My name is Denise Krebs and I am a K-8 certified teacher.

This blog is a place for me to reflect on my learnings about education. I hope you will come and read and discuss with me. It’s such an exciting time to be involved in education! I believe the reinvention of our school system must include:

creating, communicating, collaborating, and thinking critically

That would prepare students for a bright and original future, don’t you think?

In my 23rd year of teaching, I’ve been lucky enough to be in a variety of settings from Kindergarten through grade 8 and college pre-service teachers, as well. I’ve been in Arizona, California, Michigan, Iowa and now the small island country of Bahrain. I’ve taught in public and private schools, community recreation programs and universities. Currently I am teaching fifth grade in a bilingual school where native Arabic speakers learn in English and Arabic. We are the oldest school in Bahrain, with a rich history of graduating amazing alumni who make a difference in the world. By the time our students graduate, they are fully bilingual, ready to add their much-needed voices to the global community. Strong Students. Strong Community. is our tagline.

When I began teaching in the 80s, there was a lone Apple IIe in the faculty lounge. A teacher who was further along in using technology showed me how to use it. I made posters and typed second grade stories, printing everything on a dot-matrix printer. The world had expanded in a huge way for my students and me. No longer did I have to use the typewriter to “publish” children’s stories.

After staying home for ten years with my young daughters, I went back into teaching in the late 90s. Wow! How exciting it was to begin to more fully use technology to enhance student learning. The Intel Teach to the Future program changed my teaching, and I received a grant for a mini laptop lab for my classroom.

Now, the 21st century is fully upon us. In fact, by the time my students graduate from high school, the century will be a quarter over. It is time to fully engage in the world we have become. Teachers and students learning together every day. In fact, my students and I learn every moment. We are becoming digitally literate in our quickly changing world. In our school, we have put everything on the table and are daring to join the 21st century. It feels good to be a part of this transformation. Join me here on this blog and check out the hashtag #ARSbh where our school is finding our way.

Please come along for the journey with me. I love to hear and discuss with others around the world. My students also have blogs, and they love to get visitors and comments there, as well. Thanks!

More About Me
Twitter – @mrsdkrebs
Classroom blogs – http://krebs.edublogs.org