We are proud to introduce our 47th Sunday Spotlight, featuring Kyle Kline who is a Math Curriculum and Technology Integration Specialist in Delphi, Indiana.  Kyle likes using Edulastic as a multipurpose platform for stations, quizzes, exit-tickets, and test prep. He is working on developing a regional consortium for math teachers in grades 6-12, and helping teachers in his school integrate more technology in their classrooms. Outside of the classroom, he enjoys playing golf, swimming with his family and snacking on cinnamon jolly ranchers! We had fun getting to know Kyle and hope you enjoy the interview!

Kyle Kline

Math Curriculum and Technology Integration Specialist
Delphi Community Jr. – Sr. High School
Delphi, Indiana  
16 years working in education
@MrKline_EdTech                                                              

 

“Start basic with a paper assessment you already have created. Try turning that assessment into an Edulastic test. As students start taking your assessment, check out the real-time results. When they are finished, analyze your overall results, but also check with the students. What did they think about the online assessment compared to the paper assessment? Ask them how they liked seeing their results immediately… Give Edulastic a few tries. I am sure you, and most of your students, will not want to go back to paper any time soon.”

– Kyle Kline

Get to know Kyle Kline

 

What do you love about working in education? What motivates you? 

My favorite thing about teaching is watching students’ (which includes my teachers) eyes light up when they do something unexpected. With students, it can mean understanding a question on a topic that they have struggled with previously. With teachers, it is watching their eyes light up when they try something new with technology that enhances their classroom or makes their job easier.

Why did you become a teacher? 

I originally went to Purdue University to major in biology. After my freshmen year, I switched majors to Math Education. My father has always been a teacher or administrator and he and I had a great conversation about how I have always been a people person. He also mentioned how there will always be a need for math teachers. He has always been my mentor so how could I not take his advice. 🙂

What is your “Edulastic story”? 

I was only a few months into my new position as Math Curriculum and Technology Integration Specialist when I was introduced to Edulastic by a teacher at a math conference hosted by the Central Indiana Educational Service Center in Indianapolis. The teacher mentioned how they had started using Edulastic in their classroom. I went home that night and started doing my homework. Edulastic was EXACTLY the technology tool that I had been looking for to give students opportunities to work with different type of tech-enhanced type of questions.

Describe your Edulastic “aha” moment.

Technology Integration Coach, Kyle Kline, loves helping students reach their AHA moments with digital assessment

I wanted a platform where students could practice answering questions in a PARCC style format, or complete interactive online activities with associated questions. I also wanted a platform students could use for multiple purposes, such as stations, quizzes, exit-tickets, and test prep.

After we logged in the first few times for stations, students were able to quickly transition and login to Edulastic with ease. I felt confident that I had found the platform I was looking for, so next I tried a vocabulary comprehension quiz. After that, we added the spelling portion to it. Students quickly discovered the “login with Google” tab, which made using Edulastic even easier. It was our “go-to” app for completing activities and quizzes. In just a minute or two, my students were logged in, working, and engaged. Behind the scenes, Edulastic graded each assignment, and gave me real-time data that created instant reteaching opportunities for struggling students.

What are your teaching/learning goals this year?

Each semester I start off with 3 goals. My goals for the upcoming fall semester include understanding and working more with AR, VR, and AI. They are all relatively new and have some great applications for student engagement and learning. My second goal is to continue to develop a regional consortium that consists of math teachers in grades 6-12. Our main focus will be on student engagement in math classes and preparing our students for the Grade 10 state assessment. (Edulastic will be a big part of that!) My 3rd goal will be to continue helping teachers integrate Google more within their classrooms. My school has been a Google school for almost 10 years, but we barely scratch the surface of how the G Suite for Education tools can really enhance our teaching as well as student learning.

Sum up your teaching philosophy in a few sentences! 

Everyone can learn! It doesn’t matter if it is a student or an adult, everyone can take the initiative to learn something new or re-learn something that they may have forgotten. It just requires support and positive relationships.

Favorite motivational quote:

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.

Tips for new Edulastic users:

Start basic with a paper assessment you already have created. Try turning that assessment into an Edulastic test. As students start taking your assessment, check out the real-time results. When they are finished, analyze your overall results but also check with the students. What did they think about the online assessment compared to the paper assessment? Ask them how they liked seeing their results immediately. (If that is what you chose to do.) There will be students that still like paper better. So make sure you give them some scratch paper or some other sort of organized work paper for them to show their work and to turn in. On one of your next assessments, try rewording your questions and put them in a different type of question. See how your students can think differently depending on the type of question. Give Edulastic a few tries. I am sure you, and most of your students, will not want to go back to paper any time soon.

Quick Facts

Favorite Edulastic question type?

Definitely the graphing question type. As a math person, those type questions are not available anywhere else!

Favorite snack while using Edulastic

Cinnamon Jolly Ranchers

Coffee or Tea?

Tea

Spring or Fall?

Fall

Computer?

Mac

Favorite Book:

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Best tactic for getting the class quiet?

Just stand in the front of the room, look at them, and wait for them to be quiet. It beats yelling any day.

Must- have classroom Decor: 

My posters from The Office

Why don’t M&Ms melt in my hand?

Probably because I pour them straight from the bag into my mouth.

Kindest compliment you have received from a student or teacher?

That I have been a mentor, role model, and father figure for them since their father passed away when they were 4 years old. It didn’t have anything to do with learning math. It had all to do with the love for the work that I do and the love for the kids I teach.

Funniest student moment?

One of my students asked me, “How are we supposed to learn something if we don’t even know it?” I just laughed and said, “Precisely.”

How do you like to spend your free time?

Playing golf or going swimming with my family.

Favorite time of the school year and why:

I love the beginning of school. Everyone, students AND teachers, are excited to be there! It refreshing and everyone feels renewed and ready to rock!

Greatest accomplishment in the classroom this past year:

My greatest accomplishment came from the power of putting myself out there and trying something new. I have always been so excited about virtual reality and 360 degree cameras. This year Google opened up applications to be a part of their Expeditions Beta program. I was lucky enough to be accepted! I have some friends in other school districts within Indiana that were also accepted. Together, the three of us had the opportunity to take our cameras to the Indianapolis Zoo and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (where they host the Indianapolis 500 race) and get some amazing 360 photos to create some Expeditions that will hopefully be on the Google Expeditions list some day soon! It was an amazing experience to get some behind-the-scenes tours and take some pictures of places most people, aside from the employees, do not get to see.
Green Star

Join Kyle Kline and other educators:

View Previous
View Next