Mr. Ray Arnoldo Villarreal was born in McAllen and is a product of the McAllen Independent School District (1981 McHi graduate). His diversified work experience includes tennis coach, auto parts runner, piano mover, photographer, video production (all aspects), surf and skate shop operator, and is currently teaching 7th grade Science at Alonzo De Leon Middle School.

Mr. Villarreal graduated from UTPA after two years at STCC with a BS in Kinesiology and a minor in Biology. “I have a beautiful and supportive wife Deanna (librarian at Morris Middle School), and two beautiful children, Ray Amando and Ryan Angel, whose ages are five and two. My hobbies include fishing, hunting, camping, bird watching, surfing, and gardening”.

“In the classroom, I have used computers, probes, projectors, and other types of technology, including those made available through UTPA and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute of Technology."

"We have precipitated DNA, made it visible to the naked eye, and solved a pseudo crime using pseudo blood samples and electrophoresis to study the properties of the dispersed particles."

“With the guidance of our Design Center, I was able to use an adaptor which attaches to the eye piece of a microscope and connects to a document reader. It projects images, viewed in the microscope, on to a big screen.

“This technology has really influenced the way I teach. This technology, enables me to relate classroom activities to television programs such as C.S.I., House, and Discovery Channel programs. Students are more eager to engage in the activities and take interest in what they are doing in the classroom. I get excited when I get to use equipment that was unavailable to me in the past.

Considering today’s demands in the workplace for individuals with technology experience, I feel that I am better able to prepare my students for post secondary education and success in the workplace.

Giving kids hands on experience, motivates them to continue their education, and gives me great pleasure and high expectations for my students.

Part of my teaching philosophy has to do with letting kids be kids, allowing them to discover new things, teaching them how to implement their discoveries into the real world, and giving them the opportunity to express themselves and their knowledge in their own way”.

Finding innovative ways to integrate technology in to our classrooms is part of the reason that our students are finding success in post secondary educational institutions, as well as the work place.

Thanks for your dedication Mr. Villarreal!

1. Start from the course objectives and ask if and how technology can be used to promote those objectives.
2. Survey students about their familiarity with and access to computers and software. Make sure that all students have fair and appropriate access to the technology required for the course.
3. Take into account your own capacities. If you are not comfortable using the technology or do not feel that you can become comfortable then you may not be able to use it to its best pedagogical advantage.
4. Balance face-to-face interaction with students with the use of technology-based instruction.
5. Be sure that students have resources to help them understand the technology. These might include online tutorials, manuals, or a bulletin board for posting questions and answers.
6. Consider both technological and non-technological options. Do not assume that a particular teaching method must be better simply because it employs more technology, or that technology will be too hard or unwieldy to use in your course.
7. Become familiar with the technology resources on campus. Publicize the hours and locations of campus computer labs or other facilities, in the event that students do not have either computers or appropriate software for personal use.
8. Familiarize yourself with any technology that you propose to use. Ask yourself whether your students will already be familiar enough with the technology to operate it themselves (if necessary), and, if not, whether it is reasonable to expect them to learn how to use it for the purposes of your course.
9. Determine how you are going to get feedback on the pedagogical and logistical success of your use of technology.
10. Identify students who may have higher levels of technological expertise, and enlist them to help other students, if possible.

Backup Your Files Today!

The end of the semester provides a great opportunity to use your flash drive to backup important documents. These documents may include your lesson plans, forms, presentations, or any other files that are used throughout the school year.

To back up your files, simply plug the device into any USB port on your computer. Your computer will automatically detect it as a removable disk drive. You can then drag and drop your files to the USB flash drive. Remember to follow the procedures for removing your flash drive so that you will not cause damage to your important files.

Carmen Garcia, Director for Instructional Technology

English

• SparkNotes
  An on-line study guide like Cliff Notes. Sign Up for a Free Account!
• English-Zone.Com
  A fun site for both teacher and students…try it out!
• HAISLN: Recommended Reading Lists
  Librarians from a group of independent schools in Houston, TX have chosen hundreds of books covering grade levels from Pre-K through 12, and genres from non-fiction to poetry to fiction. Each entry lists title, author, publisher and publication date, as well as a one-sentence description of the book. This list is updated yearly. There are also links to library associations and Internet library resources.
• Everyday Spelling
  An exciting, everything-you-need spelling site for elementary and middle school students, including spelling puzzles, words in the news (with links), writing prompts, and fun language facts. Also provides grade-level frequently misspelled words, spelling strategies and printable review tests.

Mathematics

• Brain Boosters
  Browse through Discovery Education’s archive of challenging Brain Boosters including categories, such as categorization, lateral thinking, logic, number and math play, reasoning, and spatial awareness.
• Dare to Compare @ NCES Kids’ Zone
  Students can try the Dare to Compare quizzes in six subjects including math. The NCES Kids' Zone provides information to help students learn about schools; decide on a college; find a public library; engage in several games, quizzes and skill building including topics on math, probability, graphing, and mathematicians.
• Junior High Math Interactives
  Includes interactive mathematic resources and activities.
• National Library of Virtual Manipulatives
  Web-based virtual manipulatives or concept tutorials, mostly in the form of Java applets, for mathematics instruction (K-12 emphasis).

Science

• Cow's Eye Dissection
  This is one of the most popular demonstrations at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. It has helped people satisfy their curiosity about what is inside an eye. The material presented here is meant not to replace the act of dissecting a cow's eye, but rather to enhance the experience.
• EPA: Interactive Water Cycle
  This interactive site allows students to turn on different parts of the water cycle.
• The Jason Project
  A nonprofit subsidiary of the National Geographic Society, JASON connects young students with great explorers and great events to inspire and motivate them to learn science. Its core curriculum units are designed for 5th – 8th grade classrooms but are flexible enough to be adapted for higher or lower grades.
• The Molecularium
  The Molecularium™ Project is an entirely new way to learn. Their mission is to excite audiences of all ages and sizes to explore science in the world around them.

Social Studies

• Texas Almanac
  The source for all things Texan since 1857.
• The Virtual Smithsonian
  Wander the halls and take a trip through the exhibits of this online version of the museum.
• Digital History
  University of Houston’s collaborative project which includes e-lectures, lesson plans, classroom handouts, an interactive timeline, historic newspapers, and many other resources.
• White House for Kids