Tech & Learning is the only publication to write about how technology and pedagogy can be implemented effectively to improve teaching and learning through case studies, how-tos, and innovative district leader profiles. The focus is on providing practical, actionable advice and expertise that can be used by any district, no matter the size, location, or socioeconomic status. All articles are written by education experts and are reported, researched, fact-checked, and edited in accordance with the highest standards of journalism. Tech & Learning has a strict policy against using any AI-generated content.
Each week, Tech & Learning’s newsletter reaches 90,000-plus tech-savvy educators looking to stay informed about the latest trends, news, best practices, and tools in K-20. Our weekly K20 Leadership newsletter targets district-level administrators and reaches 23,000-plus district buyers. Our monthly digital magazine has a readership of more than 90,000 education leaders, teachers, and support personnel and more than 2 million users visit Tech & Learning’s website each year.
Tech & Learning's Editorial Guidelines are available here.
Tech & Learning is a division of Future B2B.
STAFF
Christine Weiser is the Content and Brand Director for Tech & Learning, and has been with the company since 2008. She has reported on education for most of her career, working at Scholastic and Gale Publishing before joining Tech & Learning. Christine is also an author and musician, and lives in Philadelphia with her husband and son.
Ray Bendici is an award-winning journalist, author, and editor, with more than 20 years of experience, including a specific focus on education. He lives in Connecticut with his two kids and a beloved backyard firepit.
Allison Knapp is the Sales Account Manager for Tech & Learning, and has been with the brand since 2001. She loves helping solution providers meet and find success with the audience of Tech & Learning. Allison lives in the Bay Area, CA, with her husband, 3 kids, dog, cat, gecko, turtle, and fish.
Michael Millington is a senior staff writer for Tech & Learning. A writer and editor with over a decade of experience, his focus on bringing actionable information to those in need is the driving force behind his work. When not researching new advancements in technology, Michael likes to practice his Italian and train his dog Cyril.
Marquita Amoah is the Event Partnership Development Director for Tech & Learning, and has been with the company since 2021. She has worked in higher education for most of her career, working at Barnard College and the University of Chicago before joining Tech & Learning. Marquita is also a writer and podcaster, and is a native New Yorker who now lives in Oakland.
Blake Pippin has over 10 years of experience in planning, marketing, executing, and leading large scale, corporate, and social events. He is a graduate from the University of Georgia and is a true Bulldawgs Fan! He also holds a fine art degree and loves being involved in the arts.
Anne Gregoire is a graduate from the University of Mississippi with a degree in marketing. She comes from a background in the toy industry specializing in developing early education toys and resources. A native Atlantan, she currently resides and works in New York City.
CONTRIBUTORS
Luke Edwards is a freelance writer and editor with more than two decades of experience covering tech, science, and health. He writes for many publications covering health tech, software and apps, digital teaching tools, VPNs, TV, audio, smart home, antivirus, broadband, smartphones, cars, and much more.
Dr. Stephanie Smith Budhai is an associate clinical professor in the department of Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum at Drexel University, holding a Ph.D. in Learning Technologies. She has more than a decade of online teaching experience, and has published myriad books, articles, and invited editorials surrounding the use of technology and online learning in education through major education publishers. Dr. Smith Budhai is the 2021 Emerging Leader for the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education and the 2017 ISTE awardee for Excellence in Teacher Education.
Carl Hooker has been a part of a strong educational shift with technology integration since becoming an educator. As Director of Innovation & Digital Learning at Eanes ISD, he has helped spearhead the LEAP program, which put one-to-one iPads in the hands of all K-12 students in his 8,000-student district. He's also the author of Ready, Set, FAIL!: Using Failure & Risk-Taking to Unlock Creativity, designed to provide new ways to motivate learners of all ages and open up their creative pathways. Read more at Hooked on Innovation.
Susan comes from a strong policy background as a former staffer in the U.S. Senate and Legislative Aide in the Iowa House of Representatives. Along with experience at both federal and state levels, she served as the Deputy Executive Director for the Center for Digital Education, worked for a government relations firm in Arlington, VA, and heavily worked on federal and state education policy at iNACOL, where she wrote published reports to move the field forward with innovative learning models, best practices, and policy recommendations.
Annie Galvin Teich has more than 25 years' experience in education writing and publishing. She is an edtech industry expert in content marketing and copywriting. As a regular contributor to Tech & Learning she focuses on the information needs of district decision makers.
Diana Restifo has been Tech & Learning's web editor since 2010, and in that time, has covered a wide array of education technology news, resources, and products. Currently, she writes about the best websites and tools to help educators teach any topic creatively, with an emphasis on free and low-cost resources.
Erik Ofgang is a journalist, author, and educator. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Associated Press. He currently teaches at Western Connecticut State University’s MFA program. While a staff writer at Connecticut Magazine he won a Society of Professional Journalism Award for his education reporting. He is interested in how humans learn and how technology can make that more effective.
Frank is the former Supervisor of Technology for the Linwood Public School District (Pre-K-8) in New Jersey. He reviews products for Tech & Learning and speaks regionally and nationally about educational innovation and instructional technology.
TL ADVISORS
Mike began his career as a high school math teacher and served many roles, including Academic Coach, STEM Academy Director, Coordinator of Instructional Technology, and Director of Technology. He is currently serving as the Coordinator of Technology Services for Northwest RESA, an organization that supports 17 school systems and 180 schools in northwest Georgia. He is passionate about instructional practices and how technology supports good teaching.
Chris Aviles is a STEM teacher, edtech specialist, and president of Garden State Esports. He is also a regular contributor to Tech & Learning.
Listed as one of EdTech Magazine’s K-12 IT influencers for 2020, Greg is currently the Coordinator of Instructional Technology for the Hamilton County Schools in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In this position, Greg works with schools that are 1:1 assisting them in integrating the technology into their curriculum. Prior to this position, Greg was the principal at Barger Academy of Fine Arts where he served for ten years infusing technology with the arts program. Before stepping into the role of administration Greg worked as a band director, computer teacher, and the Technology Integration Specialist for 21st Century Academy. He has been a presenter at Google Summits, state and national technology conferences, as well as at EdCamp encore events. He also host the educational Podcast "Books with Bagby."
Bill Bass is the Innovation Coordinator for Instructional Technology, Information, Library Media, and Federal Programs in the Parkway School District in St. Louis, Missouri, where he leads the district library program, instructional technology, grants, and innovation. He is an award-winning educator, international speaker, and past president of ISTE Board of Directors. During his 20+ career in education, he has held positions in both K-12 and higher ed, and has written numerous articles, book chapters and has authored three books on the role of technology in education.
Dr. Beam serves as a fellow with BES, a national nonprofit that identifies and prepares excellent leaders to transform education in their communities. She previously served as Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning in Decatur, Georgia. Beam’s experience includes teaching public education, serving as an administrator in the public, private, and international setting, and preparing teachers in the university setting. She is passionate about leading, learning and finding ways to break down barriers that impede student success. She believes technology is often at the heart of building new pathways to personalizing the student experience.
Maurie Beasley is an experienced educator and co-founder of AI Education Professionals, where she has spent the past two years training districts and teachers on integrating AI into the classroom. Her work focuses on using AI to enhance learning environments and operational practices while promoting equity. Maurie is also the co-creator of Agnes, an AI toolbox designed to empower teachers to explore AI’s full potential.
Eileen Belastock, CETL, is an educational leader who throughout her career in both the corporate and educational settings, has encouraged and supported both adult and student learners to challenge themselves to find their passions, be lifelong learners, and be contributing citizens in the global environment. Due to her work and involvement with state and national edtech organizations, she is a 2020 top 100 edtech influencer. Through her articles, she supports and highlights educators and administrators on their work to ensure digital equity and student safety.
Dr. Courtney Bennett currently serves as Director of Virtual Learning for Warren County Schools in McMinnville TN, as well as on the TN Virtual Education Network committee for the Tennessee State Department of Education. In 2015, she started the first virtual program in the Warren County School District and led the complete shift to remote learning when the Covid 19 pandemic blindsided schools. Dr. Bennett has consulted with schools across Tennessee to help develop virtual schools as alternative pathways for students. An avid aviation geek, she is treasurer of her local EAA chapter. Dr. Bennett and her husband James enjoy traveling, kayaking, and playing golf.
Kyle Berger has over 23 years of K-12 technology leadership and has earned awards such as Technology Director of the year for Texas, 2020 National Edtech Leadership, and Institutional Leadership award for interoperability. In 2022 Kyle was named one of the Top 100 Influencers in Edtech by Edtechdigest. He serves as the Chief Technology Officer for Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, a Texas school district of 14,000 students.
Heather Brantley is an experienced educator and founder of HeatherTechEdu. She is passionate about helping teachers and students leverage the power of technology to enhance teaching and learning. Heather teaches CTE technology and CEER at Pine Tree Junior High and serves on Pine Tree ISD Leadership Team. She led the effort for Pine Tree ISD to be the world's first TAG/LEGO district.
Kristen Brooks is a veteran educator with the last 18 years exclusively in edtech. Currently she serves as a technology specialist and leader on the Digital Innovation Team at Indian Knoll Elementary School, a Microsoft Showcase School. Ms. Brooks presents nationally on educational technology and the importance of fostering a culture of creativity in all classrooms.
Jon Castelhano is currently the Executive Director of Technology for the Gilbert Public School District in Gilbert, Arizona. Jon is a seasoned educator with more than 20 years in educational technology and 26 years in public education. He oversees all technology needs at Gilbert Public Schools, including a successful grades 7-12 1-to-1 initiative, and a technology services team dedicated to the students and staff of the district.
Diane is the Senior Director of Information Technology at Digital Promise, leading the IT strategy and innovation for this national nonprofit organization that aims to accelerate innovation in education and improve learning opportunities for all. She also serves as the Board Chair of the Consortium of School Networking (CoSN), guiding the vision and direction of CoSN and supporting its members in advancing digital learning and transforming education.
Todd Dugan is the Superintendent of Bunker Hill CUSD #8 located in Bunker Hill, Illinois. A rural, distant district, Bunker Hill is in the midst of both a digital conversion to 1-to-1 device environment while simultaneously changing both the pedagogy and learning environment. A 2017 Tech & Learning Leader of the Year and the 2018 Illinois State University EAF Superintendent of the Year, Todd has presented and published numerous times on education and disrupting inequity, digital and otherwise.
Dr. Laurie Fiorenza serves as the Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning at Oak Park and River Forest School, bringing over 18 years of diverse experience in education. With unwavering passion, she is committed to creating opportunities and pathways for every student to discover their own unique talents and derive purpose and satisfaction from their educational journey.
Amanda Fitzpatrick is the Director of Professional and Innovative Learning at Fort Worth ISD, where she oversees more than 150 education professionals. Her leadership ensures the professional development and growth of educators across Fort Worth ISD, while fostering innovation and excellence in teaching practices.
Kerry Gallagher, JD is an innovative educator, lawyer, TEDx and keynote speaker, education consultant, downhill skier, hiker, mom, and wife. She is the Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning at St. John’s Preparatory School in Danvers, Massachusetts and Director of Education at ConnectSafely, an internet safety non-profit. Kerry is co-author of several ConnectSafely award-winning guidebooks on media literacy, social media, data privacy, education technology, and copyright. Kerry's work has garnered awards from the Family Online Safety Institute, Tech & Learning, MassCUE, SmartBrief, and St. Anselm College.
Dr. Michael Gaskell is an author, speaker and principal in East Brunswick. An NJPSA Stars recipient, he presents on AI in the Classroom at NJPSA/FEA and Rutgers and has been published in dozens of education journals and blogs, including ASCD Smartbrief, Tech & Learning, Education Post, eSchoolNews and others. Mike is a speaker at national conferences, including the Learning and the Brain conference, FETC, CEC, and ISTE and has published three books: Radical Principals, Leading Schools Through Trauma and Microstrategy Magic. He also enjoys sharing his expertise via podcasts.
Teri Green is an innovative IT leader with more than 16 years of experience in the telecommunications, education, and technology services industries. She is the co-founder/CISO for Lite Technology Solutions, LLC, a cybersecurity firm, and serves as the board president at ETA (Education Technology Association in Missouri). Green mentors two organizations, the International Consortium of Minority Cyber Security Professional (ICMCP) mentor and STL- TechLx Mentor woman executive series.
Kate Grunow has been in education for over a decade as a K-12 digital media specialist and English teacher. She currently serves 130,000 students and over 10,000 teachers in metro Detroit. She is one of the co-creators of the 21 Things 4 project and a presenter at local, state, and national conferences on topics such as blended learning, free technology tools, learning management platforms, and digital learning. She is the Schoology implementation lead for Macomb ISD where she has trained over 3,000 teachers on Schoology basics and tech best practice.
Phil Hintz is the Chief Technology Officer for Niles Township District 219 in Illinois. In 2015, he was the recipient of ISTE’s Outstanding Leader of Year Award, in Philadelphia, and collaborated with the team at Gurnee School District 56 to be inducted into the League of Innovative Schools by Digital Promise. In 2017, Phil helped Gurnee D56 to earn the coveted ISTE Distinguished District Award. Most recently, Phil was awarded the 2019 Withrow CTO of the Year by the Consortium of School Networking (CoSN).
Melissa Jacobs is the Director of Library Services for the NYC Department of Education/New York City School Library System. Melissa was named the 2022 New York Library Association Distinguished Service Award winner and received the 2022 Tech and Learning Innovative Leader Award. She was also named the 2022 EdWeek Leader to Learn From and Library Journal Mover and Shaker. Melissa has contributed to School Library Journal, Knowledge Quest, Teacher Librarian, and School Library Connection.
Dr. Matthew X. Joseph is the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning in New Bedford, MA. He is also the CEO of X-Factor EDU consulting and publishing. He has been a school and district leader in many capacities in public education over his 28 years in the field. Follow him on Twitter @matthewxjoseph and visit his website at https://mxjedu.net. He is also a regular contributor to Tech & Learning.
Dr. Kerrigan currently serves as the District Director of Curriculum & Instruction for the Middletown Township Public Schools (NJ). Dr. Kerrigan also serves in leadership positions as the immediate Past President of the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New Jersey and the Co-Chair of the Monmouth County Curriculum Consortium.
Bobby LaFleur has more than 35 years of experience in the technology field, with the last 21 years in K-12 school districts. His experience includes project management, application support, system testing, and system development. As the Information Technology Officer (CTO) at Spring ISD, he led several initiatives to drive innovation and cybersecurity, including moving backups to the cloud, implementing EDR solutions to protect against an ever-changing threat environment, and re-aligning the District's Student Information System team to better support student success. Prior to working in K12, Bobby worked for 14 years as a consultant and analyst in the oil and gas industry.
After a career teaching junior high and high school English, Caroline Lightfoot transitioned to the ed tech industry as a product specialist, gaining valuable insights into innovative educational tools. In 2011, she joined Dickinson ISD as the Technology Integration Coordinator, where she focused on leveraging technology to enhance teaching and learning. Currently in her second year as the Executive Director of Technology, she is committed to ensuring equitable access to technology resources across all campuses.
Ling has been a K-12 teacher, instructional coach, and EdTech leader. Ling started her career as an elementary classroom teacher in Hawaii, then moved to Princeton, NJ to specialize in curriculum development and teaching computer science and robotics. In 2015, Ling moved to the Bay Area to help schools create their makerspace and continue to teach and advocate for STEAM, Design Thinking, and Maker Education. Her work and presentation have earned several awards and were recognized and published by ISTE and IDEO. Ling is currently the Director of EdTech at Helios School, Sunnyvale, California.
Amy Liang is passionate about transforming the way people learn through technology. She is currently the Director of Technology, Assessment, and Accountability for Los Gatos Union School District, a small district in Northern California with nearly 3,000 students. Amy oversees technology, state assessments, and the district STEAM initiative. Previously, Amy spent eight years as the Director of Instructional Technology for the Cupertino Union School District.
Christopher Lockhart is a technology enthusiast with 30 years of IT experience who serves as the Director of Technology for Princeton City Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio. Chris has recently organized and hosted a TEDx conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. He received the Tech&Learning "Best Overall Implementation of Technology" award in 2022 for innovative work during the pandemic ensuring underserved communities in the district had internet access.
Shad McGaha is currently the Chief Technology Officer for Belton ISD in central Texas. He has 23 years of experience in education. Shad loves to lead change and strives to share his passion for technology in education in everything he does.
Lacey Merrifield is the Director of Technology at Bosqueville ISD and an Adjunct Science Instructor at Peloton College. With over a decade of experience as an instructional specialist and classroom teacher, she focuses on integrating cutting-edge technology with instructional strategies and mentoring educators.
Beverly Miller was the first IT Director for the Greeneville City Schools in Greeneville, Tennessee, a role she held for 17 years before being promoted to Assistant Director of Schools, a position she has now held for 9 years. She is passionate about providing best-in-class tools backed up by extraordinary customer service and support to the people she serves and leads.
Dr. Martin Miller has 36 years of experience in education and currently serves as the Superintendent of Antwerp Local Schools in Antwerp, Ohio. In 2022, he was a finalist for the 2022 Ohio Outstanding Superintendent Award and Tech and Learning's Innovative Leader Award. Dr. Miller speaks nationally on digital learning and was a member of the U.S. educator delegation to the World Leadership Summit in 2022. He is the founder and president of GENZED, LLC., a company providing online education for Chinese students.
Jenith Mishne has been passionate about technology and learning for the past 26 years. She is the Director of Education Technology in Newport Mesa USD, working with students, teachers, and administrators as they learn to integrate technology into their learning and lives.
Dr. Mullen has been an education practitioner since 2012. Currently, she serves as the Student Data Coordinator and RtI Data Coach at Egg Harbor Township School District. In addition to her role in public education, she is the co-founder of LM Squared Consultants, a firm dedicated to providing relevant and sustainable professional development.
Frank Murray is the Director of Instructional Technology and Campus Support at Belton ISD in Texas. With his M. Ed in Educational Technology and 14 years training teachers on integrating technology, he has seen a lot of changes in the classroom. He has played a vital role in team building, planning, training, distribution, expectations, and follow through with a successful technology integration.
Lisa Nielsen has worked as a public-school educator and administrator since 1997. Her areas of expertise include ed tech, digital citizenship, and digital accessibility. She is a prolific writer best known for her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator. Nielsen is the author of Teaching Generation Text as well as several other books and her writing has been featured in various outlets such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. You can Tweet her at @InnovativeEdu. She is also a regular contributor to Tech & Learning.
Dr. Parker is a Faculty Learning Coordinator in UF's Center for Teaching Excellence. She comes to UF with over 30 years of experience PK20 education at the local, county, and State levels. She is an ISTE Certified Educator and ISTE’s 2018 Digital Leader of the Year. Her consultant work includes ISTE Certification, ISTE Library Standards, and authoring ISTE-U courses. Parker was recognized by Tech & Learning Magazine as one of the top Ed Tech leaders to watch (2018) and for Best Digital Curriculum (2022).
Presently Director of IT for the Township of Union Public Schools, Sandra Paul previously was a computer science and business education teacher. She was awarded administrator of the year by NJASL in 2007, a finalist for the 2014 Bammy Awards for Support Staff, and named in the Top 30 Technologists, Transformers and Trailblazers 2015. She served as the chairperson for Technology Advocacy for NJAET, co-chairperson for CoSN- NJ, Board member of NJGMIS, Chairperson CoSN-NJ member, has contributed to Sustainable Jersey Digital Schools Program and Future Ready Technology Leadership, and is an organizer for EdcampNJ.
Dr. Adam Phyall is the Director of Professional Learning and Leadership at All4Ed and previously served as Director of Technology and Media Services in Covington, Georgia, where he focused on how teachers can keep students engaged in rigorous learning by putting technology in the hands of students.
Stacy Royster is the PowerSchool Program Coordinator for the Alabama State Department of Education. She is the former CTO/Director of Technology for Opelika City Schools in Opelika, Alabama. Her innovative technology integration methods have led to multiple opportunities to speak at local, national, and international events. She holds a master's degree in secondary mathematics education from Auburn University and holds the Chief Technology Officer Certification from the statewide organization Alabama Leaders in Educational Technology (ALET).
Jennifer Santi began her career as a high school English teacher at The Mount Vernon School in Georgia and then followed a traditional path after leaving the classroom: Instructional Coach, Program Coordinator, Assistant Principal, Head of Learning and Innovation....and then accidentally found herself leading the IT and Instructional Technology. I have a Specialist in Instructional Technology and a Doctorate in Teacher Leadership. It has been a wonderful and exciting journey and I love what I do now. I have a reach and influence that not only makes changes in my school as a whole, but with every teacher and student. Each day reignites my love for education in new ways.
Nikki Schafer is an Instructional Technology Facilitator, Board Member, grad student, and mom living in Omaha, Nebraska.
Gina is a middle-school special education teacher and district-wide edtech coach with a passion for both STEM and the healing arts. She is a certified nature therapy guide, yoga and mindfulness instructor, stress resilience facilitator and reiki master.
Kara Thorstenson is the Director of Digital Learning and Libraries for Chicago Public Schools. Before joining CPS, she worked for 14 years as a school librarian and instructional technology coach. She is proud to have worked with every grade PreK-12! Kara is a Certified Educational Technology Leader through COSN, a Google Certified Trainer, a Director at Large on the board of the Illinois Library Association, and a Tech & Learning Innovative Leader award winner.
Dr. Scott Van Der Aa is the School Corporation Superintendent at Bloomfield School District. He has been in education for over 20 years in various roles and has a passion for serving multi-language learners and helping their families increase their involvement in the education of their children.
Andrew Wallace has been the technology director for South Portland Schools in Maine for the past twenty years. He is president of the Maine Educational Technology Directors Association (METDA) and represents Maine schools on the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) Forum. A former librarian, Wallace is a Maine Commissioner of Libraries, and is a member of the graduate faculty in Educational Technology for University of Maine system. Wallace's current passion is designing effective learning spaces to facilitate the purposeful use of technology in teaching and learning.
Mary Jane Warden has been in education for 29 years, serving as a classroom teacher, professional developer, technology director, and district-level administrator in Illinois. She currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer for a northwest suburban PreK-8 school district. MJ has led initiatives in developing instructional practices and building digital learning ecosystems including Google Workspace for Education, learning management systems, and 1:1 digital learning environments. She has presented at national conferences as a Google Education Trainer/Teacher, Drupal CMS web developer, instructional coach, and educational leadership. Her passion has been for students (and educators!) to express their most creative and productive selves to contribute to a global community.
Alana Winnick is the Educational Technology Director and Data Protection Officer for Pocantico Hills Central School District in Sleepy Hollow, NY. She also serves as the Hudson Valley Director for The New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education (NYSCATE). Alana is the author of The Generative Age: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Education and host of The Generative Age podcast, which explores the rapidly evolving world of generative artificial intelligence and its impact on education.
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