OUR COACHES
Prior to the 2016-2017 school year ten LESD #27 teachers participated in Tech Training in preparation for the increased numbers of devices that will be purchased for students. The school district has been using Google Apps for Education (GAFE)for over 5 years. So, training focused around using Google Apps for Education (GAFE) in the classroom.
With the plan to go 1:1 with the 6th grade class and add a lab to each K-5 building, the District 27 Technology Integration Team was formed. The goal of the D27TI team is to develop curriculum and Professional Development that allows classroom teachers to transform their instruction and the learning opportunities for students.
Barb Coffey.
Technology Integration Specialist.
Barb Coffey, Masters in Educational Leadership, University of Illinois at Springfield
M.A. in Educational Leadership with a focus in Technoloogy
LESD #27 District Technology Integration Specialist
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I earned a Bachelors degree in Special Education from Illinois State Universtity but went on to earn my Masters with a specialization in Technology from UIS. I have been the LESD #27 District Technology Coordinator for the past 8 years. In that time the needs of students and educators have evolved dramatically. Students expect to use digital media and tools to express themselves and teachers are trying to meet this need. Transforming classrooms into 1:1 environments has long been a goal of mine for our district. I can't wait to see how students will grow and challenge themselves.
Gretchen Boehme.
6th Grade Teacher.
Gretchen Boehme, Masters in Education from University of Illinois
6th Grade Teacher at LJHS
Social Studies, Math and Language Arts​
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I am excited about using technology in my classroom! It will be a new and challenging experience for all of us in 6th grade. We have the tremendous opportunity for all students to have their own personal device which is something that I could never have imagined when I first began teaching in 1989. I hope to make the most of it!
I noticed that student confidence was higher when they could use technology productivity tools versus traditional pen and paper tasks.
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I love how excited students are to show you the work they have done when using technology.
Mrs. Coffey
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Students, as a whole, have been using technology comfortably for a while. It allows them opportunities to search out answers in ways that were not necessarily easy or readily available to them.
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Teacher - Mrs. Jones
Joyce Jones.
6th Grade Teacher.
Joyce Jones, BS in Elementary Education from SIU-Edwardsville
6th Grade Teacher at LJHS
Social Studies, Math and Science
I received my BS degree in elementary education from SIU-Edwardsville. I continued my education and received my MA in administration leadership from UIS. I have been a teacher since 1993.
Danielle Lora.
6th Grade Teacher.
Danielle Lora, BS in Elementary Education from Millikin University
6th Grade Teacher at LJHS
Language Arts​​ and Reading
I have been teaching for the past 11 years and two of those years I taught in the Dominican Republic. I love using technology in the classroom and cannot wait for next year when all students will have their own device. Having this technology available for students is going to be amazing. I am looking forward to how technology will change the way students learn.
Huong Poelker.
6th Grade Teacher.
Huong Poelker, Bachelor of Science in Education, Illinois State University
6th Grade Teacher at LJHS
Math and Science
I received my Bachelor of Science in Education from Illinois State University in 1997. I have been teaching for over 15 years.
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Technology is the wave of the future. We need to embrace it and bring more of it into the classroom and to our students. The classroom needs to be more than textbooks and paper. Students will be connected to a world of resources and people, and that will provide endless learning opportunities.
Leslie Singleton.
6th Grade Teacher.
Leslie Singleton, MA, ...
6th Grade Teacher at LJHS
Science, Language Arts​​ and Reading
I have been teaching in District 27 for 20 years after completing my Bachelor of Education Degree at Eastern Illinois University. I am truly excited to be integrating more technology into the classrooms with my Reading, Language Arts, and Science class. I am excited to see the District moving in the direction of our technology generation. It will be a great opportunity for my classes to share their reading, writing, and class work on the Chromebooks. I am also excited to be using the Google Classroom this year to help us prepare what's in the future for our District.
Ann Podbelsek.
Special Ed Teacher.
Ann Podbelsek, Bachelors in Education, Illinois State University
Speical Education Teacher at LJHS
All Subject Areas
I earned my bachelor's degree in Education at Illinois State University at a time before anyone had a personal computer or had even heard of one. In fact, computers were so big at that time, only a few of them would have fit in my classroom. The fact that each of our 6th grade students will be using a computer at their desk and be able to take it from class to class next year, is phenomenal! I am very excited to start integrating the Chromebooks into our everyday learning!!
Liz Britton.
5th Grade Teacher.
Liz Britton, MA, ...
5th Grade Teacher at Northwest
All Subject Areas
I received my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and I am currently working towards a Master’s degree in Elementary Curriculum from Western Illinois University. I am excited to begin incorporating technology into my classroom on a more daily basis and preparing students for the future. Technology ensures endless learning opportunities for both students and teachers and I am eager to see where this will take our district.
Bev Wunderlin.
4th Grade Teacher.
Bev Wunderlin, MA, ...
4th Grade Teacher at Washington-Monroe
All Subject Areas
I received my Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Illinois State University, and my Master’s of Science in Education from Western Illinois University. Technology has changed so much since I received my degrees. Our children are becoming so smart and confident using technology, and it is such a big part of their day. I believe that we need to make sure we are teaching them how to use it wisely, efficiently and carefully. I am excited about using technology on a regular basis in my classroom! My students have always risen to the challenge of creating projects and using the computers for research in the computer lab, but to be able to use a Chromebook lab in my room offers even more opportunities to use technology!
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Ren Anweiler.
3rd Grade Teacher.
Ren Anweiler, MA, ...
3rd Grade Teacher at Central
All Subject Areas
I received my degree in Early Childhood Education from Lincoln Christian University, and my certificate in Elementary Education from Western Governors' University. I am very excited about incorporating more technology in my classroom, and using Google Classroom. Technology is highly engaging for students, and is very important for their college and career readiness.