Meet The Instructor
The Importance of Technology at Thornhill
Meet Jordan Brown, Thornhill's Technology Instructor
If your kids are anything like mine, you may not hear a lot of details about school. So I took some time to ask Jordan some questions about what he does and how he got to Thornhill.
What motivated you to start teaching technology to kids?
Jordan: I started teaching because I wanted to show people how to create media on their own. I was taught through friends and family when in school. Being able to create helped me develop my sense of expression and connect with others.
From my experience working with youth, technology has provided so many ways to create and learn. I feel that traditional ways of learning do not reflect our society. My goal is to present opportunities for youth to explore traditional and current practices within education to prepare them to become 21st century learners.
Tell us about your background
Jordan: I grew up in Sacramento, Calif., attending different schools -- from small to large, and public to private. At an early age I explored my love for music, art, and traveling. Whether tinkering with keyboards and drum machines in my grandfather's recording studio, or reading postcards from my aunt's world trips, I was preparing for my future. By the time I arrived at college, I had a deep passion for creativity and exploring new cultures. To continue this I decided to travel abroad to Germany, Ghana, and El Salvador to create media in order to bring awareness to social issues such as AIDS/HIV and civil war in Central America.
Recently I received a Master's of Arts degree in Digital Teaching for Technology and Learning from the University of San Francisco. At USF, I had the chance to understand how current technology, educational pedagogy, and students' experiences influence their own learning. Taking these ideas into my teaching practices, I will do my best to ensure every student at Thornhill Elementary is safe, acknowledged, and cared for.
Why do we use technology in the classroom? Open Colleges has found the the top three reasons teachers use technology in the classroom:
-76% say to adapt to diverse learning styles
-77% say to boost student motivation
-76% say to enhance the material being taught
Jordan put together an entire page of resources that parents can view about the importance of technology in the classroom here: https://padlet.com/CultureConTech/21stlearner
We are so thankful to Jordan for being such a wonderful part of the Thornhill community. Your donation to the Back to School Donation Drive can help make sure we continue to fund Jordan’s work and do things like purchase Chromebooks -- last year the PFC bought 32 Chromebooks for the school -- and invest in programs like ST Math and Achieve 3000. Without the funds from the BSDD, we would not be able to continue these programs.
Warm regards,
Christine Pereira
Chair, Back to School Donation Drive