Maria Jimeno-Buckner

School: Morton Magnet Middle School
Subject: Science

I came in to teaching later in my career. First, I pursued a biology degree from UC Irvine and worked in the medical field and in the business world before becoming a teacher. I obtained my teaching credential & my Masters in Secondary Education from UNO via the Teacher Academy Project in 2006. Outside of School, I love making art projects & science experiments with my husband, Michael and my two boys Julius (11), and Jordan( 8).

What are your reflections about using media in education?

I have grown to love using media in my classroom. It is truly a process. The more I use it, the better I get. The biggest hurdle is getting over the intimidation. At first, I was overwhelmed with the idea of using media in the midst of trying to manage 28-30 very active 7th graders. I have since learn to do everything is steps and to "tinker" with different strategies until I found what works for me and my students. I am still in the "tinker" stage but I have since launched a class blog and my students have became more and more excited about it.

What is one thing about the Omaha Science Media Project that you'd share with other teachers?

The Omaha Science Media Project is a great support for teachers that are trying to take there teaching to the next level. It provides teachers with the ability to network with other teachers while they learn the latest technical tools that are available. As we teach digital natives, it is important for teachers who are digital immigrants to equipment themselves with the necessary tools to reach all of our students. I have seen first hand how these technical skills have awaken the interest of so many of my students who would have otherwise been left behind.