E.#Andreas#Johansson,#M.A.T. “Ahighly#quali,ied ... · E.&AndreasJohansson...

“A highly quali,ied, technology driven social

studies teacher, with 4 years teaching experience in the 7-‐12

environment.”

E. Andreas Johansson, M.A.T.

bit.ly/eajohansson

Andreas johanssonQUICK FACTS

PERSONAL INFORMATION

32 years old, married 8 years, two children

• Born in Torekov, Sweden• Moved to the United States in 1996• Currently live in Tallmadge, OH

Spent 6 years in Ohio National Guard (19D CAV Scout)

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT

Classroom Teacher, since 2008Nordonia High School

• Honors Economics• Honors U.S. History + U.S. History• Valley Voyages (independent / experiential)

RECENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Constructing, Consuming, and Conserving America, Cleveland, OH (Teaching American History / Federal Grant Program, 6+ days)

• Effective Strategies for Inclusion, Wadsworth, OH (2 days)

• Presented on “Effective Use of Google Forms” at NEOtech 2011 Conference, Akron, OH (1 day)

• Presented on “Teaching with Twitter” at Future Educators Association Conference, Kent, OH (1 day)

• Weekly Online Conferences with fellow social studies teachers on various topics, using Twitter / #sschat

• Currently preparing presentation for ISTE National conference on technology in Philadelphia, June 2011.

• Ongoing development of local history mobile app for the iPhone and Droid through the CCC program, launching in late summer 2011.

• Invited to participate as Master Teacher for future Teaching American History grant programs through Cleveland State University.

FUTURE AMBITIONS

Earn Ph.D. in Educational Psychology / Instructional Technology

WHAT MY COLLEAGUES SAY ABOUT ME

“Andreas utilizes strong technological competencies to enhance his implemented teaching strategies in the classroom.”

-‐ David BromanAssistant Principal

“Mr. Johansson is impressive in his attempt at seeking feedback from which to learn and improve his skills.”

-‐ Casey WrightPrincipal

“You [are] consistently well organized with class materials and resources.”-‐ Kevin Tanner

Assistant Principal

“He maintains a brisk pace via an aggressive spontaneous questioning approach predicated upon student verbal contributions and his lesson objectives.”

-‐ David BromanAssistant Principal

“He has an excellent rapport with his students, provided for their various learning styles, differentiated instruction and actively involved them in the lesson.”

-‐ Irene BevilleCurriculum Director

“Andreas' lessons inspired students, other teachers and me to try new techniques.”

-‐ Steve TestaTeacher Colleague

“[He] has a wealth of information which he imparts with great pride to his students. They feel a sincere rapport with him. Andreas was masterful leading lecture/

discussion.” -‐ David DicksonField Supervisor

“You continue to demonstrate signiUicant organizational skills by using ProgressBook, developing lesson materials, using technology, and maintaining a

personal web site that contains lesson materials, calendars, and other resources for members of the learning community.”

-‐ Kevin TannerAssistant Principal

Professional Reference SheetAndreas Johansson, M.A.T.

Mr. Casey WrightPrincipalNordonia High School

• Email: [email protected]• Phone: 330-‐468-‐4601

Mr. David BromanAssistant PrincipalNordonia High School


Mr. Steve TestaTeacher / ColleagueNordonia High School


Mrs. Cynthia MitchellDepartment Chair, Social StudiesNordonia High School


Dr. Janice HutchisonMAT ProgramKent State University


E. Andreas Johansson

[email protected]

Phone: 330-‐328-‐1181

143 Kevin Dr.Tallmadge, OH 44278

Twitter: @mr_johansson

EDUCATIONMasters of Arts in TeachingKent State University, May 2007Integrated Social Studies, Grades 7-‐12Kent, OHBachelor of ArtsKent State University, December 2002International RelationsKent, OH

LICENSEOhio Teaching License # OH1404213Area: Integrated Social Studies, 7-‐12PRAXIS III -‐ Passed April 2008Current Step: MA+15, Step 3

TEACHING EXPERIENCEFull Time Classroom Teaching -‐ Nordonia High School, Macedonia, OhioCurrent Assignment

• Plan and teach courses in Honors Economics (Junior Level), U.S. History (Sophomore level), and Valley Voyages (Social Studies elective).

• Rated as either “Meeting” or “Exceeding” standards during all Classroom Observations and Professional Evaluations by building administration team.

Instructor, Part Time -‐ Kent State University, Kent, OhioSummer, Fall 2011

• Workshop -‐ Technology in the Classroom: A Practical Approach

Full Time Teaching -‐ Fairless Middle School, Navarre, Ohio2007/2008 School Year

• Planned and taught a trimester course, grades 6-‐8, in Multi-‐Cultural Studies, including geography, anthropology, sociology, diversity issues, and global issues.

• Developed a 36-‐week curriculum, to be taught either as a trimestrial course, semester, or year-‐long course, depending on school need. Course is adaptable to grades 9-‐12, and can be taught as a Geography/Global Studies elective.

• Integrated technology with everyday teaching, using a variety of methods and resources to enhance student learning and increase achievement.

• Designed, constructed, and taught multiple units involving the use of technology, including WebQuests, Blogs, pod-‐casts, multi-‐media, mapping projects, and online inquiry learning.

• Responsible for the classroom management of 150+ students daily in taught subjects, as well as activity supervision and other duties.

• Rated as either “Meeting” or “Exceeding” standards during all Classroom Observations and Professional Evaluations by building Principal.

Field Study & Student Teaching -‐ Nordonia High School, Macedonia, Ohio2006/2007 School Year

• Planned, taught and co-‐taught lessons in Government, Economics, and Contemporary Issues, grades 11-‐12. (Mentor Teacher: Steve Testa)

• Designed, constructed, administered, and evaluated a technology-‐use survey (1200 students), as a department / district planning tool for an online textbook purchase program.

• Observed a broad range of teaching methods in all offered social studies classes. Also observed other departments and their classrooms.

• Rated as “Overall Excellent” by University Supervisor.

TECHNOLOGYHighly effective technology educator. Solid knowledge and experience in use of the following technologies:

• Keynote & PowerPoint• Streaming Media, DVD & VCR• Website design, authoring, and hosting

• Blogs, wikis, message boards• Online RAFTs, WebQuests• Oral history recording & pod-‐casting• Digital Story Telling, media creation• Problem Based Learning• Google Products like Maps, Earth, Documents, etc.• All Microsoft Of,ice Products, All Apple iWorks & iLife

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIPS• NCSS -‐ National Council for the Social Studies• OCSS -‐ Ohio Council for the Social Studies• NEA -‐ National Education Association• OEA -‐ Ohio Education Association• ASCD -‐ Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development• ISTE -‐ International Society for Technology in Education

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (ATTENDED)• Rivers, Roads & Rails 2006-‐2008

Teaching American History along the Ohio & Erie Canalway.U.S. Department of Education. (3-‐year program, multiple workshops.)

• Teaching with the Brain in Mind, Green, OH, 2008 (1 day)Eric Jensen, Jensen Learning

• The Right Start in Teaching Economics, Manassas, VA, 2008 (4 days)Foundation for Teaching Economics

• Economic Forces in U.S. History, Wooster, OH, 2008 (5 days)Foundation for Teaching Economics

• Outdoor Education, Wilmot, OH, 2008 (2 days)Ashland University, OH

• Economic Forces in U.S. History, Cleveland, OH, 2009 (4 days)Foundation for Teaching Economics

• Economics for Leaders, Williamsburg, VA, 2009 (6 days)Foundation for Teaching Economics

• Teaching Economic Issues, Washington, D.C., 2009 (4 days)Foundation for Teaching Economics

• Questing for Teachers, Brecksville, OH, 2010 (2 days)Cuyahoga Valley National Park

• Watershed Stories Workshop, Peninsula, OH, 2010 (3 days)Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association @ CVEEC

• Constructing, Consuming, and Conserving America / Teaching American History Grant, 2010Educational Service Center of Cuyahoga County / Cleveland State UniversityU.S. Department of Education (1 year program, multiple workshops)

• Effective Strategies for Inclusion, Wadsworth, OH, 2010 (2 days)The Great Trail Council / State Support Team Region 8 // Lisa Dieker, Ph.D.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (DEVELOPED / PROVIDED)• Classroom Technology: A Practical Approach

Kent State University, Kent OH• Effective Use of Technology in the Classroom

Nordonia High School, Macedonia, OHKent State University, Kent, OH

• Valley Voyages "Innovative History"Nordonia High School, Macedonia, OH

• Wikis in the 7-‐12 ClassroomNordonia High School, Macedonia, OH

• Blogs in the 7-‐12 ClassroomNordonia High School, Macedonia, OH

• Google DocsNordonia High School, Macedonia, OH

• Effective Use of Google FormsNEO Tech Conference 2011, Akron, OH

• Teaching with TwitterFEA Conference 2011, Kent State University, Kent, OH

Future PresentationsProviding Choice in Project DesignISTE National Conference, June 2011

LEADERSHIP• Nordonia Schools Leadership Academy -‐ current enrollment.• Completed Fairless Local School District’s Teacher Leadership Development

Workshop, Summer 2007.

Selected Teaching Statement # 1

Please explain how your past personal and professional experiences make you a quality teaching candidate.

I spent a number of years in other professions before I ,inally found something that I truly love doing – teaching. I feel extremely passionate about teaching and learning, as well as being able to guide students throughout their educational experience as they become lifelong learners.

I grew up in Sweden, in a ,ishing village of about 3,000 people, and moved to the United States when I was 17 years old. I had gone to school with the same 30 students for the ,irst nine years of school, so the large volume of students I encountered at Stow High School created a very different educational experience than what I had been used to in Sweden. I have also traveled extensively throughout Europe, Southeast Asia, Mexico, Canada, and been to over half of the states in the United States. This background allows me to bring a global perspective to my teaching, and to integrate ,irst-‐hand knowledge that I share with my students on a daily basis.

While in high school, I joined the United States Army National Guard, which allowed me to experience many bene,icial lessons from the military including the establishment of a solid system of discipline, a strong work ethic, and an understanding of the value of close friendships that will last a lifetime. I share some of these “life lessons” (as appropriate) so that my students can take them to heart, and to help me connect to their lives. Additionally, through my many and various experiences I have been able to establish relationships with students with whom other teachers have had a dif,icult time. My colleague Steve Testa of Nordonia High School wrote:

“Along with working well with the staff, Andreas possessed an impressive ability to interact with students. Andreas learned names and interests of students right away...Andreas has tremendous life experience. I can recall conversations he initiated with students about their own immigration, love of technology, and desire for military service -‐ all areas in which he could relate. In at least two dif,icult cases, Andreas built bridges with troubled students that [other] teachers had not been able to establish. A signi,icant improvement in attitude and work resulted from his efforts.”

The above are just a few aspects that make me a quality candidate. I would be happy to further extrapolate on my experiences that have led me to a love of teaching and learning in person.


How would you address a wide range of skills and abilities in your classroom?

Students enter the classroom with a wide variety of skills and knowledge, and it is my task as an educator to properly assess those skills before we embark on a learning journey together. If all students are not served to the best of my ability as a teacher, some students may lose out on important new information and skills. Thus, I do my best to make sure all students are challenged in order to create and maintain a suitable learning environment.

Each student enters the classroom with a unique personal agenda. My job as a teacher is to help prepare students to reach their goals. Within one classroom, with multiple sets of agendas, I may have to create multiple learning environments depending on the students’ needs and wants, keeping in mind the desires of the administration, the community, the state and the nation. I use assertive strategies to pre-‐assess students at the beginning of the year so that I can build on their strengths and help them discover their full potential. If a student is a horrible writer for example, I will work with him on writing skills, but at the same time I may offer opportunities for alternative assessments, such as creating a piece of art or a portfolio instead of always taking written tests.

I have found that students often need to be taken out of their comfort zones to extend their studies and reach their potential, but that does not mean just giving them more work. Skills in the classroom vary widely, and it is my task as the teacher to meet the challenges posed by different learners by remaining dynamic and ,lexible enough to challenge all students, regardless of skill level.

It can sometimes be dif,icult, but rising to challenges is one of the main functions of a classroom teacher. Without stretching ourselves through assessment and re,lection, teachers would merely be repeating information the students could have gotten from a book.


Describe the ideal educational setting you want to create in order to maximize student learning? The educational setting I create daily includes an environment where my students are invited to learn with me. We learn together -‐ I ask questions, pose problems, and suggest conundrums, and my students openly engage in discussions, suggest solutions, and offer critique, insight and humor.

Each student learns at his or her own pace, so maximizing everyone’s learning becomes a vital part of what I do, and who I am as an educator. I’ve had the opportunity to teach in many different settings, so learning with me, can and does happen not only in the classroom, but at steel mills, in Cuyahoga Valley, online, after hours, on the ,loor, or side-‐by-‐side, walking down the hallways. Learning is constant, so to maximize our learning, we must as learners truly embrace what it means to learn.

I instill in my students a want, a need, a drive to learn through multiple, and varied, teaching strategies. Lecture, group work, problem based learning, online multimedia creation, or oral public presentations in front of community members – these are only some of the methods I have used in the past to instill true, intrinsic learning.

Lastly, I create a learning environment in which we all learn, as opposed to just students learning. We can all bene,it from positive collaborative effects that come from struggling together on a particularly dif,icult task. Moving forward, my students and I are better together, and that’s the learning environment I believe truly maximizes life-‐long learners. When we’re free to learn, in our own words, on our own terms, in our own time, only then can our learning be maximized.

Describe the skills or attributes you believe are necessary to be an outstanding teacher.

Many of the skills and attributes of outstanding teachers are honed by years of teaching. Skills that I have been developing through experience and re,lection include assertiveness, a professional demeanor, excellent interpersonal skills, and ability to engage students in the secondary setting.

Teaching requires hundreds, if not thousands, of decisions every day regarding curriculum, classroom management, personal and professional interactions, and how to best respond to the needs of all of your students. Students often yearn for quick input and outputs, and I excel in the ability to think on the spot, illustrate extra examples in the classroom, and act with con,idence. I ,ind that my professional demeanor, both inside and outside the classroom, allows me to ensure there are no personal biases, which may skew the students’ view of me as their instructor and as a representative of the school.

As teaching professionals, it is important to promote our profession, in both the school and the community. Professionalism has helped me grow as a person, and helped me interact successfully with less cooperative students by setting the right tone —that I care deeply about my students and my profession, which is why it is so important that boundaries and rules be followed.

Excellent teachers must exhibit excellent interpersonal skills as we often ,ind ourselves making contact with parents, community leaders, and school administration, each of whom play important roles in the education of all students. If a message gets lost due to poor interpersonal skills, then that teacher hasn’t done his students the justice they deserve. That is why I consistently re,lect on my written and oral communication, to continue to improve my already strong skills in that area.

Finally, I ,ind that I am able to connect well with students in the secondary school setting. I believe they are capable of unbelievable tasks, even though some of them doubt me. I truly enjoy every day I can be in the classroom, having an impact on their lives, and sharing in their educational experiences. I stress community in my classroom, and constantly use phrases such as “we will learn about this” or “together we will ,ind out.” That kind of positive message works well with most students, and the feedback from my students, as they discover that they can do amazing things, becomes much more incentive than a paycheck alone could ever provide.

The above are but a few of the most important traits possessed by excellent teachers. There are, of course, many more.


What personal characteristics deUine an excellent administrator?

There are many personal characteristics that de,ine and excellent administrator. Attention to detail comes to mind – the ability to manage large and small project s simultaneously, while still keeping an eye on the big picture. Administrators must carry and promote the vision of the school district, and be able to lead others to that vision using effective communication strategies.

Of course, one of the main roles of an administrator is to support the staff in the entire chain, both vertically and horizontally. The overall goal is to educate young learners, and an effective administrator holds the key to success. Sometimes, the administrator has to be willing to try new things in order to reach the goals, and I believe elasticity of mind is paramount to success.

Furthermore, excellent administrators are life-‐long learners themselves. In order to lead well, and meet goals and objectives, administrators that have progressed from below have a better appreciation for the complex interrelatedness of a well functioning school district.

Lastly, any administrator knows that keeping transparent in operations, and following through on commitments is crucial. Without a team approach, where all parties work together for a common goal, it becomes hard to succeed. An excellent administrator works hard to achieve, for all stake holders, and doesn’t quit when the chips are down. Instead, he invents, innovates, and drives on!

Selected Administrative Statement

From your point of view, how important is technology in education? What technology-‐related skills can you contribute to a school district?

Technology is extremely important in the overall success of a school district. It’s not so much what technology is used, but what problems it solves. Communication, a key item in any well-‐run organization, bene,its tremendously from the use of technology. Email, using Google Docs, or having ,iles stores in the cloud all contribute to the ef,iciency of daily operations.

Getting technology into the hands of our learners is tremendously important as well. Today’s highly competitive world often assumes solid technology skills, and the sooner all stakeholders in a school district gain access, everyone’s better off.

I bring with me well-‐honed skills in technology, having developed and executed multiple workshops, in-‐service sessions, and brie,ings that all promote the use of technology in the classroom, and district wide. I am a heavy user of technology in my classroom, and work with my students to actively develop skills in areas that will bene,it them in the future.

Currently, I teach a workshop at Kent State University that has been getting high remarks titled Technology in the Classroom: A Practical Approach, which focuses on the everyday effective use of technology for all learners.

I would love the opportunity bring with me all of the technology skills I have acquired in the past few years for the bene,it for an entire school district.

Selected Technology Statement

I was asked to answer some questions for my tenure request at Nordonia in the spring of 2011. Here are those questions and answers, and they re\lect my activities as a professional teacher in the past few years.

DESCRIBE ANY CONFERENCES, SEMINARS, OR WORKSHOPS YOU MAY HAVE ATTENDED OR WILL ATTEND.2010-‐2011 school year only (see below for a full list of professional development throughout my teaching career):

• Questing for Teachers, Brecksville, OH (2 days)• Watershed Stories Workshop, Peninsula, OH (3 days)• Constructing, Consuming, and Conserving America, Cleveland, OH (Teaching

American History / Federal Grant Program, 6 days)• Effective Strategies for Inclusion, Wadsworth, OH (2 days)• NEOtech 2011 Conference, Akron, OH (1 day)

o Attended as presenter on “Effective Use of Google Forms”• Future Educators Association Conference, Kent, OH (1 day)

o Attended as presenter on “Teaching with Twitter”• #sschat Weekly Online Conferences using Twitter (Mondays, 7pm)

o Social Studies Teachers from all over the world meet to discuss hot topics in social studies, share ideas, solve problems, and get critical feedback on projects and units of study.

Upcoming Events, 2010-‐2011 school year:• ISTE11 – National Conference on Teaching with Technology, Philadelphia, PA

(4 days) o I will be presenting on the topic of “Providing Choice in Project

Design”, as well as participating in various sessions on technology, teaching and learning.

• Constructing, Consuming, and Conserving America – Summer Institute (2 weeks)

o Summative summer program, part of the Teaching American History Grant Program through Cuyahoga County ESC and Cleveland State University, where we will continue working on local history projects, and create an educational mobile application for SMART phones like the iPhone and Android.

DESCRIBE ANY AWARDS, CERTIFICATES, RECOGNITION, OR ITEMS OF DISTINCTION YOU MAY HAVE RECEIVED.

• Selected as a presenter for ISTE11 (Philadelphia, PA, June 2011) out of thousands of applicants.

• Invited back several times to the M.A.T. Program at Kent State University to present and work with the current students. Presentation topics included technology, classroom considerations, portfolio preparations, and research in education.

• Invited to participate in future Teaching American History Grant programs through Cuyahoga County ESC / Cleveland State University in the role of Master Teacher.

• Invited to present at Future Educators Association.• Invited to present at Nordonia’s Digital Academy.• Multiple certi,icates of completion from workshops listed below.

DESCRIBE ANY AWARDS OR CERTIFICATES RECEIVED, OR COMPETITIONS ANY OF YOUR STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THROUGH YOUR ASSISTANCE AND/OR ENCOURAGEMENT.

• Multiple students awarded local and national scholarships based on recommendations.

• Multiple students awarded opportunities at universities like Student Improvement Committees, Provost Improvement Teams, etc.

• Currently serving as mentor for a senior student in the Nordonia Internship Program.

ON WHAT DISTRICT OR SCHOOL OR DEPARTMENT COMMITTEES DID YOU PARTICIPATE? (INCLUDE STAFF-‐DEVELOPMENT DAY, IN-‐SCHOOL OBSERVATIONS, AND SO ON.)

• Race to the Top Committee o Served as one of the collaborating members of this committee to work

out the district’s needs and goals as related to the Race To the Top guidelines.

• District Leadership Academy o Participant of the group that meets with the Assistant Superintendent

(Mr. Joe Clark) to discuss teacher-‐leader topics, administrative considerations, and leadership development.

• Digital Academy (invited presenter / participant) o Currently serve in a consultant capacity, monitoring and answering

online concerns through the local ning group (social network for

Nordonia Digital Academy), and have presented on topics including online project design and professional learning networks.

• Staff Development for Technology o Presented on / led workshops on several topics throughout my time

at Nordonia, including: § Effective Use of Technology in the Classroom§ Valley Voyages “Innovative History”§ Wikis in the 7-‐12 Classroom§ Blogs in the 7-‐12 Classroom§ Google Docs§ Providing Choice in Project Design

• Curriculum and Testing Materials Design Project o Collaborated on and created the testing materials for the 2011

practice Ohio Graduation Test, designing the instrument to be used with Scantron scoring (as opposed to scoring by hand) which reduced paper load from 20+ pages to 4 pages per test for the multiple choice section.

• Textbook Survey Project (completed as a student teacher at Nordonia in 2007)

o Created, administered, analyzed, and reported results of survey regarding online availability among Nordonia students, which ultimately contributed to the district’s decision to purchase the Holt program using online textbooks for various subjects.

WHAT GRADUATE COURSES, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OR IN-‐SERVICE CREDIT COURSES HAVE YOU TAKEN IN THE PAST YEARS?

I taught a graduate level workshop at Kent State University in fall 2010, and due to popular demand, I’m scheduled to repeat the workshop at least twice more in summer and fall 2011. The topics include effective use of technology, classroom management with technology, and practical applications of classroom technology.I have pursued professional development through multiple workshops, many of which have offered graduate credits. Below is a partial list of the past workshops I have attended within my educational area. Most are in economics or history, but others include cross-‐curricular areas like brain-‐based instruction, natural sciences, outdoor education, differentiated instruction, working with special needs students, and workshops and conferences regarding use of technology in the classroom.

• Rivers, Roads & Rails 2006-‐2008 o Teaching American History along the Ohio & Erie Canalway.o U.S. Department of Education. (3-‐year program, multiple workshops.)

• Teaching with the Brain in Mind, Green, OH, 2008 (1 day) o Eric Jensen, Jensen Learning

• The Right Start in Teaching Economics, Manassas, VA, 2008 (4 days) o Foundation for Teaching Economics

• Economic Forces in U.S. History, Wooster, OH, 2008 (5 days) o Foundation for Teaching Economics

• Outdoor Education, Wilmot, OH, 2008 (2 days) o Ashland University, OH

• Economic Forces in U.S. History, Cleveland, OH, 2009 (4 days) o Foundation for Teaching Economics

• Economics for Leaders, Williamsburg, VA, 2009 (6 days) o Foundation for Teaching Economics

• Teaching Economic Issues, Washington, D.C., 2009 (4 days) o Foundation for Teaching Economics

• Questing for Teachers, Brecksville, OH, 2010 (2 days) o Cuyahoga Valley National Park

• Watershed Stories Workshop, Peninsula, OH, 2010 (3 days) o Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association @ CVEEC

• Constructing, Consuming, and Conserving America / Teaching American History Grant, 2010

o Educational Service Center of Cuyahoga County / Cleveland State University and U.S. Department of Education (1 year program, multiple workshops)

• Effective Strategies for Inclusion, Wadsworth, OH, 2010 (2 days) o The Great Trail Council / State Support Team Region 8 // Lisa Dieker,

Ph.D.• NEOtech 2011 Conference, Akron, OH

o Attended as Presenter on “Effective Use Of Google Forms”, as well as general attendee.

WHAT PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS DO YOU BELONG TO? • NCSS – National Council for the Social Studies• ASCD – Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development• ISTE – International Society for Technology in Education• OCSS – Ohio Council for the Social Studies• NEA – National Education Association• OEA – Ohio Education Association

DESCRIBE ANY FIELD TRIPS YOU HAVE TAKEN OR GUEST SPEAKERS YOU HAVE INVITED TO YOUR CLASSES?

Chick-‐,il-‐A Field TripTook a group of 45 Honors Economics students to the local Chick-‐,il-‐A restaurant for a closer look at their operations, their business model, and what sets them apart from other similar businesses. Students were taken on a tour of the restaurant, offered tips on running a business, and actively engaged through questions by the operator.

Valley Voyages (multiple ,ield experiences) (ref. www.valleyvoyages.net)We (Mr. Testa, Mr. Loman, and myself) have designed and executed multiple ,ield trips with our Valley Voyages students in the past. Trips are planned for days when we would otherwise be off from school, such as holidays, weekends, and over break. We have provided learning experiences for students at multiple historical sites throughout Northeast Ohio including a tour of the Cleveland Steel Mills, hiking in the National Parks, learning about architecture and culture in ethnic neighborhoods, bicycling the Towpath, and hosting an annual, school-‐wide bicycle outing on NEOEA Day, which was attended by over 65 students last year.I designed a bike orienteering course for the most recent NEOEA Day outing where students competed with each other using a map to ,ind controls on and around the bike path in the Cuyahoga Valley area. Students gathered in Peninsula, OH, we took the train to Akron, OH, then bicycled back.

Co-‐teaching with Steve Testa, Nordonia High SchoolSteve Testa and I frequently visit each other’s classrooms for co-‐teaching moments, to learn from each other, and to offer advice / recommendations / critiques on activities and simulations we both use.

http://www.valleyvoyages.net

http://www.valleyvoyages.net

Financial Literacy (Akron U.) (Cancelled due to ,ield trip restrictions / 2011)Steve Testa and I had planned a ,ield trip for our Economics students this spring to visit Akron U., and participate in a ,inancial literacy workshop with students from other districts. Unfortunately, due to funding issues, we were not able to go.

DESCRIBE ANY UNIT OF STUDY, TEACHING TECHNIQUE, CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE, ETC. THAT YOU FEEL IS WORTHY OF NOTE.Below are descriptions of a few projects and units I have worked on with my students:

• Faces of Civil Rights // Project o The Faces of Civil Rights Project highlights the human sacri,ice made

during the struggle for civil rights during the 1950-‐1970s era. Pro,iles of those slain in the struggle are on display, as well as time-‐lines and maps. By attaching the images, graphics, and personal narratives to real data, the visitor to the online exhibit experiences a deeper emotional connection with the material, and hopefully makes their journey as a life-‐long learner that much more valuable. The project was a collaborative effort between students and teacher, and created a comfortable dynamic of real learning in the investigation of our past.

o Please visit the project here: http://bit.ly/eUIxYN• Beginnings of the 20th Century // Project

o The Beginnings Project asked students to complete one of three objectives in order to highlight an aspect of the early 20th Century from a U.S. History perspective. Students were encouraged to use technology and multimedia in their solutions, and to share their work with others through online sharing, presentation, and publication.

o Highlights from this project include videos of students’ grandparents remembering their youth posted to sites like YouTube, Twitter streams describing an immigrant’s journey, and complex ,lowcharts describing the growth and development of technology during the early 1900s.

• Portraits of… // Project o The objective of this project was to create a narrative, based on

historical facts, that accurately describes life during the World War II era. The focus is on people on the homefront who were not directly related to the war effort overseas. The narratives, along with supporting documents like photos and other primary items, are available online.

o Highlights from this project included several movies made by students and posted to YouTube, online poster boards using

http://bit.ly/eUIxYN

http://bit.ly/eUIxYN

linoit.com (online “stickies” software), and prezi presentations where the visitor zooms around an unlimited workspace ,illed with details from the projects.

o Please visit the project here: http://www.eajohansson.net/ushistory/projects/portraits-‐of/

• Economics of Healthcare using SiCKO the Movie // Online Debate o While exploring the movie and its topics in class, I’ve augmented the

instruction with an online component that allows students to leave comments and express their viewpoints in an organized fashion. Proper use of the technology component is stressed, incorporating the State of Ohio’s Technology Standards. Furthermore, I promoted our discussion on Twitter and invited participation from the director of the ,ilm who emailed back to acknowledge our work.

o See the discussion here: http://www.eajohansson.net/2011/03/sicko-‐the-‐movie/

• Enhancement Readings in Economics // Online Discussion o In addition to the regular economics curriculum, the Honors sections

have added outside readings from a secondary source to highlight economic principles in real-‐world settings. The readings are short, 2-‐4 page college readings that enhance the students’ understanding of economic applications. Use of the readings has increased the students’ performance over the last couple of semesters as they lend themselves to deeper discussion. Students prepare these readings for class twice per week, answer a few guiding questions online, and then dissect them further through class discussion.

o See an example here: http://www.eajohansson.net/2011/03/reading-‐is-‐water-‐different/

• Classroom as Brain // Ongoing Use o Throughout the year, students collect information in the form of data

points (each the size of one eighth of a sheet of 8.5x11 paper) from readings, video segments, primary documents, etc. We decide on a schema to organize these data points by grouping, sorting, and analyzing the data. We hang the data points on strings throughout the classroom (stringing ideas and data together), or post them as a group on one of the bulletin boards. The idea is to physically mimic in the classroom what the brain does in our bodies in order to learn how we learn, developing the students’ metacognitive skills.

http://www.eajohansson.net/ushistory/projects/portraits-of/




http://www.eajohansson.net/2011/03/sicko-the-movie/




http://www.eajohansson.net/2011/03/reading-is-water-different/




STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA: EVALUATE THE TESTING DATA THAT BEST REFLECTS THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF YOUR STUDENTS.

• Cornell Method // Guided Reading o After re,lecting on how students were approaching the history

content in my classes two years ago, ,indings included a basic lack of reading the assigned materials, which ultimately led to lower than average (<75%) test scores for all classes. In order to rectify this, I implemented a system for active reading for homework assignments based on the Cornell method of note taking. Students were to read the assigned text, compose ten key questions, then craft answers in their own words to those questions.

o After seeing initial increases in overall averages, now up to 77% -‐ 80% for most classes, I began using a system where I supply the questions (quality question creation was one of the tough aspects of the Cornell method for students, especially lower-‐level students; by creating the questions, I have given students strong examples of what kinds of questions they should be asking themselves as they actively read text, which both develops their active reading skills and helps guide them to the key points). Students receive a “study guide” for each assigned reading, which they turn in for evaluation. The questions are of higher quality, which seems to drive better answers, thus increasing overall test performance as well as class participation. Average test scores for the Honors sections now range in the 80s, and the overall average for all of my students combined is now >75%. This system has certainly led to an increase in student performance, and I intend to continue using it in the future.

o See examples here: http://www.eajohansson.net/ushistory/chapter-‐resources/world-‐war-‐ii/

• Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) Prep // Workshops o In order to prepare my sophomore students for the OGT in the spring,

I developed a week worth of test taking strategy workshops speci,ically using OGT material as the backdrop, and using actual test questions and material from published former OGTs. I teach strategies to approach multiple choice question types, how to craft short and extended responses to the writing prompts (where students write multiple essays, peer edit them, and then check against the supplied rubrics), and general tips and guidelines for the OGT. We even discuss what to eat and drink on test day, where to go, what to bring, and what to expect from the testing environment in order to prepare students for success by removing elements of stress that can lead to lower scores. The main goal of these test taking workshops is to prepare students for the OGT, but the tips and strategies I provide will

http://www.eajohansson.net/ushistory/chapter-resources/world-war-ii/




also be of use to students any time they take a test, from in-‐class exams to the SAT or ACT.

o As a result of this careful preparation, 50% of my students in the spring of 2010 scored in the Advanced category on the Social Studies OGT, with just three students scoring below Pro,icient.

Andreas JohanssonTeaching Credentials

Original Copy on 7ile with

Nordonia Hills City Schools

E. Andreas Johansson, M.A.T.CONTACT INFORMATION

EMAIL

[email protected]

WEBSITE

www.eajohansson.net

PHONE

330-‐328-‐1181

ADDRESS

143 KEVIN DRTALLMADGE, OH 44278

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