Tracy has been an educator for the Brookfield Public School system in western Connecticut for the past 25 years. She taught science at Whisconier Middle School for 22 years before becoming the district K-12 technology resources teacher.
From the first day that her district acquired computers, in the early 1980s, Tracy embraced technology to find new and innovative ways to engage
students and enhance their learning. Her ultimate goal has always been to prepare students as best she can for our ever-evolving digital society. This
was one of the factors that led to her being awarded one of her district's Teacher of the Year Awards for 2003.
Tracy coordinated the first of many distance learning experiences for the fifth grade classes with the integration of the Jason Project in 1989. She
also took students on virtual field trips - to locations that would otherwise have been difficult to reach. Students regularly take part in numerous
online experiences, including data collection and analysis opportunities with online communities such as the National Geographic Society, InsectWorld,
and The Roadkill Project. National and international classroom exchange programs have resulted in collaborative teaching experiences and projects such
as the creation of digital quilts and video conferences.
In her current role, Tracy is responsible for assisting staff in the planning, development, and integration of technology into the district curriculum.
She says that a positive working relationship with district instructional leaders, curriculum specialists, staff, and administrators has been key to the
success of technology infusion, along with the installation of Mimio Interactive systems throughout the district. Showing staff how to best utilize this
valuable resource within their content area, in conjunction with other Web tools and applications (like wikis, blogs, digital media, and podcasts), has
been a district (and personal) priority.
Tracy routinely holds staff development workshops to meet the needs of teachers and students, and has authored and delivered over 50 presentations on
the local, state (Connecticut Educators Computer Association and Apple Education conferences), and national (NSTA) levels, to a variety of audiences. She
has been able to share her district's experiences with fellow colleagues regionally and internationally on the benefits of IWB technologies. She was
recently honored with a feature in Scholastic Administr@tors (January'09).