Digital Portfolios
Lillian Hsu
- 2010
What structures do teachers at HTH use to facilitate project-based learning?
My School Leadership project focuses on classroom structures that facilitate project-based learning in student-centered classrooms. People often believe that project-based learning means unstructured learning. They envision classrooms where students have completely free rein, with little teacher guidance or supervision. As a result, they argue that students who “need more structure” learn poorly in project-based classrooms.
Lillyette Wageman
- 2020
Grades 1-3 Multiple Subject
I am a Montessori teacher at Community Montessori Poway. I teach grades 1-3 and this is my third year as lead Educational Facilitator (teacher) in my own classroom. Through out this academic year I have been enrolled in High Tech High’s Graduate School of Education. Through this program I was given the opportunity to learn about and participate in Lesson Study. Some of my key takeaways from participating in Lesson Study are: there is always more to learn and research, the ability to work in a team is an integral part of being a good teacher, and that student understanding and learning is what should truly guide teaching.
Loni Philbrick-Linzmeyer
- 2011
What happens when I share authority with students?
Many notions of “school” include a teacher who has authority and students who are expected to comply. This traditional outlook creates an environment where teacher directed curriculum and decisions are the norm. My study examines what happened when I shared authority with twenty-eight 8th grade students at High Tech Middle, a project based charter school in San Diego, California. My journey started with building a cohesive classroom culture through activities and opportunities for student collaboration. By using a community meeting strategy called the “Friday Forum,” I found classroom cultures that embrace student voice empower students to discuss difficult topics and develop a system of shared values. My findings reveal the challenges and potential of creating a cohesive classroom community.
Luis Perez
- 2010
What instructional strategies promote student attendance and participation in my first period class?
Student absenteeism is often attributed to a variety of external factors which we as teachers have little or no control of and often times leave to administration to deal with. However, we as teachers have the potential to enact change in our own classroom in motivating more students to come to class and participate in the various facets of learning. In this study, I implement four different instructional strategies – group activities, games, incentives, and projects – and measure their efficacy in increasing student attendance and participation during my first period class at MAAC Charter School.
M. Victoria Carll
- 2022
My digital portfolio is an overview of my learning during the M.Ed. program at HTHGSE. As a high school teacher who focuses much my effort on creating safe and equitable spaces for young people, my research honed in on culture and relationship building. Through a deep reflection process, I have begun to understand my capabilities as a transformative leader.
Mackenzie King
- 2019
Anti-Racist Practices
Before becoming a teacher, I worked at a District Attorney’s office, studied bonobos at the San Diego Zoo, and worked for a 911 ambulance system as an EMT. I’m the type of person who has more interests than I can count which is why teaching at HTHCV is a perfect fit. Working at a project-based learning school allows me to pursue and explore all of my interests each year through different projects with a collaborative team of students to accompany me on that journey.
Marco Paulo Aquinde
- 2021
My students have wealths of knowledge that I utilize to enrich their educational experience and to ensure that their learning is relevant.
Marco Aquinde is an educator at High Tech Middle Chula Vista in Math/Science. His DP includes reflections from his time as a student teacher, project information cards, student work samples, and teacher-driven research and takeaways from the San Diego Teacher Residency’s M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning program at the High Tech High Graduate School of Education.
Mari Jones
- 2018
How Can We Help Teachers Develop as Social Emotional Educators?
Focusing our work in schools on social emotional learning allows for opportunities to create a sense of belonging, which in turn, enables students to be more responsive academically, but also the chance to develop students’ skills to communicate, collaborate, and develop positive relationships. This improver’s guide explains the why, the how, and provides resources for school leaders and teachers to implement successful professional development around social emotional learning.
Mark Anderson
- 2012
How can I create a music program that supports deliberate practice?
How do we get students to practice more? How can we create classroom environments and communities that are worth practicing for? These questions led me to study how 7th and 8th grade students experienced practice while working together within the instrumental music ensembles at Pershing Middle School in San Diego California. Through surveys, writing samples, classroom observations and conversations with students, I explored how students experienced the classroom culture and responded to their feedback by building in more opportunities for autonomy, building community and performing for authentic audiences. As a result, I saw an increase in student engagement, motivation and practice.
Mark Poole
- 2014
What happens when I replace grades with assessments grounded in core competencies?
For an entire semester, I removed grades from my classroom and replaced them with assessments grounded in Core Growth Areas. On these pages, you can read my action research and maybe gain insight into how to do something similar in your own classroom.