Teacher Shift

How the Tech Savvy Teacher Can Pursue a Passion With Alfonso Mendoza

• Ali Simon & JoDee Scissors • Episode 74

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This week on the podcast, Ali and JoDee are joined by Alfonso Mendoza, an Instructional Technologist with more than 17 years of experience in education. Together, they’ll discuss how becoming an early adopter of technology in the classroom can benefit both the teacher and the students, the importance of self advocacy and sharing achievements, and taking risks in education with technology. 


Connect with Fonz:
Website: https://www.myedtech.life/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myedtechlife/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyEdTechLife/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyEdTechLife

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Connect with Ali and JoDee:
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Teacher Shift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teacher-shift
Ali’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisimon/
JoDee’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodeescissors/

Website
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/

Episode Transcriptions
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/blog

Ali  0:06  
Teachers are natural innovators, entertainers and problem solvers. They dream of growing old into the profession, teaching their kids kids. But sometimes career goals shift, and that makes opportunities outside of the classroom seem intangible questioning, who am I if I'm not a teacher? I'm your host, Ali Simon.

JoDee  0:29  
And I'm your co host, JoDee Scissors.

Ali  0:32  
And this is Teacher Shift.

JoDee  0:43  
Take risks. That's what we teach our students. We even model it to. Making a career shift can mean taking a risk. But it can also mean pursuing a passion or strength in an area where you shine. Today, we talk with a leader in edtech, and how you can make your skills shine with a shift.

Ali  1:06  
Fonz Mendoza is an instructional technologist and Google innovator with 17 years of experience in education. He's a servant leader, looking for creative ways to help his community use the power of technology. In his podcast My EdTech life, Fonz amplifies the voices of educators by giving them a platform to share stories, struggles, successes, and everything in between. Welcome to the show today.

Alfonso  1:33  
Thank you so much. I am so excited to be here as a guest. I'm a longtime follower, longtime listener. And it's always great to be a guest on one of your favorite podcasts that you listen to. And as you know, many times as podcasters, we don't get the chance to be on the other side receiving questions. So I'm really excited to be able to have an opportunity to share a little bit about me and my work, and, of course, answering all of your questions.

JoDee  2:01  
The feeling is mutual, I've been listening to you. And you know, you emerge into the podcast world, just after I left teaching. And I was you know, from the moment I stepped into the classroom, I was Ed Tech all the way one of my principals kind of saw something in me and I just really honed in on that skill. But I'm not in the classroom anymore, but it's still fine. Your episodes are so helpful, because I work in ed tech. I work with arts organizations. And so all of the tips and strategies are still applicable to the work that I do. Because we serve students, we serve teachers. So I really enjoy listening to your podcast as well. And I love the little aspect of live, that's a really special quality to be able to listen and submit questions and react. It's a lot of fun to do that. So you have a good thing going.

Alfonso  2:52  
Thank you. I really appreciate it. Like I said, it's definitely been a long time coming and a work in progress and still a work in progress. But thank you so much for that feedback, it really makes me feel wonderful that, you know, there are people that are listening and find some value in the podcast as that's what we try and do. Just really amplify voices, bring important conversations into our education space. And my goal is always for our educators, education practitioners, entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, creators, just to connect with each other one show at a time.

JoDee  3:23  
Yeah. Have you always been an instructional technologist? Or did you kind of find your way there through another educational avenue?

Alfonso  3:31  
Yeah, actually very similar to what you just mentioned, is I started off as a high school algebra teacher. Well, actually, let me retract a little bit more. Actually, I'm a businessman turned educator. So I actually have a bachelor's in business, my specific area is marketing. So I transitioned into education, there was a little fork in the road moment. Being an only child, a lot of responsibility fell on me. And so my dad became ill for a while and I just needed to be there. Just tend to him and make sure that he makes it to everywhere that he needs to make it. And he's doing great. He's going to be 87 this year, so everything's great. But, but because of that I turned into education, and was something that I never thought that I would do, because I always said, I never want to be a teacher. But as soon as I fell into education, I absolutely fell in love with everything about it. I think the transition was very easy with my marketing skills coming into the classroom, and selling algebra to 27 individual students. And not every student is going to buy it the same way. Well, that's where those marketing skills come in, otherwise known now as personalized learning. So I always tell people, I was wearing the cool band shirt before the band was cool, you know, in that sense. So, you know, again, years of just taking risks in the classroom, being able to work with my students and implementing a lot of technology. Seven years ago, that's when I got into this role as an instructional software specialist or instructional technologist for the school district. And that's where I've been since and, you know, helping build capacity, bringing some of the best practices and helping our teachers innovate here within our school district. And obviously, even working with our students, doing STEM camps and really amplifying their creativity and just helping them feel comfortable with tech and seeing all the great things that are possible through tech.

Ali  5:29  
So I love hearing how you actually made two shifts. You made a shift from business into education, and then within education into like instructional technology. I find that teachers, if they have never made their first shift yet, they get a little bit nervous about making a change, especially when it's within the school system. Because sometimes that seems like unattainable. There may not be that many positions in your district that are not teaching positions, that are in you know, the central office or where your role might be housed. What would you say maybe motivated you, inspired you? Like, how did you take that leap, that extra step to make that next shift to where you are now?

Alfonso  6:12  
Absolutely, it was something that was really unplanned. Really, I didn't even know that this position existed in my district. So maybe that kind of tells you a little bit about how things were. What I did is, my passion for education and my passion for technology, bringing that in. When I moved from high school to elementary, that's really when I was able to take more risks, because I had the students year round. Here in our district, we do block schedule. So high school kids, I had them for, I guess, August to December, and then I had a new batch of kids that would come in. But when I got to elementary, oh my gosh, having the kiddos all year long. I was able to do so much more, and really take risks and amplify their creativity and their learning through the use of technology. And so the district kind of started seeing things and I started sharing things on social media. And just sharing out, sharing out, sharing out on Twitter, Instagram. And then I would share, I would email my director of technology. I would email my assistant sup, and say, Hey, look at what we're doing. And I would just get, you know, polite messages saying, Oh, great. You know, that's nice. Oh, you know, and I know that they're busy, but I just kept doing it. And then I just thought bigger picture. I said, Look, you know, maybe within my school, we did a code camp, which later on led to a summer STEM camp. And then that's when kind of, you know, signs were like, Hey, what are they doing over there? Like, we want that done over here. Like, why don't we have that? And so then, you know, they started looking at what I was doing. And then actually the position came available, because the person that was here ahead of me moved to an administrative position. And so they had a vacancy. And I applied, and out of all of the participants that, you know, put in their application, I was the Blessed One to be able to get into this role and have been here for seven years now. And it's been an amazing learning experience. Like you mentioned, shifting from marketing, to education now to EdTech. And then I'm sure that we're gonna talk a little bit later into the next shift, you know, still within the scope. But yeah, it's really exciting. And my best advice to everybody is, just go for it. If you have a mission, and you have a passion, and maybe it's just not being noticed yet. Don't stop. Keep doing it. And you know, don't be afraid to share out to your administrator. Don't be afraid to share out even with people in central office. Because, again, you know, nobody's going to notice if you don't, you know, speak for yourself or advocate for yourself. So that's the best advice that I can give people.

JoDee  8:53  
Well and there's some things that I noticed just about your story in general is you were an early adopter. So when your school had something to roll out or to use, you were adopting it and you weren't, you weren't just keeping it to yourself. You were teaching others around you, even teaching others outside of your building which is kind of similar to the way that when I worked in school districts. They rolled out, you know, Google Chromebooks or they rolled out a new software, whatever it was, I was usually an early adopter. And I was usually teaching my teammates how to use it. And then my students were always the most skilled technology users in the building. And I didn't realize how skilled they were until my daughter became that age. And I realized how much I needed to teach her to get to the level that my students had been in at her age. But you really honed in on that skill and you shared it out. And that's something that I also think about when it comes to making a shift is honing in on something you're really passionate about, and seeing how you can help others with it because there's always a way to level up in terms of how do you get others to do what you do so well. And I think you did that.

Alfonso  10:07  
Yes. And you know, going back to what you're saying, I always love to share this anecdote that you mentioned. Chromebooks had just started fitting our district. And in our elementary, we only had two Chromebook carts. Do we call them cows computers on wheels.

JoDee  10:21  
I haven't heard that. But we did have them. 

Alfonso  10:23  
Yes, so we had that. And I was that one teacher that checked them out the whole year, because nobody knew what to do with them. Nobody knew what they were. Nobody knew how to implement them. And so I said, You know what, I mean yeah, I'll take them. Like, if nobody's using them, I'll put them to use. And the kids use them every single day. So much so that for those last two years before I got into this role, my last class that I had before I transitioned, like Mr. Mendoza, you know, the whole year, I think we didn't use the cow for like three days. They were keeping tabs. And because we were continually using them for projects, and everything was project based. I never gave assessments at all. Everything was alright, Monday, I'm going to do my initial teach. Tuesday, we're going to work on something together. And then Wednesday, Thursday, you're going to work on your projects, which was either a Google slide. You're going to create Screencastify. You're going to record your voice. You're going to create a graphic. You're going to do whatever which way you feel comfortable with presenting the mastery of this content to me. And Friday, you're gonna either submit it electronically, you're gonna present as a group, whatever way you feel most comfortable. And that's the way my classroom ran. And my students were very successful in so many areas and being able to do so much. So it was just so wonderful to be able to do that that, like you mentioned. I learned a lot from them. But at the end, they became so tech inclined that as the year progressed, and they moved from fifth grade to sixth grade, they were showing the teachers how to use Google Drive, how to use Google Docs. And they were repurposing their content from fifth grade to make it applicable to sixth grade. And so I still have one last group of seniors this year, which are my fifth graders at the time, that are graduating. And every time I see them still, they're like, sir, I'm still using my, my work, or, Hey, I still have my portfolio, or I still have this. And so it's just been great to be able to see that.

JoDee  12:30  
Like, I just want to snap. I want to clap. I want to give all the hearts. I love that so much.

Ali  12:36  
I love that too. And it's such a gift that you gave your students with technology, because not every teacher has that gift to give them. And so the fact that you were able to give that to them. I remember, I don't know about you, JoDee, but like learning how to use PowerPoint, like back in the day, elementary school. Like, we were at the frontiers with like PowerPoint. And now I just I'm actually really thankful that I learned that so young, because I still use that in my day job now.

JoDee  13:07  
I think that like PowerPoint, and slides are just like a gateway to immense skills that can be built. They're simplified. So like, if you move on to like, an Adobe software, you already have these, like really simplified skills that you've learned, and you can make them as complex as you want in  those kinds of presentation tools. But I really think they're just kind of like a foundational skill that can be applied to other software.

Alfonso  13:33  
Yeah, absolutely. And I think one of the things, too, that I wanted to add is just really, it's just being able to take risks. And oftentimes I understand that there's so much pressure, you know, being curriculum, and after COVID, it just seems like there's so much more that is put on teachers. They're spinning 100 plates, and then they add one more and so on. And for them to find time to take that risk, because what would have the lesson doesn't work? What if I spent... I wasted too much time? What if this happened? Tou know, it's difficult. But I think it's something that we as well, I shouldn't say we because I'm not an administrator per se, but I think there needs to be some of that built in to where you really make that time to take that risk, allow students to have discourse, allow students to learn from one another, and you to learn from your students. And to understand also for teachers that it's okay to not know everything, and not be the expert at that given time. But you're going to learn with your students and from your students. And they're going to learn from you too as well. And I think that was my mentality coming in where it's okay for me not to know everything and I didn't feel any less than you know, than I am as an educator because I'm like, Hey, I'm facilitating something. And I'm showing you the little that I know, but they took it to the next level that pushed me to learn more. And then I learned from them and then they learned from each other. And it was just great. I'm just a firm believer in that. You know, the the time that I take and building that community, the return on instruction is going to be bigger because I've built that community. We've built that community and we're all learning together.

JoDee  15:16  
You showed risk taking. Like, we can't just talk about it, we have to model it. I don't want to butcher the episode, but the one with Tim Needles, you both were talking about how technology can help you. Like sometimes we think new things are just more to our plate. There's a learning curve. But if you take the time to really understand it, and test it, and take risks. It's actually in the end going to help you in some way.

Alfonso  15:44  
Yeah, absolutely. And like I said, I've always been a believer in that. And I've seen it. I've seen it firsthand. And I know that it can be replicated. It's just that things are so different now. And sometimes even myself, I find myself not having enough time to be able to do what I want to do with the teachers to help build more of that capacity. Because it's like, well, these are what needs to get done. This is priority. And of course, it's going to be the software's because we need data because we're paying for this and we're doing that. And I said yes, that's all great and all, but we need to really help our students understand that it's just more than just the software's. What else can be done through that technology? But also the teachers out to take a lesson to that next level and be able to go in deeper. But again, it's just it's one of those battles, where it's one of me for 14 schools altogether. So there isn't any other help that I get. So it, it's I'm being pulled in different directions. And so I can only do so much. And again, it's... I wish I had more time to really be able to share this and share the passion and make things a little bit better. You know, I think that's one of those things that I just put on myself so much too, as well, like, what can I do to make things better for you.

Ali  17:06  
I can tell just from speaking with you that you are making things better in your district, like your passion is just shining through. And yes, you have to do the things that are required. But I know you're making time when you're able to, and teachers who are able to learn from you are incredibly lucky. Also, they can listen to your podcast and be inspired as well. I want to pivot a little bit to something that really stood out to JoDee and I. And it's that you utilize LinkedIn and your socials really well to stay connected to other EdTech professionals. Why might this be valuable to a teacher who's still in the classroom?

Alfonso  17:42  
Oh, my goodness, of course. You know, I didn't really hit LinkedIn until I got into my master's program. And my master's in Educational Technology for one of my courses. They required us to create a LinkedIn account. And I was like, Okay, so did that. And then from then on, I didn't pay much attention to it, because I, you know, to me, it was just all about Twitter, Instagram, you know, things of that sort. But now, I am seeing the power of LinkedIn and being able to really be connected. One of the things is, is that now I'm in the point in my life where I need to see what's coming up in the future. Like currently, right now I'm working on my doctorate. And so hopefully, maybe within a year to a year and a half, I want to get that done. And obviously that's going to open up more doors. So although I am still very well connected with educators on Instagram and Twitter, that is more of my informal learning community. I call them my PLF, which is my personal learning family. Because I learned from everybody there on my socials. And so you'll hear me referenced that, you know, my my personal learning family. And then on LinkedIn, that's more of where I show the professional side. And not only what I'm doing here, but what I'm currently doing as far as the podcast, what I am able to do. Because obviously you that's where you want to show up at your best. Because people are watching, people are looking, and you never know when somebody might find your bio and your your page and say, hey, you know, I want to reach out to you for possible a job, which has happened. You know, or interviews. It's been great that I've even been called in for interviews without even applying to certain places because of what they see and the content that I put out there. But also the connection is different. So like I said, with socials like Twitter and Instagram, that is my informal learning. But on LinkedIn that's more of my professional network or I'm going to connect and one person can help me connect to that next level person and that next level, which would be even for podcast interviews, or for possibilities to collaborate. And I've been able to find some side hustles through that too, as well to be able to collaborate with companies and do some work with companies based on what they see. So it is very crucial. I think now, for anybody in any job situation, whether you're in education or not education, really pay attention to your LinkedIn and really, really use it, and leverage that power to help you garner those connections. Because you never know when that next opportunity may come up. Or that one thing that you do really just catches someone's eye. And that can easily take you to either a next level of connection, or can possibly open up doors for you as far as jobs, you know. So I definitely am big on that.

You broke that down really well. You know, using other socials like Instagram, Twitter, if you have Facebook, like, that's, you know, more for you said, personal learning family. And I'm also in like, a lot of groups. I do a lot of Facebook, so groups with, you know, other foreign language teachers. I'm still in those groups, because I love learning about it. And, you know, yeah, I utilize a lot of those Facebook groups just to really better myself as both you know, someone who works with young people and as a mom. I have two kids. But LinkedIn is a really great professional space. And I just keep getting more and more into it, I found out about so many organizations and companies that I didn't know about until I got on LinkedIn. And I, you know, I see them talk about other companies that they've worked, with people that I follow, or that I've connected with. And I just think it's such a valuable resource. And I love how you really broke that down and showed the value in being on that platform.

JoDee  21:45  
I'm just wondering about like, because we talk a lot about teacher identity on here. And when I first got on to LinkedIn, I did not know what I was supposed to post about. I felt a little bit of like I was an imposter in this professional network of people. Because my immediate PLC,  the people I knew in the building, they weren't on LinkedIn. They weren't doing any of that. And so I did feel like a little bit of an imposter. So how did you figure out what to post? Because like you in grad school, I was asked to start a LinkedIn page. I did it. And I still was like, What am I sharing? What am I saying? Does anybody care? So did you have a moment of like, identity exploration in terms of what to post and what to say and what to do on that platform?

Alfonso  22:35  
You know, it's very interesting. And I know that this is something that I hear a lot on the podcast, which is, you know, your teacher identity or your identity. And I see that a lot. You know, the interesting thing is, is that I never really see myself just, I don't want to say just as a teacher, but just an educator. For me, it's just always sharing my passion. So I know that on LinkedIn, at first, I was like, Okay, I'm just going to do this for grad school. And just, here's my portfolio of what I'm doing in grad school. Because that was, that was our whole thing, like, we didn't have a comprehensive exam. They're like, you're just gonna create your portfolio of all your projects that you've done. Tou're gonna put it on LinkedIn, and maybe somebody will see what you're able to do. But then I was like, there really isn't any value in that, because it doesn't tell you a story. You're just showing schoolwork. So what I started doing is just making that shift of speaking of what I am passionate about, and just sharing it there. Like, Hey, if you notice on my title, it doesn't even say that I am a teacher. And it just says like, Ed Tech enthusiast. You know, I am an EdTech expert, EdyTech this because, to me, that's what I see myself as first, which is really weird. Because I know that I've been in education for 17 years, 11 years in the classroom. But I don't call myself, or as a title, an educator. I'm, I'm an EdTech enthusiast, who just happens to be an educator or in the education space too, but also in the in the marketing space. And so I'm kind of all over the place. And I call myself oftentimes a multi passionate creative. So because I love to, like I dip my fingers and toes into everything. But I started just really shifting there and in helping me. What's going to help me look most professional and the skill sets that I have built up coming from marketing into education, and then my experience in education, and learning from vendors and learning from platforms, as far as you know, what works, what doesn't. Now, I have really put myself out there as you know, somebody that loves to collaborate with companies to figure out their UX, UI. You know, user experience. You know, and that's what I do mainly with a lot of companies that reach out. They're like, Hey, can you take a look at this or, Hey, we're trying to get into Texas, what are some suggestions? Then we'll sit and we'll have a meeting, 30 minutes or an hour, and we'll talk and I'll give them feedback based on their products. So it's really just that. You know, I put myself out there as the expert that I am in my field due to the experience. And I don't put educator, you know, ninth grade algebra. You know, elementary this. It's what I am passionate about, and what I hope to grow into. So that's the kind of, I guess you would say, the identity that I put there on social media. What I'm hoping to continue to grow in and grow into, as opposed to what I'm currently doing.

Ali  25:40  
I love that. That's really inspirational. I really liked that. One last question for you. How can a teacher get a role like yours in instructional technology?

Alfonso  25:52  
Yeah, so tips for that. Okay, first of all, really look at your district and see what is available as far as this particular role. Other districts, it may be tech coach. Other districts it may be, they call them like innovation leads. Here, they call me instructional tech. So it just all depends on the district and the title. Look for those roles, see how many people might be in that particular role. And oftentimes, because of the size of the school district, the number may not really match up very well, based on the population. Now, again, I know that I mentioned earlier in the show that there's one of me, for all 14 schools. But I gotta tell you that a lot of the decisions that are made are based on enrollment. However, if you are in a bigger school district, and you see that you may only have, let's say, like two or three for like a large district. And you know, maybe they never took time to think and say, Hey, we need to provide more support, or do those things. So best thing to do is be knowledgeable about what your district support looks like and is there room for growth for that particular position. And if not, maybe look at neighboring school districts that may offer those roles. But the most important thing is to be prepared yourself, to be able to step into that role, really practice what you preach, like you were talking about now, you know, taking risks, really amplifying creativity, you know, teacher knowledge, building up capacity, how well do you work with not only teachers, but students. You need to take that into account, because many times you think, Well, I'm going to move over here, I'm only going to be working with teachers. Oftentimes I do more work with students than when I do with teachers. And so you have to understand that, although you may be leaving the classroom doesn't mean that you get away from the students, you know. So think about those things. But also, like I mentioned, always share what you're doing. I know that sometimes people may find that, you know, maybe just off putting because they're like, Oh, well, they're just sharing this. And you know, look at what they did. And oh, they received this badge or they got that certification. Don't mind them, because this is your future, not theirs. This is your path, not theirs. And if it's something that they're not able to do at that time, well, I mean, that's on them. However, many times, they will get inspired by what you're doing too, as well and might continue your lead and continue to grow. But don't let that set you back. Continue to move forward. Because again, if you are not your biggest cheerleader, chances are somebody out there is not going to be your biggest cheerleader either because they don't know or have heard about what you're doing. So put yourself in that limelight, and just in a very positive way, and just share what you're doing. And send that out to your CTO, send it out to your building admin, send it out to your assistant sup. And that's the way that it started for me. And I guess that's that marketing perspective that I come with. I'm selling myself to you and what I can do and the benefits that I bring. And that could very well be something that can help you maybe in that role that you want to pursue. But that also applies to any roles that may happen outside of school as well. Maybe there's a transition, all those things. Just prepare yourself for those and really show your personality and what it is that you want to grow into.

Ali  29:33  
That is solid advice. And when you mentioned earlier about sharing out your achievements, the things that you were doing with technology. I wrote that down. I'm like toot your own horn because no one else is going to do it for you. You need to really highlight the work that you're doing, whether it's in the classroom, outside of the classroom. Email the powers that be. I remember one year I did, I did a newsletter that I sent home like once a month or something like that, or I would submit for our school newsletter with the activities that we were doing in my classroom. You need to be your best advocate for yourself because that's your power. That's what you have. You're in control of that you get not in control of everything, but you can be in control of that. So I really love the advice that you gave today. I love learning about your story.

JoDee  30:17  
I'm inspired, you motivated me.

Ali  30:20  
I'm gonna get on LinkedIn and update my profile today. Like I'm just like that needs to happen. But I want our listeners to know that they can connect with you on various socials. They can find you on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok at My Ed Tech Life. We'll link that in the show notes and also through your website, myedtechlife.com Thank you again for your time today.

Alfonso  30:43  
Oh, thank you. It was a pleasure. It was an honor. Like I said, it's not always as podcasters we may be on the other side receiving questions and sharing our story. But this was such a delight. And thank you so much for filling my bucket today. And again, just a huge fan of the work that you are doing and you know, just continue doing what you're doing because you're definitely making a difference and making a change.

Ali  31:12  
Are you interested in suggesting a topic for Teacher Shift? Being a guest or recommending a guest? Please see the episodes page on our website to make a submission. And if you'd like to write for us, see our blog page. If you liked Teacher Shift, give us a five star rating and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Apple podcasts, Spotify and Amazon music. Today's episode was written and recorded by me, Ali Simon and my co host, JoDee Scissors. Executive produced by Teacher Shift. Produced and edited by Emily Porter. Original Music: Emoji by Tubebackr.