Gary Cimorelli has been the K-12 Instructional Technology Specialist for the North Colonie School District since 1993. Prior to that he taught High School Mathematics. Since technology is such an integral part of a student’s life outside of school, part of his department’s mission is to seamlessly integrate technology into their education. In 2006 he established the iTRT or Instructional Technology Resource Teachers. This group would become and is now the pioneers as well as R&D for the district as to best practices for integrating technology into the classroom. In 2015, he introduced Flipped/Hybrid Learning to the district, which uses technology to allow children to learn basic classwork at home so more hands on learning as well as differential instruction can take place in the classroom. He lives in Latham with his wife Marian who is in charge of the student management system at NCCS.
Q: In 2015, nobody could have predicted children would be forced to take all classes virtually from home, but over the past year it has become a way of life. Do you see that continuing into the future to any degree? Why or why not?
A: I do see blended classes in the future. Our students have so many choices of classes at NCCS at the high school level with little time during the school day to fit all of those classes in. We are contemplating the possibility of some online electives for our students that would model those types of classes that students may take in college. The hybrid model also allows for co-teaching and for support staff that can assist students that need differentiation of instruction.
Q: How important is it for students to still attend class in person every day and why?
A: I still feel there is no substitute for the daily contact and communications with students’ peers and teachers. This pandemic has made both our staff and students very tech savvy. Our students need the guidance of our teachers on how best to use these tech skills. I might also add that our teachers need their students in class.
Q: Has technology changed the fundamentals of instruction? For example, the answer to so many basic questions (like 2+2=4) can be had by typing it into Google. So why is it important for teachers to still have to teach 2+2?
A: Technology has changed the delivery of instruction to our students. Teachers are using more media rich resources and students now have more tools that are easily accessed online from almost any device. More importantly though is the need for students to be self driven to discover solutions and the many ways that a problem can be addressed. The role of our teachers is to give our students those skills to do this. So yes, 2+2 can be solved and expressed in many ways and the problem solving skills they learn early that will help them solve more complicated problems in the future.
Q: What is the most significant technological advancement in the past 50 years and why?
A: I think the ability to collaborate and share has been the most impactful technology advancement. I am a strong believer and proponent of the ISTE Standards for Students (International Society of Technology in Education.) These standards stress that our students become “Empowered Learners” this entails being a Knowledge constructor, Computational thinker, Global Digital citizen and a Creative Communicator.
Q: Who would you rather have lunch with, Bill Gates of Steve Jobs and why?
A: I would have to say Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs always kept in mind the young child when developing his Apple Products. His goal was to create devices that are easy to use yet very powerful for expression and learning. In 2001, I received an award from Apple for “Think
Different.” I spent years learning about and promoting technology that would become seamless in the classroom and become a tool for students to learn and demonstrate what they have learned.
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