Staff Honored as 2015 TIES Exceptional Teachers
Teachers Sam Court and Garrick Grace from St. Cloud Area School District were recognized as TIES Exceptional Teachers at the TIES 2015 Education Technology Conference at the Minneapolis Hyatt Regency on Dec. 15, 2015.
The award recognizes teachers who model the best practices in their classroom and engage students in learning with technology. Following is the nomination submission explaining why Sam and Garrick are exceptional teachers:
Sam Court is a united arts teacher at Talahi Elementary School. He is teaching all students in grades K-5 how to utilize technology as a tool through programs such as KidBlog and Google Drive. He is also co-teaching 5th grade technology, coding, and engineering skills every day through the united arts block. Sam supervises student tech teams in each grade level so students can provide technical help in the classroom. He has created an online tutorial for these students using EdPuzzle. Through this application, students can access videos and answer questions about solving problems. They can then provide immediate assistance for students and staff in their classrooms. Sam is a leader in obtaining and teaching robotics. He uses Dot and Dash and Lego Mindstorms. Sam continually leads teacher inservice. He uses programs such as Moby Max for teachers to differentiate student learning and KidBlog for teachers to create online portfolios for their classrooms. He is respected by the staff and students as a leader of technology integration. This year Sam is partnering with the media specialist to create a MakerSpace in the library for student exploration. The students started their first Cardboard Chair challenge. It is through this type of leadership that Sam is able to motivate other staff to use technology throughout instruction.
Garrick Grace is a middle school teacher at South. Garrick teaches C4 (college, career, community, and citizenship). His use of the student iPads has been transformational. He starts his class with the basics. Then Garrick allows his students to create and collaborate with others to create projects that were once impossible. Garrick was recently awarded a grant for using a drone in instruction. Both students and staff have been excited about this new tool. Garrick is always willing to help. He has provided staff development to teachers at a building level and district level. Through his expertise, Garrick is able to assist other staff understand the SAMR model and utilize student iPads throughout instruction. Garrick has also been a strong advocate promoting technology in learning. He recently participated in community forums to inform citizens of the possibilities of technology in education.
TIES is an educational technology solutions collaborative owned by 48 member districts. Our mission is to leverage collective wisdom to make technology work across school communities. For more than four decades, TIES has proven to be a reliable partner to K-12 educators. TIES represents more than 400 schools with about 40 percent of Minnesota’s students. As a key technology source for its member districts, TIES provides software systems, professional development, and technology integration training for teachers, administrators, transportation outsourcing, technical consulting, hardware and software support, and ISP services.