Alex Ortiz
Interesting Times: A Retrospective
"There is a Chinese curse which says "May he live in interesting times." Like it or not, we live in interesting times. They are times of...
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On the Road to Find Out
a series of educated guesses
by Alex Ortiz
Alex Ortiz
May 2, 20201 min read
Delightful Digital Distraction (A Reflection)
I've been teaching video game design for the last three years. As most everyone knows, a considerable amount of coding goes into video...
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Alex Ortiz
May 1, 20202 min read
A Look Back (Impact of a Growth Mindset)
At the beginning of this adventure, we were asked to develop a Growth Mindset Plan. Recognizing the need for some positive thinking in my...
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Alex Ortiz
Apr 10, 20202 min read
To Your (Mental) Health (A Reflection)
As the title implies, this is by no means an advice column. Rather, it's more of a chronicle of my own personal struggles amid the chaos....
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Alex Ortiz
Apr 9, 20202 min read
Connecting the Dots vs. Collecting the Dots (Video Reaction)
Authenticity. If it's one thing today's learners value, it's authenticity; they want to feel part of something meaningful that has the...
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Alex Ortiz
Mar 6, 20201 min read
Scratch-ing the Surface (Mini-Review)
Although I haven't started formally teaching a coding class (Elsik Ninth Grade Center received that honor this year), it hasn't stopped...
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Alex Ortiz
Mar 5, 20202 min read
Opportunity through Flexibility & Genuine Connection (A Learning Philosophy)
I work for a Title I district, which means we receive additional federal funding to help us better assist our students (the majority of...
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Alex Ortiz
Feb 16, 20202 min read
Distance Learning and the Digital Divide (A Reflection)
Prior to the pandemic, I would dream of my ideal K-12 education environment: a mix of on-campus and distance learning, all married...
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Alex Ortiz
Feb 15, 20202 min read
A Culture of Learning (Video Reaction)
I'll admit that this was the first time I've ever heard of Douglas Thomas. After watching his TED talk, I can certainly say that I'm glad...
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Alex Ortiz
Dec 19, 20194 min read
Innovate for Alief
In a joint venture with Elsik Main and Elsik Ninth Grade Center (led by fellow coding educator Duane Daigrepont), the Elsik High School...
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Alex Ortiz
Oct 15, 20191 min read
Innovation Proposal
As part of our ongoing initiative with Apple and Lamar University, participating educators have been asked to draft a plan for...
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Alex Ortiz
Aug 17, 20191 min read
A New (School) Year
Greetings, folks! This will perhaps be one of my smaller updates since there isn't much to report. School started on August 14th, and I'm...
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Alex Ortiz
Jun 30, 20192 min read
Alief ISD Student Coding Camp (06/24 - 06/27) (ENGC)
After just two weeks since we had attended the teacher-focused coding academy, it was time to put our newfound skills to use and host one...
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Alex Ortiz
Jun 19, 20192 min read
Growth Mindset Plan
If you're like me, then positive thinking isn't necessarily the easiest thing to practice. It's easy enough to say what's wrong or cast...
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Alex Ortiz
Jun 17, 20191 min read
Coding Academy Recap (06/10 - 06/14) (Houston, TX)
Well, this recap has certainly been a long time coming! A summary: Apple, Houston Community College and Lamar University have teamed up...
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Alex Ortiz
Jun 13, 20191 min read
Assessing the Assessor
As an educator, I occasionally forget that the learning isn't just for the students. My swift reminder came in the form of a technology...
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