Staci Widcamp iTec Teacher

Education:

McNeese State University: 2007- Bachelors of Art in Early Childhood Education

Vincent Settlement Elementary 2023-

History

2012- 2023 - 4th Grade Teacher at Gillis Elementary

2007-2012 - 1st Grade Teacher at Gillis Elementary

1991-1996 Active Duty, United States Air Force

Honors:

2018-2019 Teacher of the Year - Gillis Elementary

2018 ITEC Grant Winner

2017 Teacher of the State of Louisiana awarded by The Veterans of Foreign Wars

2016 VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Award

JA Sanders Social Studies Grant Winner

1996 Received The United States Air Force Achievement Medal for Meritorious Service

Leadership:

2020: Believe and Prepare Mentor Teacher in Training

2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 Tech Showcase Presenter

2014-Present: Co-Lead Facilitator for the annual Veteran's Program at Gillis Elementary

2019: Ambassador for Digital Citizenship

2016- Present: Social Studies Fair Sponsor - Gillis Elementary

2015-2016: Louisiana Teacher Leader Summit

Iste Standards for Educators

According to ISTE.org The ISTE standards provide a road map to helping students become empowered learners. As an educator, these standards promote collaboration with peers, challenge educators to rethink traditional approaches and prepare students to drive their own learning.

My focus ISTE Standard is 2.5 DESIGNER. Through the use of this standard my objective is to use technology, adapt, and personalize, learning experiences that foster independent learning and accomodate learner differences and needs.

Ways in which I have supported this standard is by encouraging real world understanding and challenging my students to design and create 3 D projects. The outcome is a boost in their computational thinking and engineering innovasions, therefore preparing them for future real world experiences. This hands on approach to learning and problem solving not only encourages reluctant learners, it also challenges already high achieving students as well.

Time constraints at times were a challenge because the students had to learn (mostly by trial and error) a new program. They had to figure out many challenges like grouping and ungrouping, making sure their design was accurate on the 3D plane, and precisely sizing their design so that four at a time would fit on the build plate.

Students also had to ensure that their designs would hold up to the 3D structure and purpose once printed.

Challenges I faced as an educator included the fact that some students thrived and others struggled. Some designed amazing advanced projects that due to time, I was not able to print for all of them. The projects take up to several hours to print.

Overall incorporating this ISTE standard impacted student learning outcomes by driving these stuents to collaboratively share ideas, and problem solve. It also sparks a love for technology and real world scenarious in today's day and age. By involving this hands on educational approach, students became teachers themselves- therefor empowering them and giving them something tangible to be proud of.