Teaching With Technology—Success Brings Rewards

by Rafael Estrada, Communication Specialist

Imagine you are a middle school teacher working hard to create a multimedia presentation for your students. You’ve worked for hours to get it just right. The goal is to capture the attention of your sixth grade students. You want them to enjoy the presentation, but most of all you want them to learn.

Unfortunately, many of the steps involved in producing this “masterpiece” require in-depth technological know-how, and trial and error dictates the pace. Finally, you pick up the phone seeking answers to your technical questions. At the other end, Melissa Hardy comes to the rescue.

Currently working as a media specialist for Flynn Middle School, Hardy focuses on seamlessly integrating technology into teaching. “My goal is to help teachers and students look at technology as a tool just like they would a notebook or pencil,” says Hardy. Her efforts have earned her statewide recognition. When she collaborates, plans, designs, and schedules learning activities with classroom teachers, she always strives to integrate information skills into the classroom curriculum. Hardy works hard to ensure that technology is non-threatening to the students and teachers she helps.

In 2004, the Consortium for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching with Technology (COATT) recognized Hardy’s efforts to integrate technology into teaching and awarded her the Michigan Certificate for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching with Technology (MCOATT) award. COATT is a statewide organization focused on training teachers to use technology as an effective teaching tool. MCOATT applicants develop and submit electronic portfolios of their work.

In her portfolio, Hardy illustrates various ways of integrating technology into teacher curricula and student assignments. Hardy demonstrates how incorporating multimedia computers, smart boards, video projectors, the Internet, digital cameras, camcorders, and other technology in students’ learning can impact learners. She combines this technology with learning activities, classroom projects, and presentations that expand teaching and learning beyond the barriers of a normal classroom.

Hardy’s portfolio is available at http://www.mrsmelissahardy.com/.

For more information, contact: Melissa Hardy, Media Specialist, Flynn Middle School, 2899 Fox Hill Dr., Sterling Heights, MI 48310-3679, (586) 825-2900, mhardy@wcs.k12.mi.us. For information on COATT and MCOATT, visit www.coatt.org.

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