It’s always Teacher Appreciation Day here on Thursdays and today we’ve decided to feature a group of teachers and educators who we’ve seen grow their PLN via multiple forms of social media, including Twitter’s #edchat, their dynamic blogs, and their ability to interact with educators for PD! We’ll continue to spotlight a handful of individuals for Thank a Teacher Thursdays (#ThankaTeacher), who not only make a contribution to the classroom, but to the greater online teacher community. Feel free to read their blogs, follow them on twitter, and if you know a teacher or educator that deserves to be recognized – tell us in the comments section! We’d love to hear from you!
Dr. Justin Staub is a proud husband, father, and Social Studies high school teacher at Downingtown STEM Academy. He is passionate about educational revolution and feels that current reform is not moving fast enough for today’s youth to be ready for the digital world. When asked by a colleague why he blogs he stated, “As a public education teacher who firmly believes America needs to provide quality, free, equal education to all citizens, I feel I must stand and speak for the profession.” Visit his site at and follow him on Twitter @MrStaubSTEM.
Sandy Kendell is a K-12 Educational Technology Specialist that helps teachers in her school district to achieve professional development. She has been in the field of education for 20 years and is passionate about technology in the classroom. She has a variety of interests in the education field that include digital citizenship, blended learning, and social media in education. Her goal is to build a connection between “thinkers in the cloud and teachers in the classroom.” Please visit her blog and follow her on Twitter @EdTechSandyK.
John Steltz is personally known as a husband and a proud father of four. Professionally he holds a BA in English and is a high school ELA teacher that is vested in helping his students learn to be better at communicating through both writing and speaking skills. He loves being an educator and has never considered it work. He is also known as a poet and has authored several books. One of his mottos is to always having a willingness to serve others. Read more about him on his blog and please follow on Twitter @jpsteltz.
Tracee Orman is a high school English teacher, in addition to teaching she began publishing her own materials in 2009. The Hunger Games trilogy are among her favorite books and she created the Hunger Games Lessons for other teachers to utilize. Her motivation for creating the lessons are to offer ideas and insight both for teachers and students, she wants to reach students of all ages and appeal to both boys and girls. She manages two blogs, one focused on her classroom and the other is focused on her lesson plans. Follow her on Twitter @MrsOrman.
Bob Deneau helps teachers to integrate technology into their classrooms. His BS degree is in Elementary Education and he currently is an Instructional Technology Specialist. He uses technology tools such as web 2.0 and interactive hardware to educate teachers. He has also presented at numerous conferences including, MOREnet Instructional Technology Conference and Midwest Education Technology Conference. Learn about Bob and his thoughts on education technology on his blog, Technology That “Actually” Works, and follow @itechbob.
Paula Naugle is a Fourth Grade teacher that contributes to education both inside and outside of her classroom. She has taught for over 30 years and enjoys using tools like Web 2.0, Skype, and Edmodo in her classroom. She is a Den Star educator and an EdcampNOLA organizer. She is also a moderator for #4thchat, which is a hashtag on Twitter that supports educational issues specific to fourth grade students. She also gets fulfillment from making connections with other classrooms. Please visit her blog and follow her on Twitter @plnaugle.
John D’Adamo is an Assistant Principal in Baltimore, MD. He is driven by edtech, 21st Century skills, and educational reform. He has been in the field of education for over ten years and his expertise lie in the area of integration of classroom technology to drive date decision-making in school systems. He is also a chairperson for Middle State Association of Colleges and Schools. He is really passionate about pedagogy meeting the demands of 21st Century learning. Check out his blog and follow him on Twitter @John_DAdamo.
