Remote Learning without a Screen

Remote Learning has taken a heavy toll on all of us. It's been especially hard on our students who looked forward to spring and summer only to have the pandemic cancel special events and limit their favorite activities. During this time, many have witnessed loved ones become sick and some have experienced losses. This is a traumatic time for our students. It has been challenging for them to cope with feelings of disappointment while navigating remote learning during a pandemic. They worked hard and persevered, and they deserved recognition. Our students missed out on important milestones, such as the celebration of their hard work on graduation day. In an attempt to shed some light during a dark time, I setup a donor choose project and generous donations were made from our community which allowed me to purchase technology with the intention of creating a virtual graduation. Without the help from our community, it would not have been possible to give students a graduation that they will never forget. It was hard work to plan, film and edit -- but at the end, the smiles on their faces, the heartwarming comments and messages were all worth it. I invite you to watch the video below: 


I am an educator first, my content specialty is Biology. At the core of my educational philosophy is providing an engaging and enriching experience to my students. That philosophy coupled with my background in filmmaking is the reason I was able to make this video and others like it for my students. Technology helps improve our lives and I love showing my students how. I invite you to watch the video below where I used green screen technology to insert myself into a movie that my students love in order to introduce to them to a unit about climate change:


After the success of the graduation video, I was further inspired to do more for students. I am submitting grants for an after school program I developed, the Film Academy for Social Justice Reform and I'm in the process of establishing a not-for-profit that offers filmmaking training with a concentration on developing social justice content. In addition I create content and professional development opportunities to help other teachers around the world to maximize their potential especially within EdTech. Lastly at my home school I am also responsible for managing an accessible website, which means utilizing the tools gained throughout my experience as a special needs educator to make the information in our site easy to navigate for anyone with or without a disability. Currently, I am unable to move forward due to inadequate supply of technology and funding. 

Prior to remote learning, one of my students accidentally dropped my personal laptop on the ground while engaging in an in-class activity. I didn't think much of it, and I purchased an external monitor to connect to the laptop. This meant I had to use it as a desktop limiting my ability to work remotely.  This wouldn’t be an issue, however, I use this laptop in my business and my business helps supplement my teacher salary.


I’ve made multiple efforts to fix the retina screen of my laptop, however, it is expensive, almost as expensive as buying a new laptop. Now, I’m reaching out to my community again to help me reach a new goal; To purchase technology capable of handling all of these projects including but not limited to a new computer so that I am able to continue creating engaging and sustainable programs for students at my school as well as for teachers all over the country.  I'm currently saving to do so. I exhausted all possible options to work through the cracked screen, but it is ineffective for the intended end results. Your support is crucial! If you choose not to donate to this project, I urge you to find a teacher or a classroom that you want to support and donate to them. Even if you can't donate your money, donate your time or even a kind word--I speak for all teachers when I say we can all use a little bit of cheer right now.

Speaking of cheer, I invite you to watch this video I planned and created alongside my amazing colleagues to bring cheer to our students during this traumatic time.