Pilots in InstructionalTechnology

Congratulations to Ms. Canales for winning a 2017 Excellence in School Technology Award! They selected 17 winners out of a field of well over 100 nominations. The awards ceremony will take place at the #NYCSchoolsTech Summit at LaGuardia High School on Wednesday, July 26.

EdSurge quoted Ms. Canales and Ms. Connor on an April 15 article, "Can a District Disrupt the Edtech Industry?"

Gloria Canales McCabe, the technology coordinator at the Business of Sports School (BOSS) in New York and a returning iZone piloter, explained that this synergy led to the SCEC going “beyond a program just to explore a new tool to enhance instruction” and evolving into “an opportunity to collaboratively reflect on and develop best practices to use with tech in schools.”

The SCEC carved out time on Saturday for sessions designated for developers to learn about educators’ needs, and for teachers to learn about product offerings. Raven Connor, an English teacher, said these interactions gave her “the confidence needed to feel comfortable using the program with students.” Not all districts will have the luxury to do this on weekends, but dedicated training time during the working week is a must if adoption is the goal.