Sue Palmer's journey into technology in the classroom and eventual award-winning recognition began years ago out of dire straits.

"It was March," Palmer recalled. Her students "were failing and I was desperate." Palmer teaches Global 9 and U.S. History 11, both Regents courses, in an inclusion environment at Akron High School.

She wondered if she could harness new technology to reach the special-needs students in her class. Using Audacity, a free software program she downloaded from the Internet, Palmer recorded audio review sessions and posted them on the school Web site.

Palmer, a member of the Akron Faculty Association, said student grades "improved dramatically" after listening to the review session files on their portable media players.

Palmer explored reaching other types of learners by adding video to the audio, creating what she calls "MasteryCasts," which are usually less than 10 minutes in length and focus on key ideas. Palmer also created a new Global Studies course — The Global Lab — made up of students who did not pass the previous year's Regents exam.

Ed Haley, Akron TA president, praised Palmer's dedication. "With the new class, she integrated the technology and focused and prepared a small group of students for the Regents," he said.

Palmer finds being able to reach audio, visual and kinesthetic learners a particularly useful way to help special needs students.

Palmer was honored as Outstanding Technologist by the New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education at the organization's 2008 Conference in Rochester. 

NYSCATE also honored the Outstanding Technology Leader winner, Brian McQueen, the Director of Information and Instructional Technology in the Whitesboro Central School District and awarded five $2,000 teacher grants to: Barbara Bittel, Lyncourt Union Free School District; Nedra Isenberg, Holland Patent Central School; Marcie Faust, Deerfield CSD and Wendy Smith, Webster CSD (as virtual collaborators); Barbara Grenga, Phoenix Central Schools; and Eric A. Walters, Marymount School of New York.
Contact Leslie Duncan Fottrell at lfottrel@nysutmail.org