Introduction

-
Welcome!

 Image Source: Personal Photo

My name is Sara Belvin. I currently work as a Special Education Resource Program Aide to first, second, and third graders at Hinchcliffe Elementary School. I am also a graduate student in the Masters of Library Science Program at Dominican University. My focus is in school librarianship. 

This is my fifth year working in Education. I was previously a stay at home Mom for 13 years and volunteered my time in the school libraries where my kids attended school. I loved working with students and decided to take a different route in my career after being at home. A position opened and I was an Individual Care Aide for a year and then my position switched after a year to working in Special Education Resources. My undergraduate is actually in Accounting. After the COVID Pandemic, I decided to take a leap back into school after many years and here I am. 


   Image Source: giphy.com

When I am not at work, I spend time with my family. I have three daughters who keep me busy with theatre and dance. I also spend a lot of time reading. I had set a goal for myself this year to read 45 books and I am currently reading book number 39. I enjoy reading thrillers and mysteries. One of my favorite reads so far this year is Defending Jacob by William Landay. A great read and definitely recommended. If I am not reading or spending time with family, I am crocheting. I am a self taught crocheter who can crochet just about anything. 

My relationship with technology is simple. For my years, in the Special Education Resource room, I had to navigate through the world of Zoom and Google Meets through online learning. I have to say it was honestly rough working with students through a computer versus being in the same room with them. The students that I provide direct instruction and support for each have their own challenges in learning, so being able to keep their focus with no distractions is important. 

Last year, Smartboards were installed in every classroom. All staff had to learn how to teach from these screens. Surprisingly though, most of the direct instruction we provide is working on a dry erase board, books, and traditional pencil, and paper. Instruction for the students I work with is difficult because most struggle with basic reading and recognizing sounds. We currently use Wilson Language to guide students in reading and phonics. This program provides a great structure to learning language in a way that can be adapted easily in any classroom. With the Smartboard, we are able to use the interactive tools that Wilson provides for teachers and students to interact with. The technology we use may be limited, but watching students interact and be able to read words makes my day. 

Image Source: Wilson Language

As far as technology at home, I am on Facebook and Instagram, but mostly use it to share my crochet projects and posting books I read. I guess my time online at home is limited because I lead a busy life, but I am looking forward to learning new technology and becoming more comfortable with technology to assist me as I work towards becoming a school librarian. 

Comments

  1. NMZumpanoAugust 31, 2023 at 5:35 AM

    This is a great intro to who you are both personally and professionally, Sara. I wish I had your stamina for reading! I tend to only make time to read before bed and when I'm not winding down with a magazine the books I read tend to be for work-related topics. I'm excited to see the connections you make to technology this fall!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jessa MendiolaAugust 31, 2023 at 9:21 PM

    Hi Sara, how do you have time to read so many books? I spent spring 2023 reading books for my Materials for Young Adult course and my summer reading books for my Materials for Children and Graphic Novel classes. I barely had time to read books for my own personal pleasure, so I am jealous and impressed that you already read 39 out of 45 books. Do you have a preference for the format of your reading materials? Do you mostly read physical books, ebooks, audiobooks or a mix of the three? As for crocheting, what is the most time-consuming project that you took on? I crochet, too, but only have the patience to make scarves, hats, and pillow cases.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sarabelvinSeptember 4, 2023 at 12:03 PM

      Hi Jessa! I read in the morning sometimes before work, lunch break, during doctor's appointments(when I'm waiting), and before bed. I have been looking into getting familiar to reading things students will read. Baby steps. I read mostly physical books and sometimes books on my Kindle. I can not do audiobooks. Too many distractions from my kids. I would say blankets take up most of the time when I crochet. I spend time thinking about the color patterns and switching colors. It is always nice to meet another crocheter. I would love to see pictures of things you have made.

      Delete
  3. Robert BryantSeptember 3, 2023 at 5:53 PM

    Hi Sara! Nice to meet you! Thank you for your explanation of smart boards, I have mixed feelings, but I wonder if that is just nostalgia. There are so many things technology provides that can enhance the process of learning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sarabelvinSeptember 4, 2023 at 12:05 PM

      Hi Robert! Smart boards are nice, but when you are sitting in a training learning about how to use them and then need to implement using them in class, it is tough. After being back to work again, trying to remember how to use certain features, since time in a Special Education Resources room with these boards is limited.

      Delete
  4. Angelica AlcarazSeptember 3, 2023 at 9:47 PM

    I also enjoy reading, especially mysteries and thrillers! I have not read any from William Landay, so I will need to check those out for sure. I also have had a recent interest to learn crocheting. I had a student 2 years ago who also loves it, and she made me some sunflowers for my birthday. Once I feel like I have some time, I will probably look more into it. I am open to hearing any tips on how I can get started! In terms of the Smartboards, did it take you a long time to get used to them? We have ELMO's in our school but even that seems a little complicated for me to use; I cannot imagine how long it would take me to learn about Smartboards.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sarabelvinSeptember 4, 2023 at 12:09 PM

      Hi Angelica! You should definitely try crocheting when you have time. I would recommend starting small. For example, a scarf or a kitchen dishcloth. It will help you with learning basic stitches and help you in at least the rhythm of the movements. The Smartboards again were a little hard at first. Training through a lot at us. I think if we were able to use it in other ways, it would definitely be easier. I feel like the students have a better grasp on them the teachers or other school staff do.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Trends in Educational Technology - Equity and Inclusion

-
Image
 Trends in Educational Technology - Learning Ally When thinking about technology in education, I think back to COVID Pandemic when schools were shutdown and teachers and students were doing remote learning. Schools had to adjust quickly to doing everything online, which was a learning process that was difficult. Teachers and students adjusted to being on an iPad or Chromebook each day and survived the chaotic times of managing lessons online through Zoom and Google Meets. As I examine students that I work with in education and those that I observe when I push in for support in classrooms, I see students who are struggling with certain skills that they did not quite learn. What is being done to assist these students? In most cases, these students remain in general education struggling until additional testing is completed. After testing and intervention is done, students end up in Special Education Resources for support and direct instruction. These are the students I assist in learning
Read more

Technology and Teens

-
Image
It seems like everyone in the world, carries a phone in hand either at home, school, or in a work environment as technology advances each day. The question is though, how much is it being used and is it benefiting one’s mental health? According to Common Sense Media, in the 2023 Constant Companion Report , students use about 126 minutes (about 2 hours) of their school day on social media.   Image Source : Commonsensemedia.org I found the graph above interesting, and it made me wonder what kind of policies schools have in place with the use of cell phones during the school day. I know in the school district I work at, the current policy for students is phones are not used during school hours and put away in a backpack. At the high school where my children attend, they are a little more flexible with use depending on the class . Some teachers let students quietly listen to music while working on assignments or use their phone to participate in an activity. These uses of the phone a
Read more