Randy Barrette
Hope Street Group Fellow
In what way(s) are you a connected educator?
I am following several professional networks on Twitter and Facebook, and I read daily feeds from Accomplished Teacher Smartbried (NBCT), ACSD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), Education Week, the ACTFL (American Counsel Teachers of Foreign Languages).
I also lead a group of about 15 world language educators through a PLN on an Edmodo site.
How does being connected impact your practice ?
From the world language sites I get ideas. For example, three days ago I was reading a post from a colleague in Virginia who gave some useful ideas for improving student-to-student interaction in the classroom. He backed this up with theory to help make sense of the strategy and activity. I tried and it had an immediate and positive impact on my students.
How does being connected impact you as a professional ?
I consistently make comments on the articles published in the Ed Week summaries. Often times people from across the country comment, or give me feedback. This has sharpened my ability to argue for what I believe needs to change in areas such as teacher evaluation and teacher preparation programs. I also benefit from reading and discussing - albeit asynchronously - with colleagues from different background.
What advice would you give someone just starting to get connected?
Find 1 or 2 Smart Briefs that represent your interest area, as mine are World Languages and Teacher Preparation Programs. Follow these daily; take 15 minutes at least. Set up a Delicious account, or other tool to collect and bookmark important url that you will go back to when you have more time. Turn this into as much a habit as possible. Eventually, take a chance and respond, give your opinion; it feels good. Then learn from others.
Randy Barrette is a High School Spanish and World Culture teacher at Menifee County High School. After completing a tour of duty with the U.S. Army, Randy returned home to study International Relations at the James Madison College of Michigan State University. He then earned a Master’s Degree in International Development from Ohio University. He began his teaching career in Baltimore City Public Schools in 1997. In addition to teaching Spanish, he facilitated the introduction of Mandarin classes, started a Global Nomads Classroom to Classroom Program, and is a school leader in Technology Integration. In 2011 and 2012, Randy was named a top three Kentucky high school teacher through the Kentucky Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year program. Randy is a National Board Certified Teacher and served as president of the Kentucky World Language Association. He also teaches Spanish Language and Culture, Methods of Second Language Teaching, and Technology Integration for K-8 teacher candidates at Morehead State University. Randy and his wife of 22 years have also traveled and worked together abroad extensively; one of their two children was born in Pakistan and the other in Thailand.
Hope Street Group Fellow
World Language & Culture Teacher
Menifee County High SchoolIn what way(s) are you a connected educator?
I am following several professional networks on Twitter and Facebook, and I read daily feeds from Accomplished Teacher Smartbried (NBCT), ACSD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), Education Week, the ACTFL (American Counsel Teachers of Foreign Languages).
I also lead a group of about 15 world language educators through a PLN on an Edmodo site.
How does being connected impact your practice ?
From the world language sites I get ideas. For example, three days ago I was reading a post from a colleague in Virginia who gave some useful ideas for improving student-to-student interaction in the classroom. He backed this up with theory to help make sense of the strategy and activity. I tried and it had an immediate and positive impact on my students.
How does being connected impact you as a professional ?
I consistently make comments on the articles published in the Ed Week summaries. Often times people from across the country comment, or give me feedback. This has sharpened my ability to argue for what I believe needs to change in areas such as teacher evaluation and teacher preparation programs. I also benefit from reading and discussing - albeit asynchronously - with colleagues from different background.
What advice would you give someone just starting to get connected?
Find 1 or 2 Smart Briefs that represent your interest area, as mine are World Languages and Teacher Preparation Programs. Follow these daily; take 15 minutes at least. Set up a Delicious account, or other tool to collect and bookmark important url that you will go back to when you have more time. Turn this into as much a habit as possible. Eventually, take a chance and respond, give your opinion; it feels good. Then learn from others.
Randy Barrette is a High School Spanish and World Culture teacher at Menifee County High School. After completing a tour of duty with the U.S. Army, Randy returned home to study International Relations at the James Madison College of Michigan State University. He then earned a Master’s Degree in International Development from Ohio University. He began his teaching career in Baltimore City Public Schools in 1997. In addition to teaching Spanish, he facilitated the introduction of Mandarin classes, started a Global Nomads Classroom to Classroom Program, and is a school leader in Technology Integration. In 2011 and 2012, Randy was named a top three Kentucky high school teacher through the Kentucky Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year program. Randy is a National Board Certified Teacher and served as president of the Kentucky World Language Association. He also teaches Spanish Language and Culture, Methods of Second Language Teaching, and Technology Integration for K-8 teacher candidates at Morehead State University. Randy and his wife of 22 years have also traveled and worked together abroad extensively; one of their two children was born in Pakistan and the other in Thailand.
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