How 'Gadget Girl' became Tech Teacher

When Theresa Reid was a child, she recalled, her father called her "Gadget Girl," due to the hours she'd spend taking apart various machines and devices just "to see how they work."

That interest continued into her adult life -- and recently earned Ms. Reid, who serves as director of technology at St. Pius X School in Loudonville, a Tech Valley Innovative Educator Award for her work with middle-school students.

As part of the prize, she may choose from a $1,500 grant to purchase equipment for her classroom or participation in an expenses-paid trip to a national professional conference.

Tech time

As a kindergarten teacher at St. Pius six years ago, Ms. Reid began to notice how radically the lives of students in kindergarten were changing due to technology.

"I wanted to understand it better, to really feel the power behind it," she said. "I wanted to be able to teach my students how computers work."

So she returned to The University at Albany to earn her master's degree in curriculum design and instructional technology, and completed a number of certification courses with New Horizons Computer Learning Centers.

'Two loves'

Real-life and educational applications for technology continue to fascinate her, and her current job allows her to "put my two loves together: teaching and technology. It's the best of all worlds."

Ms. Reid has championed the creative use of technology in the study of almost every subject the school tackles, including Native American history and art, cultural diversity in baseball, and scientific studies in animal classification.

She advocated for the integration of videoconferencing software into the curriculum at St. Pius, and arranged on-line visits to places like the Cincinnati Zoo and the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta.

Earlier this year, she had her students use Microsoft Publisher to design business cards, letterheads and logos for "companies" they created to promote non-profit causes, and encouraged them to build web pages based on their businesses.

Ms. Reid's students also used technology to put together reports on "saints and states," make cards for shut-ins, and communicate with one another.

Options galore

One of Mrs. Reid's major goals is to "integrate technology into every fiber of a student's life -- not only here at school, but also at home. Technology is not just a computer: it's a calculator, a Palm Pilot, a printer, digital cameras, a smart board."

She envisions technology having a significant impact on the lives and futures of her current students.

"Students need to be not afraid of technology and not fearful of using it in their everyday life," she said.

(6/8/06) [[In-content Ad]]