Technology & Learning - December 2008 - (Page 14)

FEATURESTORY Awards of Excellence Each of the products selected for this year’s Awards of Excellence had to do something that doesn’t always happen, even with the most heavily hyped of technologies—work in real life. Honorees are determined by a team of picky educators who put products through their paces in actual classrooms. Judges are urged to find reasons not to like the products. A majority has to come back with the Caesar’s thumbs up. Not an easy feat. All of these products share a common characteristic that can be identified only by this this sort of judging process. They are all technologies that emphasize utility over novelty. Forget the bells and whistles. Just help teachers teach better, assess better, learn better. Hundreds of companies and products were scrutinized. The ones who passed muster truly deserve recognition and deserve congratulations. —Kevin Hogan Search for individual reviews and send us your opinion of these products on techlearning.com. Judges Special thanks to RENEE RAMIG, the director of technology for the Seven Hills School in Walnut Creek, CA, for dedicating many hours coordinating a fair review process. Also thanks to our other coordinators, GERRY DUNN-GERARDIN, Educational Technology Specialist at Seven Hills School, and DOTTY GONSALVES, the technology coordinator for St. Martin de Porres School, in Oakland, CA. Thanks to the St. Martin de Porres School and Seven Hills School for serving as judging centers for this important contest. We couldn’t do it without you. Thanks, too, to our other judges: JEFF BRAIN, Technology Facilitator, Del Mar School, Tiburon, CA JASON DAVIS, Teacher, Seven Hills School LINDA DAVIS, Teacher, Prospects High School, Antioch, CA SAMANTHA GODSOE, Teaching Assistant, Dougherty Elementary, Dublin, CA DAVID GODSOE, Professional Development, Clayton, CA HEATHER HARRINGTON, Teacher, Seven Hills School JAMELLE JACQUES, Teacher, Washington Manor Middle School, San Lorenzo, CA DAVID LARSON, Teacher, Seven Hills School JOE LEO, Technology Coordinator, St. Philip Neri Elementary School, Oakland Diocese MARYBETH MEARS, Teacher, Sutter Elementary, Antioch, CA GINA MORRIS, Teacher, Seven Hills School GIDEON MUREY, Technology Support Specialist, Seven Hills School THERESA NIERLICH, Professional Development Specialist, Contra Costa Office of Education LINDA ONTIVEROS, Teacher, Seven Hills School MICHAEL SANDBERG, Teacher, Seven Hills School VICTORIA SEARS, Teacher, Cornell School, Albany Unified School District PATTY SPRENKEL, Teacher, Holbrook Elementary School, MDUSD PAMELA WHITE, Teacher, St. Martin de Porres, Oakland Diocese 14 | TECH & LEARNING http://www.techlearning.com

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Technology & Learning - December 2008 Contents Leader of the Year Award Awards of Excellence Portraits of Learning

Technology & Learning - December 2008

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