EdTech 537 "About Me"

This is a blog entry for my EdTech 537 Blogging in the Classroom course at Boise State University. 

Hello everyone in the EdTech 537 course. My name is George Phillip and I am only four classes (including this one) from finishing up my Master of Educational Technology. I have already completed the Technology Integration Specialist Graduate Certificate and I have used that to my advantage. On top of teaching 5th and 6th grade Global Studies, I am the "new" Technology Integration Specialist at my school. I say "new" because this position was created for me! 

I have been teaching for six years at the same school in South Bend, IN. It is a co-ed, Independent Day school. It is my dream job. I don't have to worry about Common Core or any federally mandated curriculum which gives me freedom to teach the way teachers should be allowed to do. 

A few years ago, I changed my teaching style from teacher-centered to student-centered. (You can read more about this in the post further down the blog.) I began with "Flipping" my classroom and moved to a more inquiry-based, project-based classroom environment. Specifically, I use a methodology developed by Ramsey Musallam called Explore, Flip, Apply. What this means is I always start a lesson a hook and withhold information from my students. My students are the ones who drive their learning, not me. If you have Dr. Sugata Mitra and the Whole in the Wall Project and his School in the Cloud, it is a very similar philosophy. 

With my experiences in these fields, I present at education conferences all across the country. I have been fortunate enough to co-present with Ramsey and been a featured speaker at various other conferences. If you have questions, I would love to share my ideas and collaborate with you.