Elementary Technology Teacher of the Year

The 2008-2009 Elementary Technology Teacher of the Year is Nidia Alvarado.

Nidia Alvarado has been teaching for 2 years as a Kindergarten Bilingual Teacher at Wilson Elementary School and is the Campus Technology Committee Chairperson.  Mrs. Alvarado believes technical know-how is beneficial in both visual learning and logical learning styles and considers technology a powerful classroom tool.   Her goal is to use technology to bring information to life for her students and to help them discover how to make it work for them in a positive way.

Mrs. Alvarado uses the Leapster Learning Systems to build Language Arts skills and as an “electronic chalkboard”.  In addition, her students utilize microphones and a digital projector to promote reading fluency; the kinesthetic learner becomes an aural learner simply by listening to their own voice.

Her classroom webpage provides students and parents with resources in English and Spanish such as the classroom newsletter, Internet websites, homework, and blogs.
 

Secondary Technology Teacher of the Year

The 2008-2009 Secondary Technology Teacher of the Year is John Larson.

John Larson has been teaching for 22 years.  Mr. Larson is currently a Technology Applications Teacher at Fossum Middle School, the Campus Technology Committee Chairperson, and the Campus Technology Facilitator.  He has participated in over 100 technology professional development sessions.  Mr. Larson believes students expect to use technology for learning and thus encourages teachers to use the technology in the classroom.  His technology motto is “if you got it use it, if you don’t have it, find it or ask for it”. 

The staff at Fossum Middle School relies on Mr. Larson’s technical troubleshooting expertise as well as his instructional technology expertise.  His students use digital video cameras, multimedia software, and Internet resources to create interdisciplinary multimedia projects.  This year students were assigned to create a podcasting project on diseases.  Mr. Larson’s classroom webpage includes blogs, online quizzes, and homework assignments.