Awardees

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//**Mr. Wilbert Mitchell**//
Receives the //**"Making It Happen"**// which acknowledges those special individuals whose commitment and innovation with technology has made a profound impact in their schools.

from left to right //( **Dr. Gregory Lee,Director of NetworkTechnical Support,Ms.Yvette Cantu,CIC Wilson Elementary,Mr. Wilbert Mitchell,Math Teacher, Wilson Elementary,Sue Harris Technology Integration Facilitator** )//

= //** "Making It Happen" **//which acknowledges those special individuals whose commitment and innovation to technology has made a profound impact in their schools. =


 * Yvette Cantu, Wilson's CIC wrote: **

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Darlene Carbajal﻿ = = CATE teacher at Sam Houston wins 1st Making it Happen award: =
 * Mr. Mitchell is a 4th and 5th grade math teacher who has taught for 40 years. One may picture a sit behind the desk, assign worksheets, and have students sit quietly in rows kind of teacher. Wrong. Many of his lessons have been created in PowerPoint. He has cut, pasted, and custom animated math activities for estimation, reasonableness, and fractions - all of the exciting math topics that 9 – 12 year olds find fascinating. He has integrated real-life examples in his lessons so that students can see how math is used and applied in daily life while at the same time showing them the value that technology serves as a tool for learning. He inspires students to challenge their thinking through customized practice activities that he creates. He makes specific lessons for each student to follow so that their deficit math areas are strengthened. These lessons are saved on pen drives. The children are provided the opportunity before school, in class, after school and at home to open the files from the pen drives to use technology to improve their math skills. For the students this process is like a one-on-one tutor, for Mr. Mitchell it adds up to success! **

(from left to right)Tyler Nichols, Darlene Carbajal, Sue Harris, Patty Holub

== Darlene exemplifies this award going above and beyond on her campus with students and staff. Darlene organizes her CATE peers and has added a "Learning Community with those teachers who meet every Thursday morning for learning and reflection. == == Thank you Darlene for " //Making Technology Happen" // //on your campus//. ==

In an interview with Ms. Carbajal she stated: “I pay attention to what technologies my students are using. If I see them with iPods, I design a lesson on educational apps. Many of the students download games, music, and pictures, yet have no idea they can use the device as an additional learning resource. When I walked them though the process of searching for educational apps, the majority had no idea they existed – and for free! If they cannot afford a graphing calculator – no problem! If they need help with the Presidents or want to take a virtual tour of The Museum of Modern Art, all they have to do is download the app—and again, for free! The possibilities are endless and it makes learning so much fun!”

“As a campus we are all **Making It Happen!** Everything I have shared with colleagues, whether it be using Movie Maker or converting YouTube files through ZamZar, they are receptive and always excited to implement them into their curriculum. We work really well with each other and have so much knowledge to bounce around – it makes for great collaboration. We applaud Mr. Darnell White [principal] for providing us the time to learn from each other and being open-minded to the endless possibilities of reaching the 21st century learner.”


 * Sam Houston CTR Tyler Nichols** nominated Darlene he said"Ms. Carbajal uses Web2.0 tools to enhance her lessons. She teaches Information technology applications, but she has always used web 2.0 tools to go along with her lessons. She also embraces technology that the students use. Most of electronics the students have are capable of being used for education. She shows them how to use them for education.