KEITH TRAMPER
I started out as a part time math teacher in an Algebra classroom at a low-income, high-risk inner-city school with an enormous English Language Learner population near Grand Rapids, MI. I grew up in a very different world and had a very different experience at High School than all of my students did. I heard stories from students and other teachers about what some of our students were going through that I never knew existed outside of my middle-class white suburban education. While it was an awakening for me in many ways, I quickly learned how important the role of teacher is in so many of my student’s lives.
After budget cuts and layoffs in my first year, I was asked to return back to my school in the capacity of a Middle School Title 1 Math Teacher. I attended meetings in Lansing and worked tirelessly all summer with our assistant principal and an ELA/Spanish teacher to craft our school’s Middle School Title 1 Targeted Assistance Program. I spent my next two years teaching 5 preps covering 6th grade students all the way to Seniors in the course of one day. We build the middle school courses to help our most at-risk students find success in their regular math class. I used PBL techniques, technology, collaboration and universal design for learning to develop meaningful activities to enhance my student’s learning.
Over these years, I helped develop our High School’s successful Algebra Camp program for incoming freshmen. I was selected to help develop a curriculum with a local college for professionals in the STEM fields who wanted to gain a masters in education while working in inner city schools. During this time our High School fell in Michigan’s Persistently Low-Achieving schools list. Our school applied for a School Improvement Grant through the State of Michigan and extensively overhauled our School Improvement Plan.
After one of our teachers left, I was asked to take over as the Math Department Chair and was placed back into the high school curriculum. I now teach Algebra 1, Algebra 1 Support and developed our first Statistics course using only online resources. I have had the pleasure of working with many outstanding educators and administrators who have shaped the way I teach and learn today.
I am currently seeking my Master’s in Computer Information Systems. I believe that in many technology resources teachers must manipulate or hack the tools in order to make them usable in their classroom. While many EdTech companies have made large strides in this area, my goal in getting my degree in CIS is to be a liaison between EdTech startups and teachers to build tools that are so practical to instruction that they work seamlessly into the classroom.
Recently our school was given a second School Improvement Grant which we chose to apply to our 1:1 initiative. I was selected as the lead teacher in the role of implementing the technology into our high school. Over the past few months, I’ve been working extensively with our administrators, technology gurus, teachers and students to determine the most effective way to implement our 1:1 initiative in the high school. I’ve realized the passion that I have for the different technologies available to teachers and want to share that passion with every teacher at my school. I’ve found the internet, not only as a place for resources, but a common place for collaboration, enrichment and community and this blog is the start to giving back and sharing my passion for Ed Tech.
I hope you enjoy!
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