Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 22

Faculty Nerd Herd
Leading the pack in technology
By Brittany Brown
Thornton Academy takes great pride in the quality of
instruction that our students receive, and in order to
offer students the highest quality education, the faculty
must be current in many education trends, including
technology. But how does the faculty stay current on
cutting-edge education? A group of faculty joined
together to share their wisdom with the school and call
themselves the "Nerd Herd."
Math teacher Melissa Dubovik describes the Nerd
Herd as "a group of supportive teachers willing to use
technology and collaborate about different ways to use
technology in our classrooms and daily life." Members of
the Nerd Herd identify their strengths in technology and
use their free blocks to assist teachers who have questions
about a herd specialty. The Nerd Herd specializes in an
array of platforms and programs from social media to
TA's online grading system, PowerSchool.
Nerd Herd members can be found across campus. So
who are the self-proclaimed "nerds" leading the charge?
Some of the members sat down and shared their
experiences. Check out the interview below!
How do you define the Nerd Herd to someone who
has never heard of it?:
John Raby (JR): It’s a classic example of a Professional
Learning Network. There are a lot of them on Twitter
that bring teachers from around the world together to
share ideas, and there is a great benefit to that online
support, but it’s also nice to be able to sit down face to
face with colleagues in your building.
Jessica Cardosi (JC): It is a group of teachers who
enjoy using technology, and are interested in learning
new ways to improve our instruction and assessment.
We enjoy brainstorming and helping other teachers
who want to use technology in their classrooms.
What made you decide to join the Nerd Herd?:
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JR: We had really formed already by the time the Nerd
Herd name was attached to it. I think the group came
together just from the desire of the people involved
to chat about the use of technology in the classroom
and share new ideas with each other. We’re lucky that
we have members from every department on campus.
It gives us a good idea about what is going on across
campus and introduces us to ideas that we may not
have considered had we focused only on our own
content area and tools associated with it.
Melissa Dubovik (MD): I am a life long learner.
When teaching, I love the flexibility to try a new app
or strategy. As well as being able to work with other
individuals that enjoy technology, which provides me
with the support to give them a try.
JC: I like using technology. It allows me to organize
my workflow for my classes, and I can incorporate
activities with my students that I would not otherwise
be able to do.
How did you acquire your Nerd Herd technology
experience?
JC: (Chuckles) Self-inflicted practice. I don’t mind
sitting down with a new app or technology tool and
trying to figure out how to make it work for my
classroom.
JR: My Nerd Herd experience just came from figuring
out what is best for my students and for me. I’ve been
lucky enough to attend a few technology conferences
including ISTE and BLC, I’ve worked to build up a
professional learning network on Twitter, and have
great colleagues right here on campus who share ideas.
MD: My experience comes through trial and error. I
usually start with completing some research about a
new topic and then try it. If the research helps me to
find a new tool that works, I then continue to explore
and use it when planning my lessons or in my daily
life. And if I cannot get it to work with what I do, then
I ask those in the Nerd Herd if they can help.