TeachUp!

So I will give you a minute to watch.......................................................

This video was shown to me at my recent TeachUp! Intern(scholarship) training day. TeachUp! is a non profit organization that was started in 2006 post Katrina in MS and LA as a means to reproduce technology into the human way of life and educational system. It was discovered that in many areas after the hurricane came through, funding seemed to trickle down and make its ways back into some of our programs for the advancement of technology BUT no one was there to use it. In one school, computers and interactive white boards were given to the educational staff and the school- but were NEVER EVEN TAKEN OUT OF THE BOX. Truth be told, many of these teachers just didnt know how to intergrate this technology into thier lessons and plans of study, so they stuck to the traditional methods of teaching. And with the rapid changes and advancements in technology, even what they DID know- was becoming outdated faster than they could learn. So a swift kick was needed....... Thats where DOT USA came in. Affirmed through the Americorps organization of our country, DOT USA saw the need and began to make a change. They initially had 40 interns, students and young adults who were considered to be highly technically savvy and creative, and placed them in the schools that lacked on the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans. The job of the intern was to basically be the technology "liason" between the school and the teacher- explaining some of the most basic online and computer tasks (opening email, sending an email, etc) to teachers and futhering them to be able to create Blogs and teach via online or through skype. And the program officially BOOMED. 40 interns is now 400 interns that serve all through LA and MS, but only in these two states nationally due to the need. After much study, DOT USA and TeachUp! Realized that the Mississippi Delta and the Gulf Coast/Nola post Katrina were two areas that had no concept of the use of technology in the classroom and were some of the places they HAD to begin. DOT USA and TeachUp! are also span all over the world now, with the most exciting of the change and giving back being in Kenya through thier sister programs, ReachUp! and StartUp!, Interns have joined hands throughout Canada, China, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, Mexico, and the United States, with 1400 interns all over the globe now. And I am lucky enough to be considered one of them......

So far what I have recieved has been astounding. I am blessed and lucky and even more excited to get started with some of the mission. I have officially been placed at a Magnet School in Clarksdale, MS outside of Cleveland and you cannot even imagine some of the need at these schools. Possibilities are endless. I also wanna go to Kenya- seeing the webcasts and blogs that these kids write and send to us online is amazing. They have never seen or touched a laptop, not even heard the clicking of a keyboard or videoed themselves with a camera- and that change is being made worldwide. It's amazing and something I am proud to be a part of. For the LONGEST time, I swear I have been searching here in Cleveland and this Delta area for my "place" and my "being here".. and I have honestly come to the conclusion that this might be it. My ideas for change are BIG and thats ok cause some and all of it can be done. Im just going at this with an open mind and soaking it all in so that I can implement it into my studies and my education during my time with Speech Path. Its amazing how things just happen in your life........ :)

PS- MY RICKEY PASSED HIS PRAXIS AND PLT EXAMS AND IS OFFICIALLY DONE WITH TEST TAKING FOR HIS LISCENSURE!! YIPPIE! All that is left are these last few months of student teaching and its home freeeee :) Congrats honey! I am so proud of you and love you sooooo very much!

-Posting more TeachUp! pics and videos for you to see. I hope that this might motivate you all to want to Be the change that you see... http://www.dotrust.org/

My Trainers for TeachUp! are in this video for the Kenya DOT training!! Go Antoinne Powell!! (he's the one that is skyping with the trainees online)

Lots of love and hugs... Cheers!, Lace