Salutations from the Mountain Lakes Region!

Howdy! My name is Michelle Raines and I teach 7th Grade ELA at GCHS in Gilmer County. I am a fifth year teacher, and still feel like I am learning more about teaching every day in the classroom. I recently married my true love, but my previous last name of Townsend is what I am listed as on coursework until I get my name changed at FSU. We reside in the boonies of Braxton county with our farm dog and wily cat.

I have a BA in English and a MA in Teaching, both from Marshall University. I've been wanting to broaden my knowledge base for a while and was very excited to find the Digital Media, New Literacies, and Learning program at FSU. This is my first semester in the program, and I look forward to learning how to do things that I can immediately put to use for the benefit of students and staff where I teach.

In addition to teaching, I also enjoy spending time in the outdoors, photography, and writing. As an amateur blogger, I enjoy sharing bits of my existence with the rest of the world at www.appalachianprincess.com. 

I went all in with technology this school year when the WVDE supplied our students with Office365, and my students have become accustomed to utilizing their OneDrives and Outlook, as well as SAS and Newsela, among other sites. I find that using technology allows me to more easily differentiate on an individual level according to student need. Additionally, I'm starting to use Schoology in conjunction with Symbaloo to streamline things. I am sure that this course will help me become a more effective teacher and team member, and am eager to work with my classmates towards successful completion of objectives.