Andrew Steinman doesn’t think all new technology needs to be embraced, especially by educators. But the selfie? That has its place, or at least it did during a conference where Steinman, Kent ISD’s Educational Technology, Teaching & Learning Consultant, was recognized by the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL) as Educator of the Year.
“Andrew has impacted not only my students, but the classrooms of thousands of others,” said Gary Abud, 2014 Michigan Teacher of the Year, who is an Instructional Coachfor the Grosse Pointe Public School system. “His work is influential and he is a quiet leader.”
Steinman has been deeply involved with professional development focused on leveraging technology in a way that most impacts students. He said his goal is to help teachers focus on strategies to use resources effectively.
“Just because the technology is there doesn’t mean it is always necessary,” he said. How to use a blend of technology and other teaching resources for the best outcome is more important than having a bunch of tools that educators may not
know how to fully use.
Maximizing Education, Everywhere
Steinman’s work has reached far beyond West Michigan. He’s been involved with the Teacher Technology Training course that has been used by some 10,000 educators. As a member of the Classroom Readiness Advisory Committee, he has helped create and review professional development materials, online course modules and best practices for teaching. He also had a hand in development of the Classroom Readiness Assessment Item Database, which helps Michigan teachers create and share items for use in their classrooms.
Steinman is a part of the Regional Instructional Technology Specialists (RITS), which supports Michigan educators in the areas of curriculum and educational technology. He also has helped develop and provide a variety of professional learning opportunities for educators, such as the EdTech Rally.
“Andrew is an outstanding educational technology leader, and has been involved at the K-12 and university level around the state,” said Glen Finkel, Director of Information Technology/Data Services at Kent ISD.
Moving Forward
MACUL has asked Steinman to write a column for their quarterly publication, MACUL Journal. Through his writing, he said he hopes to encourage educators to integrate technology into the classroom, and not just have it “in case.”
“We still see sessions about the tools, but we need to see how to use them,” he said.
Moving forward, Steinman says he hopes to improve his own teaching skills, not strictly technology based.
The passion he has for improving technology education hasn’t gone unnoticed by his colleagues.
“Andrew is appreciated for his contributions to our program and the difference that he makes to our organization,” said Dorothy VanderJagt, Kent ISD Director of Teaching and Learning. “He is admired for his knowledge of content, collaboration, technology skills and work ethic.“
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