Dallas Independent School District

18/07/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 19/07/2024 03:23

Dallas ISD News: Professional and Digital Learning Department interns create tools for teachers

Professional and Digital Learning Department interns create tools for teachers

Editor's note: Spanish story included below

DALLAS -
Being a teacher does not mean learning ends, and with technology constantly evolving, educators are looking for ways to incorporate it into their classrooms and professional lives.

This is where the Professional and Digital Learning Department comes in, and this summer, the department and their interns are training teachers on how to use technology in their classroom for the upcoming school year.

"This is my first year participating in the internship program," said Dawayla Murray-Patterson, instructional specialist for the Professional and Digital Learning Department. "We went to a job fair and out of the many students we interviewed, we selected our two interns based on personality because in this line of work, you need a lot of personality."

The two interns, Oscar M. and Jae'lynn O., both found their jobs at that same job fair.

"I had an interest in technology and they were the last department at the job fair that I visited," said Jae'lynn, rising senior at Dr. L.G. Pinkston Sr. High School. "I spoke to Eric (Banks) and Mrs. Patterson and they were both nice and straightforward. I hoped that they would get back to me for this internship."

"They were the only table that I visited," said Oscar, rising senior at Skyline High School. "Speaking with them felt more like a conversation than an interview and I felt that it was either this opportunity, or nothing."

During the summer, Jae'lynn and Oscar learned how to work with monitors, wire displays to specific configurations, and create and edit videos using their research. For their final project, they created a website displaying everything they learned.

In addition to these hard skills granted by their job, the pair also learned soft skills, such as communication, politeness, and respect via studying customer service books and having conversations with other adults in the office.

"We focus on soft skills in this internship because it is something that our interns are going to need in the workplace," said Patterson. "They are going to have to deal with all sorts of different people and anyone can teach you a skill, but no one can teach you to have a sense of decorum."

Patterson has nothing but pride about her interns and how much they've given to the department.

"They are both so excited, eager to learn, and willing to do whatever we ask of them. They also have been able to connect what they've been learning with their everyday life, especially with the customer service books and how they've learned how to research on the internet," said Patterson. Jae'lynn's advice for students considering being interns is to go for it.

"I was extremely nervous for this internship, as it was my first time working. I didn't know what to expect, but now it's been fun and I've been really enjoying working here," Jae'lynn said.

Oscar echoes Jae'lynn's advice.

"When you take on an internship, you get job experience and people skills that are beneficial beyond your time in school. You aren't losing anything, you are only gaining," he said.

Spanish story:

Pasantes del Departamento de Aprendizaje Profesional y Digital crean herramientas para los maestros

DALLAS - En un aula configurada como un laboratorio de ciencias, con el inconfundible aroma del formol en el aire y los bisturíes en la mano, los estudiantes de Future Doctors Summer Camp (campamento de verano para futuros médicos) de Dallas ISD prepararon corazones de cerdo para disección.

"Quiero ser pediatra, así que realmente no tiene que ver con la cirugía, pero ahora que he cortado un corazón y visto todas las diferentes cámaras del corazón, creo que quiero hacer algo con la cirugía en el futuro", dijo Ileana R., estudiante de tercer año en Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy.

Más que disecciones, el campamento proporcionó una mirada profunda a varios aspectos del campo de la atención médica, incluyendo la anatomía, la patología y la fisiología. Los estudiantes de preparatoria también escucharon a profesionales de la medicina, sacando perspectiva de sus experiencias profesionales y el camino que siguieron como estudiantes.

"Me lo pasé muy bien trabajando con los estudiantes. Están súper motivados y entusiasmados, y me encanta responder a sus preguntas", dijo Maleeha Ahmad, estudiante de tercer año de medicina en Texas A&M University. "Muchos de ellos no saben tanto sobre la atención médica en general, así que para mí ha sido una lección de humildad poder enseñarles porque me recuerda cuánto he crecido yo, pero también me hace pensar en cuánto van a crecer ellos".

Para Abigail C., estudiante de segundo curso de atención al paciente en Charmaine & Robert Price Career Institute South, poder participar en una disección con sus propias manos era una oportunidad muy esperada.

"Aprendimos sobre la anatomía del corazón, las diferentes estructuras como las cuatro cámaras y cómo fluye la sangre", dijo Abigail. "Fue interesante y divertido porque pude tocarlo y cortarlo yo misma. Estaba muy emocionada porque se suponía que teníamos que hacerlo en secundaria, pero no lo hicimos. Yo estudiaba por Internet, así que sentí que había perdido la oportunidad".

Abigail, una veterinaria en ciernes, descubrió su pasión por el campo de la medicina en la escuela secundaria viendo "El increíble Dr. Pol", sobre las experiencias de un veterinario.

"Quiero ser veterinaria, pero estoy estudiando medicina humana", dice Abigail. "Pensé que si ahora no puedo estudiar animales, podría aprender sobre humanos. Me aporta una experiencia parecida".

Para estudiantes como Abigail e Ileana, que aspiran a convertirse en profesionales de la medicina, el consejo de Ahmad es que recuerden que el trabajo duro dará sus frutos.

"Mirando el resultado de estudiar medicina a largo plazo, creo que hay mucha nobleza en esta profesión en que actúas al servicio de los demás", dijo. "Es muy difícil, pero al final siempre recuerdo que veo a las personas en su momento más vulnerable, ya sea porque están enfermas o porque son familiares de alguien que está enfermo, y por eso requiere mucha madurez. Lo más importante es recordar que será una profesión emocionalmente gratificante".