POCOMOKE – A Worcester County educator was recognized last week for her innovative approach to educational technology.
Last week, Pocomoke High School Principal Annette Wallace was named the 2018 Maryland’s Outstanding Leader Using Technology by the Maryland Society for Educational Technology (MSET).
Each year, MSET honors one leader and one teacher for their use of innovative and effective practice of educational technology.
The leader award recognizes an educator outside the classroom who has made exemplary contributions to the implementation of technology in Maryland schools.
Wallace said she was nominated by Pocomoke Middle School teacher Brian Cook and was surprised with the award by school staff last Friday.
Wallace attributes the recognition to schoolwide initiatives that promote the use of technology among Worcester County students and educators.
Last year, for example, Wallace introduced weekly educational chats on Twitter. By using a certain hashtag, educators in Worcester County can ask questions, share stories and provide feedback on various classroom topics.
“This is the future of professional development,” she said. “We are finding ways to provide professional development and it’s not costing us money.”
Wallace said she and her peers also promote the use of technology in the classroom.
In addition to a digital conversion initiative that put iPads in the hands of students in recent years, Wallace said she and other educators utilize technology and social media to communicate with students, school staff and members of the community.
“I think we can either be afraid of technology or we can teach our students to harness technology for positive reasons,” she said. “We are in a time where people are saying phones and social devices will be the end for schools, but I think it’s fantastic.”
