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EDUC 5313 Week 1

My name is Katrina Lifer. I have been a 2nd grade teacher and Instructional Technology Coach in small town Altus, OK for the past 4 years. Prior to 2nd grade, I taught 1st for 3 years and 5th for 1 year. I started my teaching career in 2009 as a teacher's aide and quickly realized how much I wanted to have my own classroom. For the 2025-26 school year I am switching jobs and will be serving as a PK-4th grade STEAM teacher. I am looking forward to the change and can't wait to start in August. I am pursuing my degree in Educational Technology to help with this new career path. With the knowledge gained from this degree program I will be assisting in the development of a curriculum that can be used in our program for years to come. My goal would be to eventually be a full time Instructional Technology coach for my district and help other teachers with integration of technology and STEAM concepts into their daily lessons. 

I have been married to my husband for almost 22 years. We were set up on a date by my best friend during my senior year of high school and have been together ever since. Together we have 4 children (21,18,11, and 6). Our children keep us very busy! My 21 year old is married to an amazing wife and our first grandchild is on the way in September. My 18 year old is just graduated high school and is moving to Spain in August to play soccer.  We love to spend time together by going camping,  hiking or traveling to new places. 


The ISTE Standard 4: Innovative Designer indicator 4a: says student's will know and use a deliberate design process to generate ideas, test theories, create artifacts, and solve authentic problems. This could be used to address student's Oklahoma State Standards in both Science and Math. Student's will work with a group to create a structure able to survive a simulated earthquake or flood. Student's have been learning of natural disaster-in particular the differences between damage from flood and earthquake. As mentioned with Kolb's Triple E Framework this activity will provide an extension to the reading material for the week and give students an opportunity to be more engaged. Using Tinkercad, students will work with group members to create a 3d model of their structure. After working to plan the build and be a team of innovate designers, student's will build and test their structures. 


Comments

  1. KimberlyJuly 5, 2025 at 5:48 PM

    Hello Katrina,
    Congratulations on your pursuit of Technology in Education. STEAM is such a fun topic to explore with learners. Your topic of study for the students is timely. I lived in Texas for 18 years and flash-flooding has resulted in so many tragedies. When thinking of a profile of a graduate, I can tell that you will deliver on inspiring learners to develop a robust working knowledge of tools and skills at time when everything is changing at lightning speed.

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  2. KaylaJuly 6, 2025 at 9:30 PM

    I know some 7th and 8th grade students who would LOVE this activity! What a unique and applicable idea! Students would definitely show engagement when focused on an activity that deals with natural disasters (something many are interested in) and planning and constructing something. What age range do you envision this activity working best for? Would their be a later activity to "test" the structures they created?

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