Amanda Holstrom
Sartell Middle School
Instructional Technology Specialist
At TIES this year I was exposed to many great things and returned with more ideas than I can count. The two things that come to mind as great takeaways are: the importance of giving children choice and makers spaces are not just for technology gadgets. Buddy Berry talked about surprise and delight with education including giving children the choice to find their own educational path. This thinking amplifies the needs for free learning and exploration in schools. The session on Makers Spaces opened my eyes to the importance of incorporating non-tech items into the Learning Lab. This need was highlighted over and over again throughout the presentation. Makers Spaces are about making, not just working with electronics.
In our Learning Lab this year we have done many robotics and coding items that take some level of patience and background knowledge. I plan to incorporate crocheting into our Learning Lab and link it with coding to provide that needed background knowledge. Reading a crochet patterns is a “code” that needs to be followed in order to reach a desired end. I feel that bringing that into out Learning Lab will teach and highlight a skill many do not have as well as provide background knowledge for those not experienced with coding. By bridging this gap in our lab I hope to reach more diverse students with the desire to learn hands on and gravitate towards our space. I am very excited to see what other ideas we come up with to add to our space that are non-tech. I think the students will be excited to build and take things home.
Rachelle has been a pillar in the Media/Tech Department for the last 15 years. She has spearheaded or worked behind the scenes of every media or technology initiative the school district has pushed out in that time. She is a cognoscente of the latest technology, always exploring new and innovative possibilities and sharing them with staff and students. She uses best practices in instruction and technology integration whenever she team teaches, leads a training session for staff, or teaches students in the media center. Rachelle runs a “tight ship” in her media center and students and teachers know they can count on her to help them with whatever problem, research idea, or troubleshooting they need; while also being an authority on literacy and literature. Rachelle is the Media/Tech/Support staff for North Branch Area Public Schools.
Jesse Robertson has been instrumental in technology integration in District #2687 since his arrival last year. During his short time in our district, he has overseen the development and rollout of a high school 1-to-1 Chromebook program. His expertise and insight into technology has assisted the entire high school community to expand the walls of the classrooms beyond what we thought was possible only a few years ago. In addition to the Chromebook program, he is a “go to” expert for students and staff who need training in various areas such as Google Docs, SMARTBoard technologies, online data systems, as well as trouble-shooting our computers and Chromebooks. Jesse Robertson easily fits the profile of a TIES award winner and there is no doubt that through his skillset he will continue to grow our school community to become a leader in the use of technology in educational settings. Jesse is the Technology Teacher at Howard Lake-Waverly-Winstead (HLWW) Middle School.
Ms. Fedder has been a proponent of increasing opportunities and accessibility to student use of technology. She has been active on the district technology committee advocating for the use of 1:1 devices. Dihanna has been an advocate of first iPads and now the use of chromebooks for all students. Our school is close to a 1:1 technology environment because of her vision. Ms. Fedder has been the district leader in creating policies, procedures and training for students and parents. Her constant focus and support, help staff see the benefits of the devices’ use as opposed to roadblocks in implementation. Ms. Fedder has improved classroom instruction by being a district leader and trainer in areas such as: Google Drive components, online student management systems such as Google Classroom and Schoology, iPad apps for students and teacher efficiency apps. She has been a leader by rewarding staff for “Making a splash in the SAMR pool” using Carl Hooker’s model. Recognition for staff has included positive reinforcement, recognition at staff meetings, and tangible rewards such as t-shirts noting their utilization of technology in their classrooms. Ms. Fedder also makes annual reports to the school board and curriculum committee on technology initiatives, usage, and impact on student programming. Dihanna is the District Technology Integrationist for Pine City School District.