Meet Our Featured Teacher: Jenifer Kelly

Jenifer Kelly
English Language Arts / Science Teacher
Chittenango Middle School
Chittenango Central Schools

Jenifer Kelly is a sixth grade teacher in the Chittenango Middle School, part of Chittenango Central Schools, where she teaches English language arts (ELA) and science. Jenifer has been teaching for 22 years in the district, all for Chittenango Central Schools!

How has Jenifer brought innovation into her classroom? 

Students in Jenifer’s classes use technology on a daily basis through the district's 1:1 iPad initiative. Jenifer uses the Schoology learning management platform, which allows her students to access essential course materials any time they need them, in or out of the classroom. Likewise, students are able to access and turn in their assignments digitally from anywhere that provides access to the internet. The Schoology platform also allows students to collaborate with one another on projects, and complete formative assessment assignments. 

While Schoology functions as the digital hub for the classroom, Jenifer’s students also utilize many other resources throughout the school year. In her ELA classroom, students are able to fulfill research requirements using a citation program through the Noodle Tools library. The Noodle Tools program is a popular and effective way to support the research process, offering a number of integrated tools for note-taking, outlining, citation, collaborative research, and more. Students in Jenifer’s class use Noodle Tools to gather and organize their data, input it into spreadsheets for analysis, and finally, complete the writing process using Pages. 

For her science curriculum, Jenifer integrates technology that will help students understand concepts that can be difficult to demonstrate in a classroom by using ExploreLearning: Gizmos. Gizmos is a digital laboratory environment full of online simulations, which facilitates inquiry and understanding by allowing students to change variables and explore scientific concepts more deeply. These simulations allow students to conduct virtual lab experiments, either in preparation for a hands-on experiment, or in lieu of one if the experiment is too costly or dangerous to take place in a middle school.

How have students benefited from Jenifer’s technology integration initiatives?

Through the use of Noodle Tools, students have learned how to collect and organize the information required by the research process, which they will continue to use throughout high school and beyond. By digitizing the workflow in her classroom, Jenifer is preparing her students for future success in a world that has become increasingly technology-focused. 

Her students are becoming comfortable using a learning management system that teaches them how to become organized in a digital world. Schools are tasked with preparing students for the future by bridging the gap between child and young adult, and teaching students how to become organized and self-sufficient is a key part of this. By using the interactive science tool, Jenifer’s students are taking the first steps toward becoming a scientific thinkers by learning about data analysis and graphical comprehension. Jenifer is doing great things in her middle school classroom, and preparing her students for an ever-changing digital world!

Is This You?

Are you the type of teacher who thinks about technology integration and new ways to enhance instruction, engage students, and make learning fun?  Know someone who fits the profile?  Recommend a "Featured Teacher" so we can recognize and celebrate great work in the area of instructional technology!