Three members of the Central Office staff represented Alexander City Schools by presenting a session at the Alabama Educational Technology Conference (AETC) in Mobile, Alabama. Brigitte McCawley - ACS Technology Integration Specialist, Kenyatta Simmons - ACS Reading Specialist, and Mary Elizabeth Walker - ACS STEM Specialist presented a session focused on intentional transformation of the classroom environment to more effectively align with 21st Century Student-Centered learning.
Topics addressed included the following:
Academic, Cross-Curricular Standards Alignment
Student-Center Learning Design & Lesson Planning
Student-Centered Design of the Learning Environment
Student-Centered Academic Engagement
Classroom Management & Social Emotional Components
Academic Language & Discourse
Meaningful, Authentic Embedded Assessment
Attendees were provided with resources to empower them to begin a transformation process in their own classrooms and schools. Conference attendees expressed appreciation, valuable connections were made, and the experience was enjoyable for all.
The ICON leadership group hosts Ms. Melissa Ellis as guest speaker for Digital Student Portfolios.
ACS Media Specialists Collaboration Meetings for Continuous Improvement
Professional Development for Technology Integration is Happening in the ACS Technology & Innovation Center.
The ACS Technology Integration Specialist is a Professional Development Facilitator at the Alabama Educational Technology Conference (AETC)
Alexander City Schools Hosts a Computer Science Fundamentals Workshop.
The ACS District STEM Specialist Facilitates ACS Hummingbird Robotics Training.
Brigitte McCawley is the Technology Integration Specialist for Alexander City Schools. Her experience includes self-contained as well as subject-specific classroom instruction, 21st Century media center, makerspace design and management, and curriculum design for project-based learning and Design Thinking both locally and for the Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX). She continues to serve as a professional development designer and facilitator on the local and state levels supporting teachers in the areas of growth mindset and authentic engagement through standards-aligned, cross-curricular technology integration.
Brigitte holds the following credentials:
Bachelor of Science from the University of Mobile
Master of Education K-12 Curriculum and Instruction (Technology Integration) from Grand Canyon University
Certified: Designing With Google
Nearpod Certified Educator
Member: International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
Member: Alabama Leaders in Educational Technology (ALET)
Member: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (ASCD)
Alabama Consortium for Technology in Education (ACTE) Region 9 Director
Badge Certifications
Flipped Classroom
Project Based Learning
ViewSonic
Performance Matters
Screencastify
Schoology
Brigitte believes that improved learning outcomes do not stem from the technological tools themselves but from the opportunities provided by those tools when learning is moved from passive to active, generalized to personalized, and imagined to self-discovered. Her greatest passion is in serving and helping others discover the excitement and value in lifelong learning.
Education is not an experienced course. It is instead a course of experiences in and out of the classroom. Whether teacher or student, one must make those experiences matter!
~ Brigitte McCawley ~
Technology Integration in Alexander City Schools
Technology integration is an integral component within Alexander City Schools, and it serves as a catalyst for opportunity byproviding equity in accessibility and prompting the deeper engagement necessary to improve learning outcomes. Technology-integrated learning experiences that are intentionally aligned to Alabama standards increase exposure and accessibility to the people, places, and things that students might not otherwise be exposed to.
Through continuous improvement efforts by faculty and staff, our students will be given the opportunity to develop and refine 21st Century skills (communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity) through activities, such as
authentic, real-world communication and collaboration through interactive video and open-ended questions that enable students to engage in the use of academic language and conversation within whole-group, small-group and individual activities;
digital content, such as interactive mind maps, graphic organizers, and productivity apps that include live research, highlighting, annotating, and commenting features;
live, interactive learning experiences with and from their peers as well as experts in various career fields and subject areas outside of the classroom and in various parts of the world; and
collaborative projects that promote the development of problem solving and critical thinking skills as well as the empathy and soft skills needed in working with others.
Alexander City Schools takes seriously the fact that we are not preparing students for a 21st Century world, as they are already in that world. We collectively understand that we are called to equip them to efficiently navigate their existing world and innovate their future.
