About Megan Burton
My journey and passion for education have developed over 22 years of teaching within Napa Valley Unified School District. I began my teaching career at Redwood Middle School - when State and National Content Standards were a new thing for teachers to work with. Fresh from college, I struggled to understand why it was so challenging for teachers to change their teaching practices. I later took an opportunity to help open a new school in the district, Harvest Middle School. Of the many programs I explored here, few would remain in the district, making it easier for me to to understand why it was so hard for teachers to continually adjust to change. However, I continued to eagerly ask questions and learn practices that could adapt more readily to the needs of students over time. Twelve years ago, I made the biggest decision of my career to teach at River Middle School, a dependent charter school within Napa Valley Unified. I had no idea how much this would change me as an educator and even as a mother. Even though River School is no longer a charter school, we focus on the “whole child,” particularly on students’ own sense of self and sense of belonging. I have appreciated this approach enough to bring my own children to River School, from another school district miles away. Over time, I have learned that trusting the students, trusting the process, and trusting ourselves brings a greater depth and empowerment to our daily interactions with students. As we listen, learn, and seek to grow, we are individually and collectively able to innovate and lead within our educational landscape.
My participation in the Innovative Learning Program at Touro University, with the support of NapaLearns, has prepared me for greater changes in 21st-century learning as educators across our nation are currently reevaluating what education does and should look like for each student. The timing of this program in my teaching career could not have been more challenging nor more timely. As the world of education has turned upside down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, educators around the world face an uncertain future. Through learning more in this program about the pedagogy of technology use, I am able to more flexibly and readily adapt to whatever conditions we will experience in the future.
My participation in the Innovative Learning Program at Touro University, with the support of NapaLearns, has prepared me for greater changes in 21st-century learning as educators across our nation are currently reevaluating what education does and should look like for each student. The timing of this program in my teaching career could not have been more challenging nor more timely. As the world of education has turned upside down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, educators around the world face an uncertain future. Through learning more in this program about the pedagogy of technology use, I am able to more flexibly and readily adapt to whatever conditions we will experience in the future.
If you would like more information about my action research and how digital tools be leveraged by teachers and students in order to support student inquiry, please visit my master's website at the Innovation Learning Lab.
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