Thalia (Journal 1)

     My name is Thalia Mendoza. I was born in Havana, Cuba, but raised in Miami, Florida. I grew up in a single parent household & have always been really independent. Growing up I always attempted to explore a bunch of different hobbies and interests, so I was always up to something. Some of my hobbies growing up consisted of playing volleyball and soccer. I also used to volunteer in my community a lot at nursing homes and with youth. As much as I love sports and working in educational settings, my passion is law. I hope to become a criminal and personal injury attorney in a few years. 
    
    Ever since I could remember, I have always worked in an education setting, even though I never wanted to be a teacher. Thinking back, I have really worked with youth all my life. When I was in high school, I was a student coach at a middle school, working with the volleyball and soccer teams. Throughout high school, I would continuously go into elementary schools to work with the students by reading to them. After I graduated from high School, I coached a high school volleyball team. In college, I have had the privilege of working with the Peace Jam Foundation, an international non profit committed to creating the next generation of youth leaders. During the COVID-19 pandemic I worked as a 4th and 5th grade math and science teacher at a private school, since I had my AA degree. Here in Tallahassee I also served as a preschool teacher at School for Young Children, primarily working with the 1-2 year olds, which I absolutely loved! Now, I work a side job at Amos P. Godby High School, as a girls soccer and volleyball coach. Throughout all these roles, I always incorporated technology for the most part. I would say that while working with Peace Jam, I have used technology tremendously, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Powerpoint and canvas presentations were used often to host workshops. I have hosted multiple  workshops for the international community. For instance, I hosted some workshops on inclusive language, 9/11, and emergency management as well. Within these presentations, I also incorporate videos and graphics as well. In my coaching role, I have used technology to record their games and make high light videos for the girls, in order to help them for college. These videos are not only to teach them how they can improve, but also for their recruiting process. While being a teacher at a private school, I used technology to teach my students specific science lessons, by showing them virtual field trips and doing simulations with them. I have also used photoshop, in order to create content for business plans for my social entrepreneurship class. Using zoom, slack, and teams have been especially useful during the pandemic. 

    I would say that for my PLN, I would primarily use resources like quizlet and google workplace. These are perhaps the more general resources that have helped me meet my education goals. These have helped me become more organized and kind of keep track of all my assignments and tasks. With my busy schedule this is what works the best for me. Quizlet helps me with my study guides, especially because it is tailored to the way that I study. I use tiktok as well now, to kind of help me with my life post grad. I like to follow and watch content from influencers in the legal field, whether they are law students or well established attorneys.