Hi!  My name is Keith Payne.  I am currently teaching school in Cherokee County for the FOCUS program.  For those of you who are not aware of what FOCUS is let me try to explain this concept to you.  FOCUS is a program for BEH/BED children.  It is in a self-contained setting with 18 students and 6 assistants.  I am certified in k-12 special education with a discipline area in LD and BEH.  Because of this certification, I have taught children from 1st grade all the way through the 8th grade so you will see a variety of lesson plans and web sites that I have used over the past 3 years.

Over the past three years I have used technology ranging from a simple overhead projector to a giant greenscreen which makes the student actually part of the demonstration.  I have used mobile internet connections, small computer labs, assigned projects using Power Point, word, publisher, and many other applications that I enjoy using.  I have found that if you put technology in front of a student, they are instantly interested in whatever you tell them.  They seem to know that they are in for a fun ride and they want you to take them on an adventure.  Technology has allowed me to become a better teacher in all aspects of what a teacher is.  I am more organized, have more detailed lesson plans, have been able to understand concepts and teach them better than ever before and technology has allowed me to use less of my time outside of school wondering what I am going to do next week.

So take a little time and look around.  I hope you will find something that you can use in your classroom.