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Screen Shot 2017 10 17 at 10.21.01 AMMiguel Echeverria

Technology Spotlight
October 2017
Miguel Echeverria

Sevier School District would like to thank the citizens of Sevier County for their support of the 2013 voted leeway. That leeway has made many of these wonderful technology enhancements possible.

Miguel Echeverria is the business teacher at Red Hills Middle School. He is a great example of technology integration, for him technology is not an add- on, it is integrated into his curriculum. He said “teaching with technology is just what I know, I feel comfortable with technology. I like to try new things and learn new technology. Programs like Canvas and Google are what I used in college so they are natural to use in my classroom.” Mr. Echeverria has worked in other districts that technology was limited in comparison to Sevier School District. He said, "Sevier School District provides many opportunities for our students to grow through the use of technology.”

Mr. Echeverria said technology helps him stay organized and better mange his classroom. Two of the key technology components in his classroom are Google Apps for Education and Canvas, he also uses the SAMR model which enables teacher to design, develop, and infuse digital learning experiences that utilize technology. The goal is to transform learning experiences and in turn result in higher levels of achievement for students. He is very aware of creating step-by-step instructions for his students. One way he does this is by using videos of himself teaching lessons that students can access if they were absent or if they need to watch again for clarification. “Instructions need to be basic and easy to understand. I try and put myself in their shoes. If I can’t understand it, then the students will not understand it. Students have a great desire to know more about technology and it is not slowing down, I am trying to keep up.”

When asked about Mr. Echeverria’s classroom, Principal Selena Terry said “ Mr. Echeverria’s classroom takes a variety of forms. His students learn practical skills such as keyboarding, Google tools, and data processing; to more advanced applications like coding, graphic design, webpage construction and video editing. No matter what skill is being taught, Mr. Echeverria makes learning fun and teaches new skills in a way that gets the students excited to learn and willing to take on new challenges.”

When asked what do you think the number one reason for a teacher to use technology in the classroom Mr. Echeverria said, “I can’t see a job in my student’s future that will not require technology understanding, knowledge, and aptitude. Students need this stuff.”

Mr. Echeverria has created a website to showcase his student’s work:
Sites.google.com/seviersd.org/echeverria