loath Ohio winters, I hated that I wouldn't see a blue sky for months and that there was still snow on the ground when I was walking to my final exams in May. I chose North Carolina because in my journey to become a teacher I had a chance to visit Charlotte and I fell in love with the city. I've been to twelve countries outside the US and more states (in the US) than I can count, but Charlotte was the most beautiful urban setting I've seen.
I didn't quite end up in Charlotte though, I ended up in a rural district in the middle of the state, and I taught sixth grade math for three years. I had some of the best coworkers in the world at that school, and to this day we are still best friends, and there are many others from there I know I could still call and they'd drop everything to help. Our group truly felt like a family and was a blessing to find.
After three years I decided I needed a change and switched to the neighboring- still rural- district to teach high school math, and I did that for two years. That was definitely a better setting for me, but it still wasn't exactly what I wanted, and it just felt a little off. Then, at the end of this past school year an opportunity became available to switch to a different role in the school and that's where I am now. Next year I start as our schools Digital Learning Facilitator/Testing Coordinator! I am so beyond excited to be starting this role, and I hope to be doing this job at this school until I retire.
In my five years of teaching I quickly fell in love with technology, and more specifically technology in education. I spend a lot of my personal time in the evenings on Twitter (follow me @ebrown0789) and love helping other teachers in my school better understand how technology can make their lives easier as well as enhance their lessons. Most people would cringe when they see Testing Coordinator is part of the position, but this is something I'm looking forward to too! I'm pretty type-A and I have very strong OCD tendencies, and this testing coordinator position will allow me a chance to make plans and tables/charts and organize (all things I love to do), as well as use problem solving skills in new ways every day, so that's pretty cool in my book.
This is a big year for this role, since it's being changed from Instructional Technology Facilitator to Digital Learning Facilitator. I don't know all the details, but I know I'll be involved in both school- and county-level Digital Learning Teams, and we're also starting to role out Canvas (a Learning Management System). Sometime in the next few weeks I'll get to meet with the county-level people in charge of testing, and in charge of digital learning, so hopefully then I'll get a better feel of exactly what my responsibilities will be and what will be expected of me.
Any words of wisdom for a first year EdTech Coach would be greatly appreciated!
I didn't quite end up in Charlotte though, I ended up in a rural district in the middle of the state, and I taught sixth grade math for three years. I had some of the best coworkers in the world at that school, and to this day we are still best friends, and there are many others from there I know I could still call and they'd drop everything to help. Our group truly felt like a family and was a blessing to find.
After three years I decided I needed a change and switched to the neighboring- still rural- district to teach high school math, and I did that for two years. That was definitely a better setting for me, but it still wasn't exactly what I wanted, and it just felt a little off. Then, at the end of this past school year an opportunity became available to switch to a different role in the school and that's where I am now. Next year I start as our schools Digital Learning Facilitator/Testing Coordinator! I am so beyond excited to be starting this role, and I hope to be doing this job at this school until I retire.
In my five years of teaching I quickly fell in love with technology, and more specifically technology in education. I spend a lot of my personal time in the evenings on Twitter (follow me @ebrown0789) and love helping other teachers in my school better understand how technology can make their lives easier as well as enhance their lessons. Most people would cringe when they see Testing Coordinator is part of the position, but this is something I'm looking forward to too! I'm pretty type-A and I have very strong OCD tendencies, and this testing coordinator position will allow me a chance to make plans and tables/charts and organize (all things I love to do), as well as use problem solving skills in new ways every day, so that's pretty cool in my book.
This is a big year for this role, since it's being changed from Instructional Technology Facilitator to Digital Learning Facilitator. I don't know all the details, but I know I'll be involved in both school- and county-level Digital Learning Teams, and we're also starting to role out Canvas (a Learning Management System). Sometime in the next few weeks I'll get to meet with the county-level people in charge of testing, and in charge of digital learning, so hopefully then I'll get a better feel of exactly what my responsibilities will be and what will be expected of me.
Any words of wisdom for a first year EdTech Coach would be greatly appreciated!
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