Elections

Current Position/Title

Director Of Technology

Current School / District / Employer

Maquoketa Community School District

Please tell us about yourself

I am the husband to a High School Math teacher and the dad to two girls who are in elementary school. Technology is a large part of all of our daily lives. Personally, we are boaters in the summer and love spending quality family time together. Professionally I serve as the IT Director of Maquoketa School District. I am a lifelong leaner who enjoys and sharing and learning from individual and group experiences with others. I was honored to present various technology sessions both at the local and upcoming at the national level.

My journey serving in education started as a technician in our elementary schools in 2005 and transitioned to the IT Director role in 2010, this is a role I currently I still hold today.

Why are you interested in running for the ITEC board?

To further promote responsible use of technology in Iowa

What role do you see ITEC playing in the next five years in regard to education?

Collaborative Group, conference paths depending on your professional position (Administrator, Teacher, IT Staff etc). Focus on by educators for educators. Keep the conference Iowa roots and share the great Technology coming out of Iowa.

Current Position/Title

Instructional Coach

Current School / District / Employer

Ames High School – Ames Community School District

Please tell us about yourself:

I am currently an Instructional Coach at Ames High School. I have been a high school Science Teacher in 3 districts across Iowa, a Technology Integration Specialist in Ames CSD and Nevada CSD, as well as the Director of Technology at Ames CSD. I have my Masters in Curriculum and Instructional Technology from ISU as well as my Masters in Transformative School Leadership from ISU. I have also taught multiple courses at Iowa State University as part of the educational technology program.

While teaching science at South Hamilton HS in 2009, our school district went 1:1 and I was able to fully explore the use of technology in my teaching and learning. The technology was finally fully available to my students, and not just me as the teacher, to use in the classroom. I implemented various ideas and methods that helped my students learn better than ever. From those days of my flipped mastery classroom to the work that I do with teachers today, technology has been a way to do things in our classrooms that was not possible before, to help remove barriers to student learning, and to help students and teachers alike learn as best as they can.

My role as an Instructional Coach allows me to work with many teachers as they continue to grow and learn in order to better improve teaching in learning at our school. I help plan professional development and develop resources to assist in teacher learning as well as to assist students in their learning as well. Professional learning is a major focus of my day job as well as the work I do with the ITEC Board and others, it is something that I value as I work with others to improve learning in as many classrooms as we can.

Why are you interested in running for the ITEC board?

Being a part of the ITEC Board since 2019 has been one of the best parts of my experiences as an educator. We have been able to help so many educators grow in their profession as well as help create connections to support teachers as best as we can. ITEC has undergone many changes in the last couple of years and we continue to evolve to meet the current needs of educators in Iowa. There is so much that we still want to do and I want to be able to be a part of it as we find ways to keep helping support teachers and schools across the state. While the pandemic forced us to change some things, there are so many things that I still want the ITEC Board to be able to do moving forward. I fully believe that ITEC can continue to grow and help educators across the state more than ever before, and it is needed as resources continue to be removed from schools and classrooms in Iowa.

What role do you see ITEC playing in the next five years in regard to education?

The Fall Conference must continue to evolve as technology becomes more prevalent in all aspects of learning and it needs to continue to provide a focal point for the learning of educators across the state. There also has to be other outreach methods that could be used to help the learning continue to happen throughout the year and not just during the fall, finding ways to support and direct that learning will be powerful. As we have begun a greater focus on our webinars, newsletters, social media posts, the IT Conference, and the Student Tech Fairs, we have found many ways to support educators beyond just a single event.

Technology is still rapidly evolving in our classrooms and you can see that just in how the discussion around AI has blown up over the last year. While the pandemic provided a boost to the amount and types of technology that entered the classrooms across the state, we still need to focus on what we do with that technology and how we can truly best support students in their learning. ITEC has to continue to support teachers who are innovating as soon as the technology changes but we have to continue to support all educators in Iowa as best we can when it comes to their learning around technology in teaching and learning.

Current Position/Title

Instructional Technology Coordinator

Current School / District / Employer

Iowa City Community Schools

Please tell us about yourself:

Previously, I had the privilege of instructing students across various elementary grade levels. After ten years in the classroom, I was afforded the opportunity to transition into a role where I supported teachers in reimagining learning through the lens of technology and innovation. I currently serve as the Instructional Technology Coordinator for the Iowa City Community School District. In this role, I am tasked with empowering educators and students with innovative instructional technology solutions, fostering a dynamic and inclusive learning environment.

Why are you interested in running for the ITEC board?

It has been a privilege to serve on the board and I am excited to continue in this role. ITEC strives to connect, support and grow educators. Through annual conferences and webinars to newsletters and social media resources, ITEC is working relentlessly to evolve as the educational landscape continues to change.

What role do you see ITEC playing in the next five years in regard to education?

Over the next five years, I see it being critical that ITEC diversifies the services offered to assist with growing community and providing supports so educators can thrive.

(1) Organizational Structure: ITEC has continued to refine the different working groups within the organization. This has assisted with cross-functional collaboration to ensure rich experiences for all educational end-users. Within the next five years, I see value in adding a group focused on artificial intelligence. This group could collaborate with experts in the field to gain new insights as well as work to curate just in time learning and resources as all stakeholders navigate the new AI infused educational landscape. In addition to a group focused on AI, I see value in adding some form of student voice into the organizational structure. As we are all ultimately designing for students, it would be beneficial to infuse more student voice or advisement into the ongoing mission of ITEC.

(2) Annual Conference/Services: The annual conference has been a powerful networking opportunity for educators across the state. However, there have been some barriers (sub shortages, travel expenses, registration fees) for people to attend. I envision ITEC offering more informal opportunities for stakeholders to connect around trending topics such as Artificial Intelligence. This may take the form of virtual or regional in-person meetups, self-paced mini-courses or book groups.

(2a) Student Voice: I envision ITEC playing a pivotal role in amplifying student voice. This has been accomplished through the annual Student Tech Fair, but I anticipate additional opportunities to promote students. This may come in the form of having students play a key role during our annual conference such as leading a session, participating in panel discussions or even sharing some performances to kick off the conference.

(2b) Bite Size Learning: Time is a barrier for educators so expanding bite sized options for learning will continue to be important. ITEC has launched Grab and Go microlearning opportunities but I see it being critical for ITEC to continue expanding the quick, relevant and ready to use resources, ideas and strategies. In addition, leveraging multiple modalities will be important to ensure ample entry points. If bandwidth of board members allow, this could take the form of podcasts, blog posts, short video insights and more.

(2c) Diversification: ITEC is already moving in this direction by partnering with CSTA as well as emphasizing the growing space of Esports and Artificial Intelligence. I see ITEC exploring additional opportunities to leverage the expertise of amazing organizations and experts across the state to ensure all educational stakeholders see added value by the ITEC organization.

Current Position/Title

K-12 TLC Technology Integrationist/K-12 CS Teacher/Lead Teacher Mentor/DLT member/Social Media Director

Current School / District / Employer

Woodbine Community School District

Please tell us about yourself:

I have always enjoyed using technology, so I decided, many years ago, to get my Masters in Educational Technology. I have been in education for 29.5 years. I began my career as a 5th & 6th ELA teacher while coaching HS sports of all sorts. While pursuing my Educational Technology Masters I took several classes that enticed and excited me about educational technology. After completing my master’s I moved to South Dakota for 15 months and worked for the Dept. of Educational Technology. I decided that not being in a classroom wasn’t for me, so I moved back to Woodbine, IA, and continued where I left off and added technology to my list of skills to use in the district. As technology has evolved and the state government, the TLC position came open and I had the opportunity to do just that. However, since leaving the shared position of the TLC between 2 districts, I am now doing my technology integration along with Computer Science integration in the K-4, as well as teaching an HS class of CSP. I am also in charge of our Social Media, on the side. 🙂

Why are you interested in running for the ITEC board?

I am interested in running for the ITEC board as I have participated in their conferences, presented at one, and successfully completed my Google Coach training with them. I genuinely appreciate the opportunities ITEC provides to educators and I am eager to contribute in any capacity possible. Additionally, my aim is to assist dedicated educators throughout Iowa and actively contribute towards enhancing student learning experiences.

What role do you see ITEC playing in the next five years in regard to education?

ITEC offers a wide range of valuable learning and connection opportunities for educators in the state of Iowa. By intentionally integrating digital resources into the educational landscape, ITEC has the potential to completely transform the overall learning experience. Undoubtedly, ITEC plays a crucial role in supporting Iowa educators by providing them with resources, guidance, and a platform to enhance their teaching practices. Looking ahead, it is imperative for ITEC to further expand its community and foster increased collaboration among educators. This can be achieved by offering more diverse opportunities for educators to connect and share their students’ success stories. Through organizing conferences, workshops, webinars, and member stories, ITEC can create a vibrant and inclusive environment where educators can come together to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and ultimately inspire each other to achieve greater educational outcomes.

Current Position/Title

Instructional Coach

Current School / District / Employer

Novak & Wilkins Elementary/Linn-Mar Community School District

Please tell us about yourself:

My name is Shanna Helmke, and I am an Instructional Coach for the Linn-Mar Community School District. This will be my 15th year in education, and my 7th as a Coach for our Teacher Leadership Program. I have also been teaching a Technology Strategies for Teachers course through Mount Mercy University for the past four years as well. Before becoming a coach, I taught 4th grade for the Vinton-Shellsburg CSD and then had the opportunity to teach at the Linn-Mar CSD where I taught 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. I have also successfully completed two Master’s programs, one in Learning and Technology, and the other in Curriculum and Design and am currently getting my Master’s in Administration.

Throughout my teaching career, I have always had a strong passion for technology, consistently exploring ways to integrate it into the classroom to enhance learning and engagement for my students. This enthusiasm ultimately propelled me to pursue a position as an Innovation Coach, where I was able to extend my love for technology and innovative strategies to other elementary schools within the Linn-Mar district, empowering teachers to confidently implement innovative strategies in their classrooms. In my role as an Instructional Coach, I design and facilitate professional learning opportunities for teachers that offer voice and choice when it comes to their professional development. I allow them to learn from me or other colleagues about topics such as engagement strategies, innovation, technology tools, and much more. I also help facilitate collaboration among teachers across Linn-Mar buildings, promoting opportunities for them to observe innovative strategies in action in each other’s classrooms. I assist teachers in reflecting on their observations, implementing takeaways, and gathering data to evaluate effectiveness.

Ultimately, my role as an Instructional Coach allows me the incredible opportunity to impact numerous students by providing teachers strategies that allow them to enhance student engagement in the classrooms. This has led to the co-development of The Innovative Learning Model. This model allows teachers to participate in ongoing professional development throughout the year to learn ways to increase student engagement through multiple modes of instruction by offering voice and choice for their students. Through this initiative, we have observed an increase in student engagement and academic performance!

Why are you interested in running for the ITEC board?

I am interested in running for the ITEC Board because of my deep commitment to enhance student engagement in the classroom through the collaboration of educators. I believe in the power of educators learning from each other, sharing ideas, collaborating and communicating with one another and ultimately integrating engaging, innovative practices into their classrooms. ITEC allows for this to happen and having both actively participated and presented at ITEC, I have witnessed the profound impact the conference has on educators. The collaborative conversations that happen during and after the conference are amazing, and I am eager to hopefully contribute further to shaping the future of ITEC conferences and events.

What role do you see ITEC playing in the next five years in regard to education?

I envision ITEC playing a pivotal role in advancing education by continuing to offer learning opportunities to educators around the state of Iowa through the annual conference, continued communication through social media, emails, and newsletters. Keeping the education community informed about noteworthy developments in innovation and technology across Iowa is crucial. Other ways in which I see ITEC influencing education is board members establishing partnerships with other technology/innovative conferences, enhancing their knowledge and broadening their connections, thereby bringing valuable insights to the ITEC conferences. I also see ITEC board members creating a strategic plan that allows for continuous planning, training and support when it comes to new and emerging technologies and assessing their potential impact on teaching and learning. I would like to see ITEC design and implement professional development programs to ensure educators are proficient in utilizing new technologies effectively and with a purpose. It would be amazing if members had the opportunity to go and see one another teach within their districts to see the implementation of innovative strategies. Again, any new learning opportunities that we can participate in and then share that allows for educators to engage students in their learning is what I hope to see happen because of ITEC.

Current Position/Title

Technology Integrationist

Current School / District / Employer

Woodward-Granger CSD

Please tell us about yourself:

I am in my 15th year in education! I taught in the elementary classroom for 6 years before shifting into tech/instructional coaching at the elementary level. My current position is tech integrationist for Woodward-Granger CSD, which has been my role for the past 5 years.

I am currently leading our district in implementing an innovative and high quality k-12 computer science program. I also lead and facilitate our district’s innovation team and sit on our district leadership team. Outside of those projects, my work consists of supporting building coaches, principals, and teachers in innovative practices.

Why are you interested in running for the ITEC board?

I have always valued the learning and experiences I have been provided through several ITEC sponsored events. I would love to be able to help with contributing to the vision of ITEC and bring innovative ideas to the table to aid in continuing the success of the organization. I have a great passion for finding ways to create empowering experiences for students and teachers. I would love to be able to give back to this organization as well as learn from the amazing educators who are part of the ITEC family.

What role do you see ITEC playing in the next five years in regard to education?

ITEC has a great reputation for offering opportunities for educators to grow. I see ITEC playing a huge role in helping educators narrow to the right tools and practices in order to implement innovative practices in an efficient way. I see ITEC making strides to continue to adjust and meet the needs of Iowa educators in their conference and learning that can happen outside of the conference. I also see ITEC being a hub for all things computer science and being able to provide a range of experiences for educators working to implement CS.

Current Position/Title

Director of Instructional Technology

Current School / District / Employer

Cedar Falls Community School District

Please tell us about yourself:

I started my educational career as a 3rd grade teacher in Reinbeck for 5 years. I loved teaching and using technology to help create experiences for students. When students used technology, they were more motivated and we were able to showcase their thinking and products better. My interest grew in using technology and I received my Masters in Educational Technology from UNI. I was the Technology & Curriculum Director at the Meskwaki Settlement School for 2 years, which was an amazing experience before getting a job at AEA 267 as a Technology Integration Consultant. I worked with our school districts on technology planning and integration for about 10 years before moving into my current position at Cedar Falls Schools.

As the Director of Instructional Technology for Cedar Falls, I get to work with an amazing team of Technology Integration Coaches. As a team, we support technology integration within our curriculum, computer science, maker challenges, and quality teaching and learning with technology. I also support the use of PowerSchool & Schoology within the district along with other tools. I have also helped to coach our Esports teams for the past 7 years. As part of our district leadership team, we work toward creating supports and resources to help best meet our district’s goals.

Why are you interested in running for the ITEC board?

I have been fortunate to be a part of the ITEC board for a number of years. It is a great opportunity to network some of the best in the state around technology’s role in education. I have been able to learn so much from other board members and through the many events and learnings that ITEC creates throughout the year. I feel it is important to continue the work and support the teachers and administrators within the state.

What role do you see ITEC playing in the next five years in regard to education?

I would like to see ITEC continue to offer our annual conference. This is a great event to share learning and network with others that have similar responsibilities. I would like ITEC to continue to provide different learnings throughout the year and be a resource that can be trusted by educators within the state.