The Maryland Society for Educational Technology (MSET) and Bluum were proud to surprise Notre Dame of Maryland Professor Ryan Schaaf today as its 2022-2023 Outstanding HigherEd Award Winner. For over 25 years, Schaaf has been a beacon of inspiration to both his colleagues and students at prestigious institutions such as Notre Dame of Maryland University and Johns Hopkins University. His leadership and unwavering commitment to promoting the effective use of technology in education have set them apart as a true higher education leader.

“Always eager to expand his knowledge and stay abreast of the latest trends, Ryan consistently seeks out new information and professional learning opportunities,” MSET President Brian Cook shared. “Ryan’s thirst for growth and continuous improvement is evident in his willingness to present at numerous regional and national conferences.”

However, Schaff’s contributions extend far beyond the conference circuit. Through his extensive authorship of seven books, this individual has shared their wealth of knowledge and resources with educators inside and outside of Maryland. His texts, covering topics such as digital-age learning, game-based learning, and education reform.

“As the chair of the Information and Education Technology Committee at Notre Dame of Maryland University, [Schaff] this visionary leader has played a pivotal role in promoting effective policy development and prioritizing budgetary requests for innovative technologies. [Schaaf’s] guidance has brought about the successful implementation of Brightspace, a new learning management system, and has empowered faculty and students to embrace digital tools and enhance their learning experiences,” Lisa Pallett, assistant dean and association professor at Notre Dame of Maryland University, read as she presented Shaaf’s award today.

During the challenging times brought about by the pandemic, Schaaf’s leadership and expertise shone brightly. He selflessly dedicated himself to assisting colleagues in the transition from face-to-face to online learning. Through countless instructional sessions, he mentored and trained his peers, ensuring they were equipped with the necessary digital tools and skills for effective instruction in a virtual environment.

“MSET is very blessed to expand its Awards Program this year to include a HigherEd Award. The amount of high octane candidates was really special, but even more special is how humble they are about their work. They often don’t even realize the impact and the longevity of that impact in their university community and that is no different with Ryan Schaaf,” MSET Awards Co-Chair Chris Cuppett shared. “We are truly blessed to get the opportunity to learn about the work of so many high-level professors throughout the awards program.”

Schaaf will be honored throughout the upcoming year by receiving opportunities to participate in MSET business meetings, serve as featured speakers, and have his work highlighted. Plus, Schaaf received a banner to display at Notre Dame of Maryland University, a complimentary registration for the upcoming Common Ground Conference, and a one-year paid MSET Membership. 

“MSET wants to give a special thank you our team who scored each of the entries,” Tracy Schoene, MSET’s Awards co-chair, shared about the team who works tirelessly behind the scenes to make these awards happen. “We are very fortunate to have dedicated members who are willing to volunteer their time in the Organization.”

About Outstanding Leader Award

In partnership with Bluum, the HigherEd Award is given to an outstanding full-time or part-time faculty member, dean, department chair, or president in the state of Maryland who supports MSET’s mission of advancing excellence in teaching and leading with technology. This person's position can (but not required) be a combination of teaching and administrative duties.

Bluum and the Maryland Society for Educational Technology (MSET) is proud to announce the finalists for its annual Outstanding Higher Education Award. This award recognizes a Higher Education professional who has made exemplary contributions to the implementation of technology in Maryland institutions of higher education. It supports MSET’s Mission to advance excellence in learning and teaching through innovative and effective uses of technology. 

“MSET has spent a lot of time reengaging the organization with its higher education members and this past year it was determined to add the Outstanding Higher Education Award,” MSET President Brian Cook explained about the new award. “We are excited to have three outstanding educators honored this year from the Higher Ed ranks who exemplify the mission of MSET. Each of these candidates offer a special talent and are leaders in their universities.”

Here are the three finalists:

ALISSA HARRINGTON, Senior Instructional Design Specialist at McDaniel College — Alissa's innovative approach has been instrumental in the adoption of new technologies at McDaniel, contributing to the vitality of faculty and promoting student success.  Since her arrival at McDaniel, Alissa has demonstrated a commitment to supporting faculty and students with effective technology use by publishing a weekly video blog called Tech Tip Tuesday (see artifact 2) each semester. Through this platform, she provides the McDaniel community with up-to-date information on emerging technologies, best practices, and just-in-time technology support. Remarkably, she has not missed a week of publishing a video since her first recording in September 2019. To curate content for Tech Tip Tuesday, Alissa continuously reviews help desk tickets, researches vendor updates, and stays connected on emerging technology practices through her participation in professional networks such as Educause, and the Maryland Education Enterprise Consortium (MEEC).

Alissa's dedication to technology integration at McDaniel is further demonstrated through her monthly training sessions for faculty. She employs various formats designed to attract faculty participation, including lunch-and-learn sessions called Mind Grub and her popular Friday Appy Hour sessions. She also developed a Summer Technology Challenge to increase faculty engagement and training attendance during the summer months. To her surprise, she had nearly 30 faculty entries and doubled her summer workshop participation.  Her workshop sessions cover a wide range of topics that promote emerging technologies and their potential to enhance teaching and learning. Some of the titles of her recent sessions include "Designing with AI Tools," "Reviving QR Codes: Innovative Applications for Classroom Engagement," and "Custom Learning Paths with Adaptive Release." By creating engaging and lively sessions, Alissa helps to foster a positive and energized learning environment for faculty, encouraging them to actively participate and explore new technologies.

CHELSEA MCCLURE, Lecturer in Secondary and Middle School Education at Towson University — McClure is in the College of Education and incorporates technology in educational settings through her classes, where she consistently has her students use technology for formal assessments throughout class, engagement activities as well as for projects. She also integrates technology and promotes the use of technology in internship placements in her part-time internship and full-time internship classes. The technology is promoted for teacher internships to use in their middle and high school classroom for engagement, collaboration, 21^st century skills, and incorporating different learning styles. Overall, she plans, promotes, and engages students and teacher candidates in the use of technology for the purpose of improving the educational setting.  

McClure also impacts the educational community through her grant-funded project promoting the use of technology in teacher education. The first example is through her grant -unded project using virtual simulations to engage teacher candidates in guardian-teacher conferences to build confidence and skills in areas that many students report being an area of need for additional training. She has run this training as a two-day professional learning experience, as well as it being integrated into her course and has received positive feedback from students on how the technology made a significant and positive impact.

RYAN SCHAAF, Associate Professor of Educational Technology at Notre Dame Maryland University —schaaf has personified the definition of higher education leadership by promoting the effective use of technology with his fellow faculty members, as well as students pursuing a wide variety of degrees in teacher preparatory programs. He consistently seeks out new information and professional learning opportunities. He keeps up with the latest trends through education publications and reflects on how he can support innovative learning at NDMU. Throughout his tenure as a professor for the School of Education (SOE), Ryan has shared his extensive wealth of knowledge and resources inside and outside of Maryland. Over the past ten years, Ryan has both attended and presented at a variety of national and regional conferences, including, but not limited to, FETC, ISTE, Serious Play, The Game-Based Learning Virtual Conference, and, of course, Common Ground. Ryan has provided spotlight keynotes at five previous Common Ground conferences in person and virtually during the pandemic. 

Over the past decade, Ryan continuously improves his professional practice through the exploration of creative applications for technology and the consistent evaluation and reflection of current research and methods to maximize student learning by authoring seven books associated with digital-age learning, digital game-based learning, future-focused learning, and promoting learning agency in today’s schools. Making School a Game Worth Playing, Using Digital Games as Assessment and Instruction Tools, and Game On are texts that examine the use of gaming in learning contexts. A Brief History of the Future of Education, Learner Choice, Learner Voice, and Literacy is Still Not Enough are books that explore education reform and modern learning initiatives. Finally, Reinventing Learning for the Always-On Generation, a text that provides a comprehensive profile and framework for teaching members of the digital generations, was awarded the 2016 IPPY Silver Medal for an exemplary educational resource by Independent Publisher. Amazon has often recognized Ryan Schaaf’s texts as hot releases in categories such as education reform, pedagogy, and computers and technology. 

Bluum and the Maryland Society for Educational Technology (MSET) is proud to announce the finalists for its annual Outstanding Educator Award. This award recognizes one educator for his or her use of educational technology in the teaching and learning process in Maryland schools. The award supports MSET’s Mission for advancing excellence in learning and teaching through innovative and effective uses of technology.  

“MSET is proud to have seven amazing educators who exemplify teaching and learning with technology as our finalists this year,” MSET Awards Chair Chris Cuppett indicated. “Each of these educators have amazing stories about how they are supporting students and challenging the status quo. Maryland is fortunate to have these educators working with students.”

Here are the seven finalist:

MICHELLE BAKER, technology teacher at Longfellow Elementary School, Howard County Public Schools  — Michelle’s work has had a significant positive impact on technology use in her educational community. As a technology teacher, Michelle provides 30 to 60 minutes of direct instruction to students in PreK-5. The students engage in active learning on topics such as digital citizenship, computational thinking, coding, collaboration, communication, and foundational technology skills. She provides opportunities for students to use various digital tools to engage in learning and options to demonstrate their learning in multiple ways.  Thanks to Michelle, students leave Longfellow Elementary with a solid coding experience, proficiency with various applications, and high-level computational thinking skills. 

CHRISTYN DAY, Science Teacher and Advanced Academics Specialist at West Frederick Middle School, Frederick County Public Schools — Christyn is continuously looking for opportunities to improve her professional practice. She is in her second year of the Frederick County Public School Vanguard Leadership program, a program that fosters a culture of personalized learning in teachers’ classrooms and their schools. Plus, Christyn is consistently involved in professional learning experiences that evaluate and reflect on current research and practices to improve student learning in her classroom and school. She is currently in the McDaniel Gifted and Talented Educator Specialist (GATES) Certification program, a program designed for K-12 educators who seek to gain expertise in the field of gifted and talented education.

ERIC HINES, Math Teacher at Laurel High School, Prince George’s County Public Schools — Eric integrates technology in his high school math classrooms encouraging students to create, pushing his students beyond just consumers of technology. Eric believes the integration of technology in academic experiences is imperative as we embark on the “Era of Screens” and the many distractions and interests that impact our students. In every class period, Eric implements different variations of technology to help with multiple learning styles, including image slideshows, interactive slides, multimedia videos, audio experiences, animations, digital whiteboards for hands-on experiences, games, and digital manipulatives.

BEN HURLEY, technology teacher/coach at Washington County Public Schools — Ben is a highly effective educator working in classrooms daily with PreK-12 teachers and students across Washington County Public Schools. He leads and teaches PreK-5 Computer Science Curriculum that is infused within the district’s library media curriculum. He can be seen traveling from school to school teaching the curriculum and being a lead teacher across the district as he is a Regional Facilitator for the Elementary Computer Science Coach program too.

KORAL MCKENNA, science teacher at Anne Arundel County Public Schools — Koral’s magic is her intentionality. It is never just technology for the sake of using it. There is always a specific purpose. Teaching a hybrid class means developing relationships from behind a camera as well as in person, which. McKenna has excelled at doing, and in getting to know each learner, she is able to customize their learning paths. She expertly analyzes content standards and meets those markers with a curriculum that balances hands-on learning experiences, along with virtual labs and projects. Ms. McKenna chooses each activity, both digital and in-person, with specific learning goals and technology education in mind.

ANN PRIZZI, performing arts teacher at Baltimore County Public Schools — Ann believes teachers are people with creative potentials for guiding the development of others. She sees teaching as an art. She is consistently asking herself, How can I become better equipped to deal successfully with the challenge of helping others learn in an ever changing world of technology?  Prizzi uses technology to create positive and productive relationships with students and understand the knowledge and insight into human behavior of how one can contribute to making a climate most favorable to the learner. She says staying visible is not only being seen, but being heard from. Prizzi has very high expectations for herself  as an educational technology leader and wants to lead by example for her students. 

SACHA TAYLOR-BLADES, computer science teacher at Crossland High School, Prince George’s County Public Schools — Sacha is a true leader in integrating technology into her teaching practice. She is constantly seeking out new tools and techniques to enhance student learning and engagement. Whether it's implementing a new coding program, using virtual reality to bring history to life, or creating interactive multimedia projects, Taylor-Blades’ is always exploring new ways to engage students and promote their learning. She has presented at the Prince Georges County Public Schools Powering Up Technology Conference; she is a presenter at the Annual SMARTLab Conference and an Apple Learning Coach Candidate.

#MSETawards

Baltimore, MD - The Maryland Society for Educational Technology (MSET) is proud to announce a new partnership with ClassLink, a leading provider of cloud-based education solutions. 

MSET is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the effective use of technology in education. MSET provides professional development, networking opportunities, and resources to educators across Maryland to help them effectively integrate technology into their curriculum. ClassLink is a cloud-based education solution that simplifies the use of digital resources for students and teachers.

"We are thrilled to partner with ClassLink to bring cutting-edge technology solutions to our member schools and districts," said Brian Cook, President of MSET. "ClassLink's platform provides a seamless experience for both educators and students, enabling them to access digital resources with ease.”

For more information on MSET and this partnership, please visit msetonline.org.

About Maryland Society for Educational Technology:

The Maryland Society for Educational Technology (MSET) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the effective use of technology in education. The society provides professional development, networking opportunities, and resources to educators across Maryland to help them effectively integrate technology into their curriculum.

About ClassLink:

ClassLink is a global education provider of access and analytics products that create more time for learning and help schools better understand digital engagement. As leading advocates for open data standards, we offer instant access to apps and files with single sign-on, streamline class rostering, automate account provisioning, and provide actionable analytics. ClassLink empowers 18 million students and staff in over 2,400 school systems. Visit classlink.com to learn more.

The Maryland Society for Educational Technology is excited to partner with Loyola University Maryland to host an all all-day Sphero Workshop for K-12 Teachers, Administrators, and Higher Education faculty on Saturday, March 25, 2023 from 8:30am-2:15pm. 

"Sphero offers a ton of easy to use tools to introduce coding in the classroom and is consistently improving its products to move into higher grade levels," MSET President Brian Cook stated. "This event will allow educators to engage in three hands-on sessions around Sphero. The skills they pick up that day will instantly allow them to go back into their own classrooms and implement, which is very important part of professional learning to me."

The event is being hosted at the Loyola's Timonium Graduate Center (2034 Greenspring Drive, Timonium, MD, 21093) and will feature keynote speaker Dr. Sarah Thomas, a regional technology coordinator for Prince George's County Public Schools. 

The cost is $25 for non-MSET members and includes breakfast and lunch.

Individuals may register using the registration link: https://sphero.ac-page.com/md_professional_development

December 18 – Maryland Society for Educational Technology is pleased to announce a new partnership with Teachers First to promote its book study on Teach Boldly: Using Edtech for Social Good by Jennifer Williams.

The book study will focus on technology implementation strategies, including:

• Exploring pedagogical approaches made possible through the use of technology.
• Identifying, exploring, evaluating, and curating digital resources and tools.

• Designing authentic learning activities that facilitate active, deep learning.
• Learning about alternative ways for students to demonstrate competency.

“MSET is excited to share this opportunity for professional development and networking to our membership. It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn and grow together as professionals” said Brandie Shatto, President-Elect of MSET.

MSET members who wish to participate should apply on the teachers first website (https://teachersfirst.org/bookstudy/) by January 2, 2023. Each week, participants will be assigned a reading passage, knowledge construction/application activity, and a topic for discussion. At the conclusion of the study, those who actively participated, followed the rubric, and attended required sessions will receive a certificate of completion and reimbursement for the price of the eBook. Participants may also be eligible for Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

About MSET

MSET is an organization for educators interested in technology and education that seeks to advance excellence in learning, teaching, and leading through innovative and effective uses of technology.  Members have access to professional development resources, awards, special events, and other benefits.

About TeachersFirst

TeachersFirst is an online community for teachers by teachers. With thousands of lessons, units, and reviewed web resources for K-12 classroom teachers, their website is designed to enrich teaching and learning for both teachers and their students.

The Maryland Society of Educational Technology has announced its call to nominate educators for its annual awards program. The three types of awards honor an Outstanding Educator, Outstanding Leader, and Outstanding Higher Education Professional using technology.

“Each year we continue to get many amazing educators across Maryland nominated for one of our awards. This year we decided to add the Outstanding Higher Education Professional award to really place a spotlight on the work our institutions of higher education (IHE) are doing,” MSET President Dr. Brian Cook explained as more and more higher education professionals are joining the organization. “It was the right timing and we’re excited to see the nominations come in.”

Phase one of the Award Program is the nomination window, which is open now through February 15, 2023. An individuals can nominate an educator in any of the three categories on the Awards Page of the MSET Site. Either the nominee or the nominator must be an MSET member.

In Phase two, a nomination packet will be sent to the nominee and the nominator. Nominators and nominees will work together to complete the nomination packet. The nominator will be responsible for writing the nomination statement based on the artifacts that the nominee provides. The nomination packet is due by April 15, 2023.

Winners are surprised at their place of employment in the Spring! Award recipients are given opportunities to participate in MSET business meetings, serve as featured speakers, and have their work highlighted. Each of our winners will receive a banner, a certificate, a complimentary registration for the Common Ground Conference, and a one year paid MSET Membership.

Last Year’s Award Winners

• Outstanding Educator – Irene Bal, Loyola Maryland University
• Outstanding Leader – Derek Anderson, Howard County Public Schools

Washington, DC — The Maryland Society for Educational Technology continue to be at the front of student advocacy as it attended the National Digital Equity Summit at the U.S. Department of Education today. The Office of Educational Technology (OET) reported out on its Digital Equity Education Roundtables (DEER), an initiative that seeks to close the digital divide and enable all learners in PK-12, higher education, and adult education to unlock technology-enabled opportunities for learning and fully participate in a digital society. 

“OET gave a thorough overview of its new Digital Equity plan that it released to the public today,” Advocacy Chair Carmella Doty explained. “Digital equity is more than access to devices. It goes into devices, broadband, proper training, and much, much more. We are excited to see how the state of Maryland is going to comply with the new guidance and how MSET can continue to support this initiative.”

The U.S. Department of Education’s OET leverage its experience in setting the national vision for the effective use of technology for learning, strong relationships with educators and education ecosystems, and commitment to co-creating solutions with communities to drive the national dialogue on the adoption of reliable, high-speed internet and technology for learning and catalyze collective action to remove barriers for learners, families/caregivers, and communities. It envisions a future in which every learner has the information, support, and skills to equitably access affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service, adequate internet-enabled devices, digital literacy training, quality technical support, and applications and online content designed to facilitate self-sufficiency, participation, and collaboration.

To access information from the National Digital Equity Summit, view the resources below:

• Catch the recording of the summit on Edstream and find event photos on Flickr. 
• To access the full Advancing Digital Equity for All resource, visit https://tech.ed.gov/advancing-digital-equity-for-all/. 

The Maryland Society for Educational Technology has announced its 2022-2023 monthly themes. The 30 day window allowed all of its more than 2,000 members to give input on themes are engaging to educators and would support their professional learning.

"I loved the idea of having input from our member. They know what topics they want more of, and we want to help support their professional growth," MSET President Brian Cook explained. "Now it's time to get to the work of developing the entire year based off out themes."

The themes include the following: September - Computational Thinking, October - Cyber Security Awareness, November - STEM/STEAM, December - Gamification, January - AR/VR plus there is a book club scheduled as well, February - Maryland Tech Leaders, March - Equity and Inclusion, April - Accessibility for All, and May - Grant Writing.

MSET will reconvene with its professional learning committee on Friday, August 12 from 8:30-10:30. The group will utilize the work session time to nominate presenters  and finalize activities for each month. Any MSET member interested in volunteering on this committee can go to this Zoom Registration Link.

The Maryland Society for Educational Technology (MSET) and Bluum were proud to surprise Longfellow Elementary School Principal Derek Anderson today as its 2021-2022 Outstanding Leader Using Technology Award Winner. A dynamic Howard County Public Schools educator, Anderson embodies the epitome of leadership towards educational technology and exemplifies the MSET mission of advancing excellence in teaching and leading with technology.

Anderson’s leadership was tirelessly on display as he led Longfellow Elementary students and staff with great pride and exemption during virtual learning. He was quick to serve as a guest teacher in virtual classrooms to “model the way” and implement virtual staff meetings with engaging examples as his staff learned to navigate virtual learning as well as hybrid instruction. He believed virtual learning challenged himself to learn first-hand what his teachers were going through daily to better serve their needs.

“Mr. Anderson has been deliberate and systematic in implementing technology to enhance and support instruction and school effectiveness that supports the processes and structures of Longfellow Elementary School,” Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) Coordinator of Instructional Technology Julie Wray shared in Anderson’s nomination. “Mr. Anderson is deeply committed to equity in access to technology, as evidenced by his willingness to equip and coach families in using technology personally.”

In his 17 years in HCPSS had been an advocate for instructional technology and supporting the equity of technology within his school community. His conscious effort to develop community partnerships and collaboration to support the use of technology has greatly benefited Longfellow Elementary. He believes removing barriers to overcome the digital divide through internal and external resources available in the school system as well as community resources is of the upmost importance. He is a true champion for digital equity.

“So often MSET finds these amazing educational leaders who are so quiet and humble about their work because they are so focused on the children and families in front of them. They often don’t even realize the impact and the longevity of that impact in their school community and that is no different with Derek Anderson,” MSET Awards Co-Chair Chris Cuppett shared. “We are truly blessed to get the opportunity to learn about the work of so many high-level leaders throughout the awards program.”

Anderson will be honored throughout the upcoming year by receiving opportunities to participate in MSET business meetings, serve as featured speakers, and have his work highlighted. Plus, Anderson received a banner to display at Longfellow Elementary, a complimentary registration for the upcoming Common Ground Conference, and a one-year paid MSET Membership. 

“MSET wants to give a special thank you our team who scored each of the entries,” Tracy Schoene, MSET’s Awards co-chair, shared about the team who works tirelessly behind the scenes to make these awards happen. “We are very fortunate to have dedicated members who are willing to volunteer their time in the Organization.”

About Outstanding Leader Award

In partnership with Bluum, The Outstanding Educator Award is given annually to an outstanding educator supports MSET’s mission of advancing excellence in teaching and leading with technology. Any educator in a Maryland public or private school whose primary job responsibility is the direct instruction of students in an Early Childhood through Grade 12 or Higher Education classroom may be nominated. The educator must be currently responsible for the day-to-day instruction of PK-18 students. A nominee for this award may include a library media specialist and/or technology integration specialist, if at least seventy-five percent of his or her responsibilities include the direct instruction of PK-18 age students.