Published on November 7, 2022
Mr. Jonathan Olshan and Mrs. Shelly Chmil are our K-12 Technology Integration Coaches. Their job is to team up with teachers and students to enhance learning and provide hands-on opportunities through the use of technology.
Background
Mrs. Chmil began her career working with elementary students in grades 1, 4, and 5. During her time as a 4th grade teacher, she was also one of the Tech Resources for her building. She very quickly realized her love for using technology in the classroom and was thrilled for the opportunity to become one of our Tech Coaches.
Mr. Olshan began as a 10th grade English Teacher and a 9-12th grade Broadcasting Teacher, but has spent the majority of his career teaching 7th and 8th grade English. He found that using technology in his classroom was a great way to encourage students to expand their learning and try new things. When he became one of our Tech Coaches, he felt it was a seamless transition as he was used to using technology in class as often as possible.
Role of a Tech Coach
One important aspect for both Olshan and Chmil with their new role as Tech Coaches was that they would still be able to spend frequent time in the classroom with students.
“We need to make content creators, not content consumers.” - Jonathan Olshan.
Since becoming a Tech Coach, Chmil and Olshan have worked hard to build a community with the other teachers in this district. It brings them so much joy to be able to make others feel supported.
In preparation for each teacher collaboration, Chmil and Olshan stay up-to-date on all things tech through social media platforms, personal research, blogs, platform email updates, and more. They meet teachers and students at the level of technology skills that work best for them.
“As a technology integration coach, I want to provide a range of support and resources to teachers around technology integration. The goal is to help teachers to improve their practice, whether it’s using technology, trying different strategies, exploring new classroom or literacy approaches, or finding resources to help them in their day-to-day teaching. Our teachers are content experts; we have the privilege to partner with them by bringing creative ideas, sharing innovative resources, and offering support in the classroom.” - Jonathan Olshan.
Regardless of the teacher's needs, Chmil and Olshan are there to help!
Another aspect of the role of a Tech Coach is to assist with creating Professional Development (PD) Curriculum. They work to create online modules so teachers can learn at their own pace and are able to go back and access the courses whenever they need a refresher. There’s so much technology available in the world, so part of their focus is on vetting what’s good and what isn’t.
In addition to assisting with PD for Warwick, they are also actively involved with the IU-13 and have presented at numerous conferences to share their knowledge with other schools.
Recent Classroom Lessons
Post COVID, our Tech coaches have been eager to be back in the classroom and are thrilled to be offering teachers a multitude of lesson options. Specifically, lessons that are more hands-on, more collaborative, and offer more innovative learning experiences that couldn’t be offered during COVID times.
The goal is to start teaching students how to use technology to create from a young age so that by the time they hit high school the possibilities of what they can create is endless.
Part of these tech lessons are giving students the opportunity to have a safe place to fail. Using technology is all about hypothesizing, testing, reworking, refining, and doing it all again.
Future Technology Opportunities
Thanks to Warwick Education Foundation Grants, there are some cool new gadgets coming our way! A recent grant will be used to purchase Microbits – an extension in coding where students use their laptops to be able to program and solve real life problems. In addition to the new Mircrobits, students will also be able to use Sphero Bolts, Turing Tumble, and Cubetto for various coding and programming lessons.
“Our ultimate goal is to provide teachers and students with resources that not only reinforce good digital citizenship but also promote the 4 C's. Tools that allow for collaboration, creativity, effective communication, and the ability to think critically are always a focus.” - Shelly Chmil.
Our Tech Coaches are passionate about what they do and they can’t wait to share their knowledge and skills with the staff and students here at Warwick!