My career in education began in 2003 and the years have gone by quickly. I spent over a decade teaching science and reading at the middle school level starting in central Illinois and currently in the suburbs of Chicago. I received the opportunity to become an instructional coach in my district in 2015. Currently in this role, I support teachers in 8 buildings across grades K-8 to implement innovative practices using 1:1 technology to enhance learning. I hold an elementary education certificate from Illinois State and I am a certified Reading Specialist from Dominican University.
I was able to grow and spread my passion for education in 2016 when I joined a group of educators from around the globe as a TED ED Innovative Educator. In this program, I was able to collaborate with educators and the TED community to implement an innovation project on Design Thinking and roll out TED Ed Clubs in my district.
Another side project of mine is a book I'm working on with a group of authors called the NOW Classroom Project. This book will be full of lessons to integrate meaningful technology into middle school classrooms. I am excited about its release in Fall 2017 as part of a 5 book series.
I am passionate about creating personalized learning opportunities for students through the use of technology and structures like design thinking, PBL, and STEM integration. I want all students to have the opportunity to become digital leaders in our ever-changing world.
On a personal note, I love to spend time with my husband and two children enjoying life in the suburbs of Chicago.
Connect with me on Twitter @JennyLehotsky!
Hi Jennifer. I am looking forward to learning a lot. Your kids are cute. How do I get my blog page to look cool?
ReplyDeleteHI Dianne! Thank for the compliment. The kids keep us busy!
ReplyDeleteIt took me a few years to get my blog the way I wanted it, so give yourself time. The layout and theme menu are a good place to start and play around. In themes, you can hit customize to create a unique look. Just play around and have fun with it!
Jenny
Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI like the way you set up your blog. I noticed that you have talked about TED ED and TED Community. I have heard of TED Talks. Do those have any connection to ones you have mention?
Hi T.J.,
ReplyDeleteYes they are all related. There are several divisions of TED. TED talks, TED fellows, TED ED, TED X, TED youth...all with the same mission of sharing "ideas worth spreading." I had no idea the depth of the organization until I was able to do some work with them. I think I need to get a blog post written about it!