Rob--Featured Teacher: Erica Martin

Featured Teacher: Erica Martin

Erica Martin
Social Studies Teacher
Chittenango Central School District

Erica Martin has taught social studies at the secondary level in the Chittenango School District for 8 years both at the high school level (Global History and Geography), and at the 7th and 8th grade level. Prior to that, she taught in the Liverpool Central School District as well as in Indiana and Los Angles. Her passions lead her to play major roles in all that she partakes. She is the Middle School Social Studies Coordinator, Vice President for Membership and Website Manager for the Central New York Council for the Social Studies, and the Time and Place Newsletter and Website Editor for the New York State Council for the Social Studies. Further, she serves on the district's technology teams and is the building representative for the Chittenango Teacher's Association.

What are some of the innovative ways you are integrating technology into your curriculum?

Erica is a leader and a "mover and shaker" in the area of integrating technology to facilitate critical thinking among her students. Using her Eno board and technology in her classroom on a daily basis, she is a role model for the teachers in the building. She has conducted several in-service classes through the CNY Teaching Center as well as in her own building on using Wikispaces with students and teaching with a SMART Board. She is currently advocating for and developing a process of approval for students to be given Gmail so that they may utilize Google Docs to collaborate in the cloud as well as the many applications that could be available to them with an account. Click here to view Erica's website.

How have students benefitted from your technology integration initiatives?

Erica uses technology to help students become critical thinkers by comparing, contrasting, and analyzing information from a variety of sources. Each student is a special envoy for a geographical region. It is their job to learn how the media covers the "Hotspot Topic" (a US issue) studied in class. In these US History classes, students utilize the library's online subscription databases, searching for newspapers and periodicals from other countries, discovering the variety of perspectives. Utilizing "Mrs.Martin's Nango Bears Wiki," students post their findings and discuss the various perspectives. You are welcome to email her for permission to join her wiki and learn more about what students do with her site.