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2004
Pathfinder Recipients
Donna
Boivin
Donna
Boivin, Director of Technology for the Springfield Public Schools,
has been a leader in educational technology since 1986 when she
became the district's first Mathematics and Academic Computing Resource
Teacher. In this position she offered professional development to
elementary teachers, and she consulted on the use of technology
for students with special needs. In 1994 Donna was appointed Supervisor
of Instructional Technology, and four years later she was appointed
to her present position of Director of Technology. She helped implement
Springfield's exemplary Project MEET program, promoted the use of
handhelds, was instrumental in computerizing the Professional Development
program, and successfully lobbied for a full-time district webmaster.
Especially noteworthy is that during the past two years Donna has
advanced the concept of mobility in technology by introducing mobile
wireless carts to the district. These carts contain sixteen laptop
units, need only one electrical power source, and require a single
Internet access point. Her vision emphasized that mobile carts offer
the most direct way to provide technology to the greatest number
of students in the shortest amount of time, and more than twenty
mobile carts have been placed in the district. Donna also oversaw
the delivery of ten hours of training for at least five school-based,
representative teachers.
With virtual, distance learning a priority, in August of 2003 Donna
wrote and was awarded a Technology Enhancement Competitive Grant
that resulted in the training of online course facilitators who,
in turn, trained sixty other teacher participants through the delivery
of online courses. She was also awarded a Virtual High School grant
that trained her as a coordinator, and she assisted three high school
students in taking courses at VHS. Through her efforts two teachers
have become certified to teach Advanced Placement courses at VHS
this fall '04 semester.
Mary
Kavanaugh
Mary
Kavanaugh, District Technology Coordinator at Williamstown Elementary
School, has led in the field of educational technology since 1990
when too often, she saw her students' work lost due to unreliable
technology. She left the classroom for two years, and during that
time she wrote grants that were successful in acquiring computers,
software, and teacher training for her school. By 1997 she was appointed
Technology Coordinator, and under her leadership Williamstown built
a new school with state-of-the-art technology that included two
computer labs, three computers in every classroom, and an AlphaSmart
for every child in grades 4-6.
Mary has been a catalyst for change. As Technology Coordinator she
developed before and after-school workshops as well as summer, weeklong
technology courses for teachers. She helped in getting her district
a Project Meet grant, enlisting six teachers to work with it. Before
long these teachers became mentors for six others, thereby multiplying
the competency of the staff. By the time the MEET funding ended,
Mary found alternative funding to continue the program that now
became WEET (Williamstown Empowering Educators with Technology),
and over ninety percent of the classroom faculty participated in
this mentor program.
Recognizing the value of local alliances, Mary also partnered with
Williams College and received wireless technology for her school.
In addition, she received a Hughes grant from Williams to support
summer professional development for teachers, and a mentoring program
in which Williams College work-study students instruct Williamstown
Elementary students in the computer labs. She also partnered with
the Shine Wire Company, the Adelphia cable company, and Willinet,
the local cable station. One outcome of these partnerships was a
weekly student multi-media news show called WKZ (Williamstown Kids
Zone) that is written and produced by sixth graders on the local
TV station.
Madalaine
Pugliese
Assistive
Special Education Technology Program Coordinator for Simmons College,
and an Apple Distinguished Educator, has provided leadership in
the field of assistive technology since 1983 when she became the
Director of the Assistive Technology program for Boston Public Schools.
Under her leadership, Boston became the first resource center for
assistive technology in public education in the country, and subsequently
Boston became a national model. Madalaine was also the Executive
Director of ART (Adaptive Rehabilitation Technologies) for twelve
years, and for six years she has held her present position of Assistive
Special Education Program Coordinator at Simmons College that offers
one of the few programs nationwide for graduate study in assistive
special education technology.
Madalaine began her work with assistive technology in the late '70s
when many educators weren't even aware of the term. Years later
when she was the director of Boston's Special Education Technology
Center, there were no implementation models to emulate, and therefore
the project quickly became a national model. This pattern continued
when she worked in the Special Education Department at Simmons College
beginning in 1989, and as a result of her work, Simmons College
gained the reputation for having a program that offers curriculum
in universal learning.
Under the auspices of the Massachusetts Elementary School Principals'
Association, Madalaine was the director of a four-year, DOE grant-funded
program that brought expertise to fifty-three school districts.
Also, under her leadership ART disseminated information about assistive
technology to families, businesses, and community agencies through
its well-known Take Control Assistive Technology Fairs (1989-99).
Most recently she authored an internationally recognized book and
accompanying software series called STAGES, for which she is recognized
as a Laureate by The ComputerWorld Smithsonian program “In Search
of New Heroes.”
Elizabeth
Wernig
Elizabeth
Wernig, Technology Integration Teacher for Mendon-Upton Elementary
Schools, has been a leader in the field of educational technology
since 1997. She began at Stall Brook School in Bellingham where
technology became her passion when she began creating lessons, guiding
teachers, and exciting students “in the wonders of technology to
enhance their learning.” While at Stall Brook she received the Norfolk
County Teachers Association Support Person of the Year Award and
was awarded a Lighthouse Grant from the Mass. Dept. of Education.
She developed Web pages for the schools, facilitated workshops for
teachers, served on the Technology Leadership Team, and started
monthly Internet newsletters for parents and for teachers.
Elizabeth works full-time as an Elementary Technology Integration
Teacher for Mendon-Upton while at the same time still assisting
the Bellingham School District. It's not unusual to see her students
using scanners, camcorders, Palm Pilots, taking digital pictures
to enhance reports, using an interactive white board, presenting
information on a wide screen, and working together to evaluate research
and locate information from the World Wide Web.
Aside from the scheduled school day, Liz continues with her monthly
Internet newsletters for Mendon-Upton elementary teachers and parents,
hosts an annual CyberCafe– an evening community event dedicated
to showcasing technology projects, maintains a weekly “Open Lab”
for the Bellingham Community, and teaches technology classes in
the Mendon after-school program, Bellingham's Summer Enrichment
Program, and also at her own Mendon-Upton TechMunchers Camp.
Elizabeth has presented for MassCUE, Mass. Dept. of Education Technology
Conferences, Lesley University: Master of Education in Curriculum
and Instruction program, Christa McAuliffe Technology Conferences,
Plymouth State College's Heritage Studies Graduate Program, Mass.
Elementary School Principals' Association's Masters Program, MASC
(Massachusetts Association of School Committees), and MASS (Mass.
Association of School Superintendents).
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