{"id":661552,"date":"2019-06-09T01:00:02","date_gmt":"2019-06-09T01:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/advancement\/?p=661552"},"modified":"2019-07-10T15:23:32","modified_gmt":"2019-07-10T15:23:32","slug":"nick-lind-special-ed-teacher-uses-technology-to-help-kids-learn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/advancement\/nick-lind-special-ed-teacher-uses-technology-to-help-kids-learn\/","title":{"rendered":"Nick Lind \u201914W (MS): Using Technology to Help Kids Learn"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Nick Lind \u201914W (MS): Using Technology to Help Kids Learn<\/h1>\n

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Nick Lind \u201914W (MS)<\/p><\/div>\n

Nick Lind \u201914W (MS) always knew he wanted to be a teacher. Growing up with two brothers with autism helped him see that he wanted to make a difference, especially for people who learn differently than the perceived norm. \u201cAs a kid, I saw how systems work both for and against people,\u201d he says. \u201cIt motivated me to want to be a cog in that wheel and to help improve the system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, Lind is doing that. Last year, he earned his advanced certificate in digitally-rich teaching from Warner\u2019s Center for Learning in the Digital Age (LiDA)<\/a>, and is now pursuing New York State certification as a K-12 school leader from the Warner School. For the past five years, he\u2019s been a special education teacher at BOCES in Rochester where he focuses on teaching global history along with core life skills.<\/p>\n

Learning in a rich way<\/h3>\n

Lind\u2019s students face a variety of challenges. All of them are diagnosed with a disability, primarily autism, anxiety, or depression, or a combination of them all, yet they are high academic achievers who are earning Regents diplomas. \u201cIt\u2019s rewarding work,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen kids get it, they shine. And when they grasp technology and learn something in a new way, they thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lind\u2019s manner is engaging and compassionate, and he embraces technology to help his students grasp concepts and express themselves. \u201cWith a technology-based lesson, I can put a student in an augmented or virtual reality setting, where they could be on a battlefield or in an historic place. They can walk around, and they are learning in such a rich way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Or Lind might set up a Kahoot game\u2014an interactive quiz where there\u2019s a question on the front board and kids can answer right from their phones or laptops. These aren\u2019t only fun tactics for the kids; they are meaningful learning experiences, and they also provide the teacher with valuable assessment data \u201cin the moment\u201d that can help inform instruction. That\u2019s the key\u2014using technology to help facilitate learning.<\/p>\n

Lind also has students make digital notebooks out of a map. \u201cI have them create a map on which they place digital pins,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen you click on a pin, you can then click through information they used or created for a project, such as a notes, videos, or website links.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a way for students to curate the work they\u2019ve done, similar to what a physical three-ringed binder might do, but in a much richer way that doesn\u2019t require flipping through dozens of pages. It\u2019s engaging to create, and to use.<\/p>\n

Grasping technology\u2019s potential<\/h3>\n

Technology plays a key role in the kids\u2019 success. Helping other teachers learn it and maximize its potential is important to BOCES, and to Lind. He now facilitates and runs study groups, mini-grant programs, and professional development sessions for his teaching colleagues after school.<\/p>\n

\u201cOften we camp out in my room and talk about what our digital strategy is and how we can best use technology. We discuss cell phone policies, ethics involved in using technology, and we go through some of the basics like how to get the most out of Office 365.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lind loves his job. \u201cThe culture is contagious,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen I first started working here, I immediately noticed the bond between the students and teachers. We are here for the students and they strive to give each day the best they can. There\u2019s a real connection among us all because we understand where the other person is coming from, and we care.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”grid” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” background_color=”#ededed” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space height=”50px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

4 Take-Aways from Warner\u2019s Digitally-Rich Teaching Certificate Program
\n<\/strong>According to Nick Lind<\/em><\/h3>\n
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