A delegation from Jamestown Public Schools involved in the district’s CORE mentoring program had the chance to attend the NYSCATE Conference in late November in Rochester.

A group of teachers from across Jamestown Public Schools had the chance to hone their technology skills at the New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education (NYSCATE) Conference in late November in Rochester.

Teachers from each school building involved in the district’s CORE mentoring program had the chance to attend the conference — a mecca for technology educators from across New York state — with technology integration specialists Jason Kathman and Jeff Kresge; Chuck Marzec, director of information services; and Jessie Joy, executive director for information and student services.

“These teachers have been leading the charge on helping colleagues and students in their buildings and to help increase the use of personalized learning,” said Kresge. “There are 37 CORE teachers across the district, who are familiar faces to folks in their building. That familiarity helps make it easy for staff to have access and help guide them toward more engaging lessons in the classroom.”

“I love being a CORE teacher because I am able to learn about the newest technology, apps and programs that are out there,” said Heather Schultz, a special education teacher at Jamestown High School. “It’s been beneficial because I have the opportunity to try everything I learn first before I try to pass it on to others. I have the opportunity to work out the kinks and troubleshoot what problems kids and teachers may experience before I try to get people to use it or pass the information on. I also get to see what tech and apps the kids enjoy using.”

“It is amazing to see the joy in my students’ faces when they get to use the technology to create and show things they are learning,” said Jacqueline Peterson, first grade teacher at Love Elementary School. “Once my first graders have learned the basics of Apple apps, they can be really creative and it has helped my students help each other, do their own research, complete creative projects and do work at their own pace.”

Schultz and Peterson were among those who had the chance to attend the conference.

“I loved the conference,” Schultz said. “It has been quite a few years since I’ve had the opportunity to attend one. There was a lot of information about using Artificial Intelligence, how it can be used in the classroom and how it can be beneficial for kids and teachers. It was also a great opportunity to see different apps and programs that teachers are using in their classrooms because it’s really hard to keep up with the technology we have access to because it changes and develops so fast!”

“At the NYSCATE conference, I got to make connections with other districts and how they are supplying students with technology to enhance learning and create a sense of community,” Peterson added.

“What I hope that they got out of it was new ideas to take back to the classroom immediately and to reinvigorate their love for what they do,” Kresge said. “The goal is to make our classes personalized for our learners so that they can be creative and engaged, and so that we can meet them where they are.”

Both Schultz and Peterson are looking forward to using new tools and tricks in their classrooms after their trip to Rochester.

“I love using the tech and also to try new things,” Schultz said. “I’ve already tried a couple of the ideas I’ve learned with my classes and I am looking forward to trying more ideas I learned about. My goal is to keep kids engaged. That happens when they are trying and using new things.”

“I am striving for my students to create projects that are digital to connect the families and school together,” Peterson added. “My use of technology in my classroom is to help students use it as a tool to further their learning.”