Hopkins Teacher of the Year embraces technology to enhance learning
April 20, 2017
Jessica Rieniets believes in preparing students for their future schooling, career and lives by teaching them skills necessary to succeed in an ever-changing world. Rieniets, a grades 4-5 Spanish Immersion teacher at Ellen Hopkins Elementary School and this year’s Hopkins Teacher of the Year, teaches communication skills and strategies to work collaboratively. She also uses technology in her classroom to enhance learning and prepare students for the future.
“I teach students to tackle new challenges by thinking critically and creatively and never giving up,” Rieniets said. “We work on strategies for working through challenges and coming up with creative solutions. I work hard to embed these skills and strategies into our daily lessons and activities so students are practicing in the context of their daily lives.”
Rieniets has been a Spanish Immersion teacher for Moorhead Area Public Schools for 12 years. Students in the district’s K-6 Spanish Immersion program learn the regular school curriculum while also learning to read, write and speak Spanish. As a Spanish Immersion teacher, Rieniets uses the same elementary curriculum as the other Moorhead elementary teachers, but she instructs in Spanish rather than English. Rieniets, who earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and Spanish from Concordia College, has taught grades 2-5, including several multiage classes, in the program at Hopkins Elementary. She earned her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in reading from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2008.
Ryan LaDage, principal at Hopkins Elementary, considers Rieniets to be a dedicated teacher.
“Jessica puts in many hours of planning time to put together quality learning experiences for her students,” LaDage said. “She pulls from lots of different resources and uses technology to its fullest. She builds positive relationships with her students and their families and bridges the gap between the school and the home.”
Rieniets believes it’s important to know the students in her class.
“I want the students in my class to come to school feeling safe and cared for,” she said. “Knowing my students, their strengths, their interests and their families helps me differentiate my teaching and meet the needs of each student.”
Last year Rieniets applied for and was selected for one of the district’s one-to-one technology pilot projects.
“I want to teach students how to be effective users and creators of technology,” she said. “When the pilot began, many of my students were passive users of technology and knew only what they needed to meet their immediate needs. I helped them learn the necessary skills to evaluate technology sources, think critically about sources of information, and decide how information could be useful for their needs.”
Rieniets had her students not only use technology, but also create it. Students trained in coding and computer programming using Code Studio online and classroom curriculum. Rieniets arranged for a local expert on programming to help students get started programming their own applications.
“After an hour of work with the programmer, the students set to work,” Rieniets said. “They relied on each other as experts. After a few weeks of hard work and collaboration, each student was able to create an app or website with a specific purpose. Many students created learning games for their peers, others created apps to solve problems in their families, and still others promoted their own budding small businesses.”
Rieniets continued the one-to-one technology project in her classroom this fall.
“My students have been working hard on solving school and community issues using technology,” she said. “For example, the entire class collaboratively created a slideshow welcoming our first-grade students to our school, giving them an orientation and virtual tour of the school.”
Rieniets has served on school and district committees such as the building leadership team, district science committee, and world languages task force. She currently serves on the district literacy committee, district staff development committee and Horizon West Task Force.
According to LaDage, Rieniets is a great collaborator and mentor to her teammates.
“Jessica has been a leader not only in her grade-level team, but also with the Spanish Immersion program,” LaDage said. “She is knowledgeable about what quality instruction looks like, how best to design lessons, and how to assess where students are at. Her creativity and willingness to try new things and embrace new technologies helps to provide new learning experiences for the students.”
Photo: Jessica Rieniets, a grades 4-5 Spanish Immersion teacher at Ellen Hopkins Elementary School and this year’s Hopkins Teacher of the Year, discusses the significance of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights with students.
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