We have reached the end of September and kicked off a great start of the 2014/15 school year. In the past month, we have seen so many teachers signing-up for Edcite and integrating it into their classrooms and we are excited to announce our Teacher of the Month. This month, one teacher and her classroom has stood out to the Edcite Team: Cherie Pallitto.
Mrs. Pallitto has not only begun using Edcite in her classroom, but has become a catalyst for improving the site. Abraham Lincoln said, one “has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.” She joined Edcite and rather than waiting for the site to improve in the areas she noticed, she contacted our team to begin a dialogue about her experience. Mrs. Pallitto has given honest and direct feedback, and continued using Edcite while we made improvements based on her ideas. She regularly emails with the Edcite team about her experience–both praise and feedback–and has a weekly phone check-in to discuss how the assignments went that week. One of the goals of Edcite is to make life easier for teachers by allowing teachers to support each other in the sharing of resources and collaboration, Mrs. Pallitto embodies this collaborative and supportive spirit and Edcite is lucky to have a dedicated teacher working to make this site a better experience for her kids and any other classroom who uses it. Thank you Mrs. Pallitto!
A little bit about Cherie Pallitto:
Mrs. Pallitto is in her 12th year of teaching and has taught almost every grade level. Although born and raised in Oregon, she has lived in Montana, Oklahoma, Virginia, California and now Washington where she teaches a talented and gifted 4th grade grade class. Her husband is also an educator and retired military and they have a daughter, Jesika, who trains and races in triathlons with her boyfriend.
Why did you become a teacher?
“When I was raising my children, I was involved in coaching gymnastics and other teaching related fields and wanted to become a teacher. When my children were older, I had the opportunity to get my teaching certificate. I consider myself a life-long learner and I love the opportunity to spend time sharing the process of learning with students.”
How did you learn about Edcite and how do you use it in your classroom?
Mrs. Pallitto says she found it this summer when she was searching for sites related to the new Common Core Standards. She uses it in her classroom as the homework. The students get one math homework (like this one about geometry) and one reading homework (like this one on Little Red Riding Hood) every Friday and it is due the following Friday.
What makes you most “Edcited” about Edcite?
“The most exciting component of Edcite is the relationship to the Common Core standards and how the questions should help prepare students for the new Smarter Balance Testing process. I have also been impressed with the customer service I have received. It has been timely and very helpful along this new journey.”
What do you think of Edcite’s ability to support the Common Core Standards?
Mrs. Pallitto says that she believes Edcite is the best tool currently available to provide her students with the opportunity to practice Common Core related questions using the computer. She specifically mentioned the important experience it will give her students with drag-and-drop question types and their keyboarding skills for written answers.
Final Words of Wisdom from Mrs. Pallitto:
“If you are planning on using Edcite, make sure that your have the technology to support the program, spend time with another Edcite experienced teacher or an Edcite Representative to help you through the first couple of weeks and then encourage students and their families to be patient during the initial learning process. Each week I have learned more and more; and using Edcite is becoming easier and easier as time goes on.”
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