March Top Techie Teacher - Ms. Deborah Davis!!

The IB and GATE programs at Park View Middle are overflowing with technology in Mrs. Davis' class.  She engages her language arts students by giving them assignments and projects that have them thinking outside the box.  Mrs. Davis said, "The more technology-literate I become, the more it empowers me, as a teacher.  I see the same thing happening with my students."  They create brochures, characterization portfolios, theme park pamphlets, and more to illustrate what they have learned in her class.  Her innovative approach to learning and reviewing material has inspired an environment where students are creative and innovative in their project designs.  With the use of Microsoft Publisher, students produce travel agency brochures enticing others to visit the settings from their novels.  PowerPoint is used to build "movie trailers" advertising the plot and other literary elements from books the students want to advertise to other students.  These activities and more add fun and excitement to the study of literature.  When her students aren't creating their own tools for learning, they are using the Internet to go on webquests and virtual tours, as well as, research for projects and play interactive learning games.

I have visited her class on several occasions.  I have seen enthusiastic students working on projects of their own design.  The classroom is quiet, productive, and very student driven.  Although Mrs. Davis walks around assisting her students, they are self motivated to produce excellent projects because they are excited about learning with the use of technology.  When it comes to projects, writing, reading, illustrating, or interactive learning, Mrs. Davis said that 99% of her students prefer a lesson that involves technology versus a paper and pencil assignment. 

Technology gives them an excellent way to show they have mastered SOL objectives.   Mrs. Davis is very proud of her students for their accomplishments.  She said some of them will be working in advertising one day because they do such an incredible job.  Stop by to see Mrs. Davis and the great projects her students have created at Park View Middle School.