Two instances where I was successful

1st

A few years ago I taught a video class at a magnet program located on the campus of a large high school.  I am interested in helping special education students through technology, so I contacted the Life Skills teacher on the main campus and asked if my video class could work with her Life Skills students to create video modeling projects—videos that model a particular positive behavior.    

After training my students to work with special needs individuals, I grouped my students with one to two of the Life Skills students to work on the videos.  Subjects ranged from “How to stand in a line,” to “How to introduce yourself” and more.

After completing the video portion of the project, my students then came back to the classroom to edit the videos, which were compiled and sent to the Life Skills teacher to use with her students.

I received a Time Warner National teaching award for the project, which came with a trip to D.C. and amonetary award for my school and myself.  However,the outcome that I am most proud of is twofold:  after using the videos with her students, the Life Skills teacher reported a definite improvement in the skills covered in the videos, and my students became more aware of and more accepting of students with abilities different from their own.

2nd

Creating a class to train teachers

Because I teach technology, everyone assumes I am a computer expert.  I am always asked for help with both software and hardware issues.  It became more frequent when some teachers received iPads, so eventually I began sending some of my more advanced students to help them.  When the district decided on a one-to-one initiative using iPads, I decided to request a class just for training students to work with teachers.  

I recruited fifteen students who were spread throughout my classes in order to be available during different periods.  I adapted the curriculum of one of the already approved courses so that it covered the TEKS of the course while allowing me to design the curriculum to cover the areas of technology most needed:  iPad use, web site creation and maintenance, blog development, digital photography, creating presentations, etc.  

The year after I created the course the district decided on a one-to-one initiative with iPads.  I received six iPads in order to train the students to train teachers on the device.  I polled teachers on the type of apps they would most like to use, and students downloaded, tested and wrote reviews on apps in those areas.

Students also began working with the technology coordinator who was in charge of choosing apps for the iPad deployment.  At the end of that year, she asked them to teach a workshop to the teachers who would be receiving their iPads first.  

The teachers not only benefitted from my students, my students benefitted just as much or even more.  They became more knowledgeable about the subjects they taught, they learned patience and adaptability—because like students, teachers have different learning styles--and they gained the self-confidence that comes from helping others.