Laura Smith

Current

School Technology Coordinator - Downtown Elementary Optional School at Memphis City Schools

Past

Fourth Grade Teacher - Downtown Elementary Optional School at Memphis City Schools
Sixth Grade Teacher - Downtown Elementary Optional School at Memphis City Schools
Sixth Grade Teacher - Kirby Middle School at Memphis City Schools

First Grade Teacher - Lincoln Elementary School at Memphis City Schools

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1 more...

Education

Union University
Christian Brothers University

Recommended

1 person has recommended Laura

Connections

12 connections

Industry

Education Management

Laura Smith’s Summary

Currently, I am the technology coordinator and computer lab instructor at an urban elementary school. I serve in a leadership role within the school, having responsibilities for supporting faculty members in professional development for educational technology, making site-based decisions regarding technology purchases, creating and updating the school website, and maintaining computers, software, and media devices in the classrooms. Additionally, I teach on the average of 30 classes per week from kindergarten through sixth grade. I design my curriculum based on ISTE (NETS) standards.

My role as teacher is the one who provides experiences, challenges, and a free environment to learn that will help students along the way to defining who they are. When making choices, an individual uses both feeling and reason, and so I push my students to develop wholly, focusing on intellect, knowledge and emotion. Another important aspect of my role as a teacher is to build self-esteem in my students to enable confidence in decision-making. Each person approaches life differently, and experiences in the classroom will influence the choices students make in order to define their inner nature. I believe we are only what we make of ourselves, so I strive to enable my students, through interaction with the teacher and curriculum, to examine themselves and ultimately, achieve their own particular self-actualization.

At the very foundation of my philosophy of technology integration in education is one central idea. Technology is a tool, not a teacher. The true power that technology can hold for the classroom is the potential it has as a creative tool. Used in innovative ways, students can use various tools for creating meaningful products. Whether this incorporates research collection, communication and digital collaboration, creation of a final product, or all of these approaches among others, technology is being used to make things.

Laura Smith’s Specialties:

Library media, elementary literacy, reading in the content area, educational technology and integration, school website design, school technology coordination, computer lab instruction.

Laura Smith’s Experience

School Technology Coordinator - Downtown Elementary Optional School

Memphis City Schools

(Educational Institution; 10,001 or more employees; Education Management industry)

May 2008 — Present (1 year 7 months)
Fourth Grade Teacher - Downtown Elementary Optional School

Memphis City Schools

(Educational Institution; 10,001 or more employees; Education Management industry)

May 2006 — May 2008 (2 years 1 month)
Sixth Grade Teacher - Downtown Elementary Optional School

Memphis City Schools

(Educational Institution; 10,001 or more employees; Education Management industry)

August 2003 — May 2006 (2 years 10 months)
Sixth Grade Teacher - Kirby Middle School

Memphis City Schools

(Educational Institution; 10,001 or more employees; Education Management industry)

August 2000 — May 2003 (2 years 10 months)
First Grade Teacher - Lincoln Elementary School

Memphis City Schools

(Educational Institution; 10,001 or more employees; Education Management industry)

August 1999 — May 2000 (10 months)

Laura Smith’s Education

Union University

MAEd , Education; Library Media Specialist , 2005 — 2007
Christian Brothers University

BA , Liberal Studies for Professional Education , 1995 — 1999