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member spotlight

Member Spotlight on Literacy Specialist Mandy Taylor

by Susan Meyer December 14, 2018

written by Susan Meyer

As you know, each month TCEA likes to shine the spotlight on one of our incredible members. We want to give our readers the inside scoop on what real educators are doing throughout Texas to make a difference in their students’ lives. As another year winds down, we have one more member spotlight to share with you this year! Our last member spotlight of 2018 is on Mandy Taylor. Mandy is a first-year literacy specialist at Hays CISD. Previously, she was a classroom teacher for 17 years and campus-based instructional coach for three years. Read on to learn more about Mandy’s story and her favorite advice and tech tips.

The Life of a District Literacy Specialist

In her first year as a literacy specialist, Mandy is able to support teachers, coaches, and administrators at multiple campuses in Hays CISD. Each day she takes on a lot of tasks and wears many different hats. You can find her attending or leading training, attending data meetings, modeling lessons in classrooms, or PLC planning with grade level teams. As Mandy explains, “I like the fact that I never know what I’m going to learn on any given day. I get to learn from so many amazing educators. I also love how technology can help a district our size stay connected across campuses.”

Connecting Teachers Near and Far

Mandy cites Twitter as a tool that has really helped her to stay connected to all her stakeholders across the district. (You can find her @mandymtaylor.) However, she is also using other mediums available to her to create more fun ways to connect with teachers nationwide. “I host a podcast with Josh Gauthier (@mrgfactoftheday) called Stories in EDU, hosted by the Bretzmann group. We visit with teachers across the country to hear stories from inside classrooms. It’s been a fun way to connect with teachers that I’ve met in my district and through social media and has opened up lots of new questions and things for me to learn.” You can access the podcast and listen to the latest episode and all past episodes here.

Ready to Get Fully Charged?

Mandy will be attending the 2019 TCEA Convention & Exposition and getting Fully Charged in San Antonio this February. Will you? “I love learning and presenting at TCEA. I also blogged for TCEA at the conference last year!” In fact, she will be presenting on personalized PD along with colleagues Amy Storer, Kristi Daws, and Knikole Taylor. Their 90-minute panel will be held at 8 a.m. on Wednesday February 6. It promises to shake up the traditional professional development model and provide voice and choice to teachers.

Tricks of the Trade

I couldn’t interview Mandy without asking for her best advice and favorite tech tools. Naturally, Mandy is focused on making connections and working with others. “My best tech-tip in general is to connect with other coaches. Coaching is a very lonely job because you are often the only one on your campus who does what you do. Twitter is a great way to connect, as well as the TCEA Community!”

And her favorite ed tech tool? It’s Flipgrid! “It can be used across multiple content areas, with adults and kids, and is a great tool for communicating with staff and parents. It’s got so many built-in features and is very user-friendly. It also has a great community of educators to support you as you’re learning how to implement it in your classroom!”

Thanks to Mandy for answering my questions and wrapping up 2018 with some great advice and resources! To learn about other innovative educators transforming education, you can read some of our previous member spotlight posts here. Do you know a TCEA member who needs to be in the spotlight? You can always email me your suggestions at smeyer@tcea.org.

December 14, 2018 0 comment

Member Spotlight on Lexi Law

by Susan Meyer October 17, 2018

written by Susan Meyer

The leaves are changing. The semester is well underway. And we’re excited to share with you another one of our TCEA members who is having an incredible impact on education! This month’s member spotlight shines on Lexi Law, an Education and Training teacher at the Wichita Falls ISD Career Education Center. Read on to learn more about Lexi, her work molding the next generation of educators, and her go-to tech tip.

A Teacher and a Leader

Before she became an Education and Training center teacher, Lexi taught fifth-grade science. Now she’s moved up to high school, and instead of inspiring budding scientists, she’s leading the next generation of educators! It would be hard to find someone more qualified to mold future teachers. She recently received her master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Midwestern State University. Beyond that, her list of accomplishments and accolades is long. She is the 2019 Region 9 Elementary Teacher of the Year. She has also previously been named the 2018 Wichita Falls ISD Elementary Teacher of the Year. She won the 2017 Ernest and Sarah Butler Excellence in Elementary Science Teaching Award from Texas Medical Association and was a 2016 and 2018 West Foundation Excellence in Teaching Recipient through Wichita Falls ISD. In addition to her other responsibilities, she is also the head organizer of the Wichita Falls Ed Camp.

Opening Doors for Future Educators

All educators have the unique joy of helping their students realize their future dreams. In Lexi’s case, the students she helps already know their dream–to become teachers themselves. In 2017, Wichita Falls opened a brand new facility, their Career Education Center. The program offers a number of career pathways, but the one Lexi works with is Education and Training. She helps her students really understand what the profession ultimately entails. As Lexi explains, “The most rewarding part about my job is changing the way my students view education and all of its bits and pieces.”

The students in the Education and Training Center aren’t just learning about education, they’re experiencing it. “My students get to spend part of the week on elementary campuses (field site) helping to pull small groups and be a resource to teachers all over the district. I want my students to feel like they are part something awesome and that they are making a difference even if it is just helping students build their fluency with sight words. My hope is to inspire them to be enthusiastic about the education world.”

Celebrating Technology in Education

Part of teaching her students about the world of education involves how technology fits into the equation. Things are changing fast. Already the landscape of education is different from what Lexi’s high school students experienced when they were in elementary school. As Lexi explains, “One thing that shocked my students after entering the elementary classrooms is how well the K-2 students work on Chromebooks.”

Lexi works with her students for two-hour blocks, which allows them to get valuable real-world experience. She shares what really engages her students: “Something I get really excited about is when my students get excited about helping the teachers with technology. When my students are in my classroom, we use technology a lot and I model many different ways teachers can use them to increase engagement in the classroom. In fact, one of our goals is to have all the senior students in my course become certified as a Google Certified Educator Level 1 and Level 2!”

Find Your Tech Mentor

As someone who supports future teachers in working with students and technology, Lexi’s suggestion for finding the best go-to tools and strategies is to harness the incredible knowledge of the community around you. “Technology is forever changing. My biggest technology tip to educators would be to try to be aware of the people who are on your campus that are ‘tech-savvy.’ Once you have located these educators, ask them to show you some of the lessons they do that incorporate technology. Ask them to show you how to set it up. As educators, many of them will take the time to teach you about their technology efforts. After all, they are teachers. I think my ease with technology came from just asking a colleague to show me one of her lessons and, after seeing it in action, I then felt like it was doable and achievable.”

In addition to working with educators in her community, Lexi has also found mentors and resources from TCEA. “[TCEA] is such an amazing resource, professional development, and opportunity for educators to get together and collaborate. I have enjoyed presenting at Chromebook Academy and the TCEA Convention. Both of these events I would highly recommend to educators who are wanting to learn more about technology in the classroom. The entire Professional Development team at TCEA is spectacular. I would highly recommend going to any of their sessions during TCEA events. Shout out to Peggy Reimers (@preimers) and Diana Benner (@diben); they always make educators, including myself, feel like rockstars!”

We hope you enjoyed this spotlight on extraordinary educator Lexi Law. To learn about other innovative educators transforming education, you can read some of our previous member spotlight posts here. Do you know a TCEA member who needs to be in the spotlight? You can always email me your suggestions at smeyer@tcea.org.

October 17, 2018 1 comment

Educational Trends Good Teaching

Member Spotlight on Janelle Safford

by Susan Meyer September 15, 2018

written by Susan Meyer

As another school year gets underway, we at TCEA continue to be amazed at the amazing educators we know. Each month, we shine the spotlight on one of the extraordinary educators who make up our membership. This month, we’re celebrating

Janelle Safford who is an Innovative Learning Design Specialist for grades K-5 in Sulphur Springs ISD. She serves as a mentor, teacher, and valuable touchstone for other educators as they work to seamlessly weave technology into their lessons to improve student success.

Read on to learn a little more about Janelle, including what her job entails, some of her best advice, and how she determines what tech tools to recommend.

A Lifelong Learner

Janelle is a longtime educator. In fact, she’s beginning her 25th year in education this year. She has gone from teaching fourth grade to kindergarten and now on to the new challenge of teaching other educators how they can make the most of their resources. Continued learning and professional development is something that Janelle both preaches and practices. As she explains: “I love sharing my passion for innovative practices that promote and advance student learning. I believe that as an educator, I must embrace the idea of being a lifelong learner myself if I am going to be an example for teachers and students.” Janelle maintains a number of certifications and continues to hone her product expertise as a Google Level 2 certified educator, Seesaw ambassador, Flipgrid ambassador, Peardeck coach, and certified BrainPop educator (CBE).

As part of her lifelong pursuit of learning, Janelle is currently working on a Master of Education in Digital Learning and Leading through Lamar University. “I have learned so much from this program that will benefit both myself and the students and teachers that I serve.”

Eliminating Tech Fears and Embracing Student Voice

Like any educator, Janelle finds great satisfaction in helping others discover something new. She takes pride in helping teachers make their jobs easier by finding the right tools to better engage students. She also wants to raise awareness and understanding about the Technology Applications TEKS and the ISTE standards for students and educators.

Technology in education can be something of a hot button topic for some, and part of Janelle’s job is to help allay fears and frustrations about integration. She also hopes to help teachers see that their role is different but no less important in a blended learning environment that lets students take the reins. “I believe technology is a tool that can transform the way students learn. The internet now provides students with unlimited access to a wealth of information which allows them to take more responsibility for their own learning. This fact redefines the role of the teacher from being the sole source of knowledge to an information facilitator and instructional designer. I love nothing more than to share tools, lessons, ideas, and programs with teachers that can engage student learners and allow them to choose how they best learn and take ownership of their own learning.”

In fact, student ownership of learning is something that is very important to Janelle. She believes strongly that personalized learning can lead to improved student outcomes because students are more engaged when what is being taught is meaningful to them. “I think it is so important that we, as educators, look at school differently. It is no longer enough for students to be cognitively compliant and memorize their way through school. Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn by sitting in classes listening to instructors and spitting out answers.”

The Tools of the Trade

As an advocate for technology to help create these personalized and blended learning opportunities, I’m sure you’re wondering what are Janelle’s go-to resources. Well, it’s not quite that simple. “Honestly, it is impossible for me to choose only one ed tech tool or resource. I work with many different ages, topics, and student needs, so I try to think about which tools, apps, or resources give teachers and students the most bang for their buck. The first question that I often ask teachers when deciding on a tech tool is ‘What is the learning goal and how do you want students to demonstrate learning?’ This question should actually drive the conversation about any learning resource or activity.”

In addition to grounding the acquisition of any new tech in the intended learning goals, Janelle does have some features of tools and apps that she looks for. They should:

Have multiple uses.
Allow and encourage student creativity.
Contain built-in features that allow teachers to monitor student understanding and abilities and provide students with timely, relevant feedback.

Janelle also uses TCEA resources to help her stay current and find new learning solutions. She regularly attends and most recently presented at the Elementary Technology Conference. She is also a member of TEC-SIG and CAMP-SIG. For those attending the 2019 TCEA Convention & Exposition in San Antonio, you will be able to hear Janelle present there as well!

We hope you enjoyed this spotlight on the incredible Janelle Safford. To learn about other innovative educators transforming education, you can read some of our previous member spotlight posts here, here, and here. Do you know a TCEA member who needs to be in the spotlight? You can always email me your suggestions at smeyer@tcea.org.

September 15, 2018 0 comment

Libraries

Member Spotlight on Becky Calzada

by Susan Meyer July 30, 2018

written by Susan Meyer

If you’re a regular reader, you know that each month we like to feature the story of one of our fantastic members on this blog. We feel it’s important to recognize all the amazing things educators are doing in the field, and our members are doing some pretty unbelievable things. This month, we’re fixing the spotlight on Becky Calzada, a Library Services Coordinator in Leander ISD. Read on to learn how Becky supports librarians on a daily basis, what she thinks about the evolution of the school library, and her best tech tips.

Loving the Libraries of Leander

Becky has spent more than 30 years in education. Of those years, 20 were spent in Leander ISD, and 17 were spent working in libraries. She has served in her current position as Library Services Coordinator for seven years. So what does she actually do each day in her role? Quite a lot! As Becky explains: “An average day for me includes supporting librarians via email, phone, or in person. There are also district level meetings I attend where I work with Teaching and Learning, Technology Services, or Facilities Departments on things like curriculum, literacy, technology integration, hardware purchase input, library design, and library furnishings. I also work with librarians on district-level purchases of digital resources, our library system, and book purchases. I’m a district representative on the LEEF Board, our district education foundation, where I coordinate literacy projects and volunteer with fundraising events that provide funding for our district; so I’m also coordinating book donation pick-ups or book requests for campuses. Every day is different and very busy!”

The Evolution of What a Library Can Be

Becky really enjoys working in libraries partly because she gets to be on the forefront of innovation. In her nearly two decades of working in libraries, she’s seen them transform from having two desktop computers to teeming with technology. What a library can do for students goes far beyond books. Today’s school library can be an active learning environment full of opportunities for sparking young creators and problem solvers. Becky shares what the Leander library is like these days: “Now our elementary libraries have a mix of 25 laptops with students in ALL grade levels creating, writing code, Skyping with authors, taking advantage of makerspace opportunities, and more. Our secondary campuses have gone 1:1, and librarians support with deployment, tech support, and many also have student-led tech support help desks in the library. Librarians do all this along with direct instruction on information literacy, research instruction, and digital resources. Working with librarians to stay future ready and impact student achievement by connecting what we do to our Leander ISD vision and goals is truly an amazing privilege.”

Becky is proud of what her district has accomplished so far, and they have no plans to rest on their laurels. She is always excited to support new initiatives. Leander ISD is currently taking stock of technology hardware in their elementary schools. They want to survey all teachers and librarians to see what people are actually using and what needs they still have. This will better inform future buying choices. They are also using two-years of BrightBytes data to help inform a new digital citizenship component. “We want our students and teachers to be empowered to navigate responsibly, ethically, and safely online, and this data tool will allow us to see if our work is having an impact.”

Finding Your Flock

When asked her best advice for someone starting out in her role, Becky encouraged developing a strong PLN. There is nothing as empowering as educators working together and sharing ideas and solutions to shared problems. Becky also has a favorite resource for online network building. “My go-to is Twitter; it has been a game-changer in my practice because it’s allowed me to learn and connect with other librarians, tech leaders, administrators, and authors. I follow conference hashtags to glean learning from afar too because I can’t attend every conference.”

Becky also serves as a a co-moderator for #TXLChat, a weekly Tuesday chat to connect librarians across the state. She uses the LIB-SIG part of the TCEA Community to post chat questions and further connect with a PLN of dedicated librarians. Although all educators can benefit from uniting with peers, Becky stressed the particular importance for librarians. “Librarians are typically singletons on a campus and it is easy to fall into the trap of being siloed. Virtual collaboration is possible via a PLN and has allowed me to learn about new innovations, leadership tips, tech tools, library furniture, book titles, and even library hacks. What a powerful opportunity!”

Becky’s Go-To Tech Tool

We asked Becky for her favorite tech tool right now. “I would have to say that FlipGrid is the newest tool I’ve tried and used. I’ve been invited by others to share innovations as a librarian, define what a future ready librarian is, and use it as a way to introduce myself to others. It’s a tool that be used in so many creative ways and I’m excited to use it, as well as see how others leverage its use.” If you’d like to join Becky in flipping over Flipgrid, you’ll be happy to hear it’s now free for educators to use!

Thanks for joining us in another monthly member spotlight! We hope you got some valuable tips and ideas from Becky’s journey and from the exciting steps she’s taking to keep the libraries of Leander ISD on the cutting edge. To learn about other innovative educators transforming teaching and learning, you can read some of our previous member spotlight posts here, here, and here. Do you know a TCEA member who needs to be in the spotlight? You can always email me your suggestions at smeyer@tcea.org.

July 30, 2018 0 comment

Leadership

Member Spotlight on Superintendent Dr. Kyle Heath

by Susan Meyer July 9, 2018

written by Susan Meyer

At TCEA, we have members in all roles of education. Any educator who embraces learning without limits is welcome in our ranks. Each month, we like to spotlight one of our members because it may help you, our readers, to hear great ideas that you might be able to apply to your own districts and schools. It also gives us the opportunity to showcase some outstanding educators. This month, our member spotlight is on the superintendent of Cleburne ISD, Dr. Kyle Heath.

A Long Career in Education

Dr. Heath is not new to the field of education. He has been superintendent of Cleburne for four years and, in total, has spent an incredible 31 years in education. He started out as a social studies teacher in Perry, Oklahoma. He speaks fondly of those times: “Some of my most favorite memories are from those years as a government teacher, working with students in the final leg of their journey to graduation, then watching them move on to college or career.”

Collaborating with Other Educators for Student Success

Dr. Heath’s job involves working with many different educators and stakeholders. He fills his calendar with meetings with administrators across the district. He also makes time to meet with government and community leaders. Cleburne ISD is a high-profile district. Dr. Heath appreciates the involvement so many parents and community members take to ensure the district’s success. “I love collaborating with those who are passionate about education, teaching, learning, and having a shared vision, and then, through the efforts of many, seeing that vision become a reality, knowing it will make a positive difference in the life of a child.”

Student-Centered Changes for Cleburne

Cleburne ISD is a great example of what can happen with leadership–and a community–focused on innovation. The district is working on building a new high school. Cleburne High School will include a Career and Technology Education and Fine Arts facility. Dr. Heath speaks enthusiastically about the potential for this new center, which was made possible by a 2016 landmark bond referendum. “It is so exciting to know the major impact this new high school will have on the programs and opportunities we can provide to students, now and in the future.”

One way the district seeks to make changes to benefit students is by involving student voices. Dr. Heath explains one example of this: “A component of our last bond election provided mobile devices for all secondary students to use at school and home. We had sixth through twelfth grade members of our Superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee pilot the devices we were considering for this initiative. Their feedback was invaluable and ultimately determined what was chosen with great results!”

Gathering Resources

Dr. Heath encourages his teachers and staff to seek out resources to keep current and improve their knowledge and skills. This includes the resources and events provided by TCEA. “We will be including micro-credentialing in our staff development opportunities in the upcoming school year and I know TCEA has been, and will continue to be, a great source in helping us help our teachers develop and grow in their use of technology.”

He was proud to see many of the Cleburne team present at the 2018 TCEA Convention & Exposition. And of course, the Cleburne Board of Trustees was honored with the 2018 School Board of the Year Award (one of TCEA’s Educator Awards). “Our board is so deserving of this recognition, and I commend TCEA for recognizing educators, administrators, and trustees for their commitment to making technology a vital part of the learning process.”

Advice for Leadership

Dr. Heath encourages other school leaders to stay well-informed about technology. He also emphasizes the importance of involving many different perspectives to guide leadership. “I encourage those new to the role of superintendent to learn all they can about technology and to collaborate regularly with their district’s technology professionals. Input and feedback from those who will use it most—the teachers and students—is essential.”

And of course, we had to ask what Dr. Heath considers to be the most exciting ed tech tools out there right now: “Virtual reality and augmented reality are quickly becoming among my favorite educational technology tools used to enhance instruction and student learning. How wonderful and amazing to be taken anywhere in the world and to view anything, from a human heart to a hippopotamus, from the inside out. These platforms have taken learning, and learners, to a whole new level. When Dr. Suess wrote about ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go,’ he had no idea where instructional technology would take us in education.” Certainly, no one can say that the students, teachers, and staff of Cleburne ISD aren’t going to some pretty exciting places.

We hope you enjoyed this look into the professional life of Dr. Kyle Heath. To learn about other innovative educators transforming teaching and learning, you can read some of our previous member spotlight posts here, here, and here. Do you know a TCEA member who needs to be in the spotlight? You can always email me your suggestions at smeyer@tcea.org.

July 9, 2018 0 comment

Educational Trends Good Teaching Google Tips and Tricks

Member Spotlight on Twyla Felty

by Susan Meyer June 15, 2018

written by Susan Meyer

Twyla Felty (left) at the 2018 TCEA Convention.

TCEA members are many things. They’re resourceful, innovative, and creative, to name just a few. And today we want to shine the spotlight on one of our members who exemplifies all of these and more. Twyla Felty is a Technology Instructional Specialist for Eustace Middle School. She’s also an advocate for STEAM learning and a great source of advice on technology implementation and supporting educators. In this interview, she shares her recommendations, her go-to resources, and the cool project she’s most excited about.

Taking the Tech Road

Twyla has worn many hats in her 18 years with Eustace ISD. She has taught everything from kindergarten to fifth grade science and math to middle school. But her career took a tech turn in 2008. She was working on a master’s degree and planning to take the leap into administration when she attended an ISTE conference in San Antonio.

As Twyla remembers, “My district sent teachers to attend, and, after the conference, our Superintendent, Dr. Coy Holcombe, decided to create new positions on each campus to facilitate and support the use of technology in the classroom. I was picked for the job on my primary campus!”

Full STEAM Ahead

For Twyla, every day is different. From troubleshooting technology concerns and supporting online testing to managing social media and planning technology professional development, her day is never dull. She also loves the creative aspect of her job. She has particularly gotten to flex her creative muscles in Eustace’s new STEAM Studio. “This year, the STEAM Studio gave me the opportunity to create a learning space that allows students to freely explore materials and learn on their own. It’s exciting to be a part of that process, and I am constantly looking for new ideas or activities to provoke interest and challenge our students. Working with teachers provides a different type of creativity as we work together to pair curriculum with appropriate tech tools to craft entirely new approaches and plans for classroom instruction.”

So what is the STEAM Studio like? It’s a creativity springboard. Twyla painted a wall to act as a green screen. Another was transformed into a LEGO wall. There’s even a “learning glass” for video production. The space is populated by bots aplenty, including EV3 kits, Ozobots, Spheros, Bloxels, Makey-Makeys, and Snap Circuits. Most importantly, the STEAM Studio is always advancing. As Twyla explains, “Each month, I try to add something new to the space and curate more materials for our creative corner through donations of items such as duct tape, cardboard, tubes, paper goods, plastic cups, ribbon, string….you name it!”

The studio can be booked by teachers for projects. However, it is also open two days a week for teachers to come “play” and learn about the capabilities of the space. Twyla is even running a morning robotics group out of the STEAM Studio and hopes to compete in a future TCEA State Robotics Contest. In addition to being an invaluable resource for the students and teachers at Eustace Middle School, the STEAM Studio has been rewarding for Twyla herself. “I have missed being in the classroom, and this STEAM Studio has restored my passion and energy for teaching!”

TCEA, All the Way

Twyla is a huge champion of TCEA. In the interest of humility, we’ll let her share what she loves about the organization in her own words:

“I would not be able to do my job without the support of TCEA! I have attended the TCEA Convention & Exposition for the past ten years, and each year I walk away with so many resources and materials that it takes me several months to slowly go through them to process and evaluate for use. I also attend the TCEA Area 7 conference each June in White Oak, which provides me with professional networking and support closer to home. When I can, I love to attend the other conferences offered right at TCEA headquarters. Last year, I was able to attend the Innovative Learning Strategies Conference, and the summer robotics week of training is on my bucket list!”

Twyla has helped to support TCEA by getting more involved too. She is a Convention super volunteer, brilliant presenter, member of TEC-SIG, and officer of CAMP-SIG. By giving back, Twyla explains she’s been able to benefit, too. “In becoming more involved, I have been able to meet other digital coaches all over the nation!”

Tips from Twyla

Twyla has some great advice for other technology instructional specialists about creating a positive environment for learning and encouraging teacher buy-in:

Scaffold for teachers as you would for students. They are just little learners in bigger bodies.

Be patient! Technology changes quickly, but schools do not. However, small changes will add up over time.

You won’t win over everyone, so work with those who are willing.

Find joy in each day and keep alive the “teacher” part of your heart. It is, after all, why we got into this business of education in the first place.

And finally, we couldn’t interview Twyla without asking her favorite tech tool. It’s Google Suite for Education. “Google has created an easy to use ‘one-stop-shop’ of tech tools for teachers. Once teachers become hooked on the ease, convenience, and fun of running a Google Classroom and creating with technology, it makes it that much easier to move along to all the other great tools available online!”

To sum up: Twyla is an ed tech dynamo, and we’re so glad to have her involvement and continued support in TCEA. To learn about other innovative educators transforming education, you can read some of our previous member spotlight posts here, here, and here. Do you know a TCEA member who needs to be in the spotlight? You can always email me your suggestions at smeyer@tcea.org.

June 15, 2018 0 comment

Educational Trends Leadership

Member Spotlight on Mark Simmons

by Susan Meyer May 24, 2018

written by Susan Meyer

TCEA has the privilege of knowing some pretty fantastic educators. Every month, we like to share a story about what one of our incredible members is up to. This time, we’re focusing on a technology director with big ideas: Mark Simmons. Read on to learn a little bit about Mark’s history, what makes him tick, and a big project he has in the works.

Photo of Mark Simmons by Miguel Guhlin

Teaching the Future

Mark is currently the Technology Director for Sabine Pass ISD. Before that, he worked for more than 20 years in the private sector as an IT professional. It was his kids who inspired him to get involved in education. He said they made him want to “share my experience and knowledge with the younger generation.”

These days, in addition to being a tech director, Mark teaches two classes on Cisco and Microsoft certification. When he isn’t working directly with his students, he is fielding requests from teachers, tackling paperwork, researching new technologies, or helping create technology-driven lessons.

When asked what he likes most about his job, for Mark it comes down to both a love of helping people and a love of innovation. “I love the support and freedom to try new ideas with both teachers and students. It’s satisfying to integrate technologies into the classroom and have those technologies disappear and become a seamless part of the lessons and projects.”

Tips and Advice from Mark

Mark has some great advice for new tech directors. He suggests: “Always begin and end your discussion with ‘How does it benefit the student?’ Treat your teachers and students as customers with customer service as your main priority. The rest will come naturally as all districts, as well as schools, each have their own unique environment.”

He always makes sure to use the resources at his disposal. “I take advantage of everything from TCEA. I not only use the collaborative website and email listserv, but I watch Lunch and Learns, attend conferences and academies, connect with other TCEA members, and if all else fails, I have the experts at TCEA on speed dial!”

Join Mark’s BIG Idea

When we say that Mark has big ideas, we mean it. His latest initiative won’t fit through the door of most classrooms. Intrigued? Here’s a little about the project in Mark’s own words:

“I have recently started a collaborative 3D printing project, asking any schools with 3D printers to join in a life-size RC car build. This audacious goal is an attempt to build an open RC car the size of a real car. Our school will be providing all the electronics, and I have interest from two companies that will help out with the filament and professionally painting the model. Our goal is to create something we can tour around to raise interest in and funding for STEM-related projects and equipment for schools.”

You can read more about Mark’s big idea here. And if you’re interested in being one of the schools to join in this exciting project, you can apply here.

We hope you enjoyed this look into the professional life of one of our wonderful members. To learn about other innovative educators transforming education, you can read some of our previous member spotlight posts here, here, and here. Do you know a TCEA member who needs to be in the spotlight? You can always email me your suggestions at smeyer@tcea.org.

May 24, 2018 0 comment

CTO/CIO Educational Trends Leadership

Member Spotlight on Lee Sleeper

by Susan Meyer April 24, 2018

written by Susan Meyer

At TCEA, we can’t help but be excited about our incredible members and all the ways they are advancing teaching and learning with technology. Each month, we like to shine the spotlight on one member to share what drives and inspires him or her. We hope our readers can find value in their stories. You might just discover an idea or two to use in your own education journey.

Lee Sleeper

Today’s member spotlight focuses on an esteemed tech director and longtime friend and supporter of TCEA: Lee Sleeper. In addition to being the current Director of Operations and Technology for Bullard ISD—a 4A district with 2,600 students to support—Lee is also the head of the tech crew every year at the TCEA Convention & Exposition. This means he’s volunteered hundreds of hours to making sure our annual event runs smoothly for the thousands of educators who attend. And he is a past president of TCEA!

A Long Career for a Digital Pioneer

Lee describes his career path as “serendipitous.” First, he spent a 30-year career as a journalist—including public relations, publicity, photography, advertising, and teaching. Twenty-two of those years were spent at Sul Ross State University where Lee and his departments were early adopters of technology. “We saw the potential of how technology could benefit us. We were one of the first universities to move traditional typesetting to a desktop publishing system, and we were early experimenters with computerizing all athletic stats. We also were ‘pioneers’ in digital layout and design, moving the university catalog to the computer in the late 1980s.”

When he started at Bullard ISD in 2002, the district only had about 350 computers, many of which were over five years old. Lee describes what it was like when he started: “For those in the networking world, the flat network was connected via hubs. A normal day meant traveling to each campus to reboot the network after broadcast storms brought it to a halt.” Today, things in Bullard are just a little bit different. The district has approximately 2,200 computers and a switched network with 10Gbps connections to the network operations center. “We have gone from two servers in 2002 to 12 physical servers and 36 virtual servers.”

No Rest for the Busy!

In his position at Bullard ISD, Lee has administrative oversight of transportation, maintenance, custodial, food service, and technology—all of which keeps his day full. He describes: “An average day begins about 5 a.m. with a drive through district facilities to make sure we do not have any major problems. I try to walk each of our six campuses at least once a week. My first staff meeting with my operations’ coordinator is at 6:30 a.m. to look at ‘opportunities’ facing us for the day. I meet with my technology coordinator about 7:45 a.m. to go over the day. The day usually comes to an end about 4:30 p.m. by monitoring the two-way radio to ensure our afternoon bus routes finish without complications. Board meeting nights and committee meeting nights can take the day to 9 p.m.” Luckily, Lee enjoys what he does and particularly the variety each day brings. He describes it as his dream job because he knows he will never be bored or lack for things to do!

Looking Out for What’s Next

Lee isn’t looking to stop innovating any time soon. There are a number of initiatives he is working on at Bullard. “On the tech side, we have qualified for E-Rate discounts on equipment the past three years, allowing us to replace our wireless system. This year, we will upgrade all backbone switches. We are implementing a STEM approach at all levels, and I am fortunate to be involved in that implementation.”

To keep up with what’s new and valuable in ed tech, Lee’s favorite resource is the collective knowledge of his fellow tech directors, with a little help from the TCEA PD team. “When I was on the TCEA board, my colleagues on the board were my greatest resource. Since then, the availability of TEC-SIG has been a great benefit. We began implementing a districtwide STEM program last summer, and TCEA’s PD instructors and workshops have been invaluable.”

Lee’s Tips for Tech Directors

When asked what his best tip for new tech directors is, Lee had not one, but three pieces of advice to follow:

Know your network
Know your teachers
Know what they need

It’s a great philosophy to lead by and one that shows exactly why Lee Sleeper has been such an asset to Bullard ISD (not to mention to the TCEA Tech Crew!) for so long.

We hope you enjoyed this peek into the life’s work of one of our members. To learn about other innovative educators transforming education, you can read some of our previous member spotlight posts here, here, and here. Do you know a TCEA member who deserves a little spotlighting? Email me your suggestions at smeyer@tcea.org.

April 24, 2018 0 comment

Educational Trends Good Teaching

Member Spotlight on Tech-Savvy Kindergarten Teacher Angel Herring

by Susan Meyer January 9, 2018

written by Susan Meyer

At TCEA, our incredible members are what drive our organization. While we support educators on their journeys to advancing teaching and learning with technology, they are the ones out in the field truly transforming the future. Each month, we like to recognize one of our members and shine a spotlight on the exciting things they’re doing to revolutionize education. We hope our readers can gain some good ideas, tips, and strategies from reading these success stories.

Angel Herring winning the Kroger Classroom Champ Award in 2017.

Today’s member spotlight focuses on an ESL kindergarten teacher in her 12th year of teaching: Angel Herring. In addition to being a well-respected TCEA member, she’s also a board member of Kindergarten Teachers of Texas and member of the teacher organization Delta Kappa Gamma. Angel is also no stranger to being recognized for her fantastic work. In the last two years alone, she’s won the Kroger Classroom Champ Award, GPISD’s Excellence Educator Award, Kindergarten Smorgasboard’s Golden Apple Award, and the Technology Eagle Award. Read on to learn more about Angel and how she engages her young learners with technology.

The Power of Early Learning

The kindergarten classroom can be a chaotic place full of noise and excitement for learning. For Angel, this just means that her days are filled with joys and challenges. She finds great happiness in creating a foundation of education for her students. Angel explains: “We start with learning letters and numbers. We cover all the subjects every day and incorporate technology as often as we can. By the end of the school year, the students have learned at least 36 sight words and can read on level 4.”

To Angel, the best part of her job is seeing her students’ be successful at learning something new. “They are so happy with themselves, and I rejoice with them when they succeed and master their tasks at hand.”

Early Tech for Tiny Tots

Just because her students are young doesn’t mean they can’t experience positive effects from the thoughtful integration of technology in the classroom. This school year, her district bought Clear Touch Panels for each school, and she was chosen to participate in the pilot program. She’s excited about the options for interactivity, saying “The students are loving the different activities we are doing with it.”

Angel was also able to secure a grant from the Kindergarten Teachers of Texas to get Bee-Bots for her classroom. These easy-to-use, friendly robots are perfect for little learners just dipping their toes into robotics.

Angel’s Best Tech Tips

Angel recommends TCEA’s Elementary Technology Conference (formerly Tots and Technology), which she has attended for the last four years, as a great place to discover new technology and best practices for the elementary classroom. “It has a wealth of resources and great presenters,” she explains. She also is continuing her career focus on technology by participating in TCEA’s Campus Technology Specialist Certification .

One of the tech tools she most recommends for other teachers is Bee-Bots, and she encourages teachers to find creative ways to incorporate them into their lessons. Her favorite apps are Doodle Buddy, which lets students fingerpaint without the mess, and Kahoot, which makes learning fun with cool quizzes and games.

Want more of Angel’s best tech tips? She recently started a blog called Technology Tips for Teachers and runs a Facebook page Technology Tips for Techie Teachers in Elementary, where you can find great resources and ideas.

To learn about other innovative educators transforming education, you can read some of our previous member spotlight posts here, here, and here. Do you know a TCEA member who deserves a little spotlighting? Email me your suggestions at smeyer@tcea.org .

January 9, 2018 0 comment

Good Teaching Professional Learning Technical Support

Member Spotlight on Veteran Technology Director Patricia Startz

by Susan Meyer December 28, 2017

written by Susan Meyer

At TCEA, we have the incredible privilege of supporting our members and helping them to advance teaching and learning through technology. We try to share the innovative work that our members are doing so that our other readers and followers can be inspired and learn some tips and tricks from educators in the field. Today, we’re spotlighting a seasoned educator in her 25th year of of teaching and technology service.

Patricia Startz is currently the Technology Director at Falls City ISD, south of San Antonio. Her long and impressive career began with earning her bachelor’s in Mathematics and Computer Science, along with a teaching certification, from Southwest Texas State University (now known as Texas State University). She started a job at Falls City the very next Monday after graduating and never looked back! In her time there, she also managed to get a master’s degree from Lamar University in Educational Technology Leadership and Administration in 2012.

Putting Out Tech Fires and Supporting New Initiatives

Patricia is always on the lookout for what can go wrong and how to best address problems before they start. “Our new campus has been online since early August last year. The transition went smoothly, most of the year has been smooth, but, there are always ‘hiccups’ that keep me on my toes.” She starts each day addressing any emergency needs that have cropped up. If everything is running smoothly, she starts on her own list, including hardware and software repairs on laptops, network maintenance, security camera maintenance, Google administration, online testing, campus plans, and more.

Luckily, Patricia is up to the challenge of ever-changing priorities and the need to be always alert to the next big thing. When asked what she likes most about her job, she cites the variety and changing schedule from day to day. “Each day provides an opportunity for sharing and learning.” She is excited about the challenge of integrating the 80 new Chromebooks that her district recently acquired. Like all technology roll-outs, it hasn’t been without its adjustment period. But Patricia was excited to celebrate when the computers were all up and running.

How TCEA Provides Learning without Limits

Patricia and her staff have used a number of TCEA training opportunities in the past to help them stay current and keep learning new strategies for technology advancement. She attends the System Administrator and Technical Support Conference in October and the TCEA Convention & Exposition in February. She is also involved in TEC-SIG, the special interest group just for technology directors and technology coordinators.

For additional training, Patricia had TCEA professional development staff come right to Falls City before a big technology roll-out. “We have had TCEA staff come to our district to provide Google tools and Google Classroom training in preparation so that administrators and teachers were ready for the transition.” For more information about onsite training, please see here.

Tips and Favorite Tools from an Ed Tech Master

Patricia has three pieces of advice for other tech directors looking to make big changes in their schools or districts: train your staff, look for free resources, and keep things balanced. As she explains:

Technology changes rapidly. To keep up, you have to take the initiative to constantly train up, whether or not it is required and whether or not your employer pays for it. Take advantage of as many of the freely-available training resources as you can. Then, be seen and heard! Skills and knowledge are most beneficial to you and the staff you serve when shared. Somehow… try to get home by 5:00 p.m. and on weekends so you do not miss your family’s important moments. You cannot get those moments back. Try to make and keep a balance.

Patricia also offers advice on her favorite tech tools. She’s a big fan of Google Classroom and Microsoft Classroom and encourages good training in order to “discover how their awesomeness can help teachers implement differentiated and engaging learning experiences for all their students.” Her go-to resources? “When what I need to know just isn’t covered in the two-minute videos posted on the various free sites, [I use] TCEA. Specifically, the training sessions at the SysAdmin conference, the Convention, the Microsoft Testing for certification at the Convention, and the multitude of various sessions offered throughout the year via webinar or on the TCEA campus.”

We at TCEA are so happy to have Patricia Startz as one of our committed members! To learn about other innovative educators transforming education, you can read some of our previous member spotlight posts here, here, and here. Do you know a TCEA member who deserves a little spotlighting? Email me at smeyer@tcea.org to suggest a member we should brag about.

December 28, 2017 0 comment

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