Mrs. Cristyl Word has been selected as February’s Top Techie Teacher!

Mrs. Word, a 2^nd grade teacher at LaCrosse Elementary, is an excellent example of a teacher that sparks the interest of her class through the use of technology.  On any given day, you can find her second graders fully engaged in lessons using online resources, such as United Streaming and SOL Pass, to draw her students into the world of science and social studies.  Reading and math are no longer lessons straight from the textbook.  Mrs. Word said, “The Smartboard is another way that I am able to generate interest and motivation in all subject areas. Through active participation and application of knowledge, students are able to reinforce and practice skills taught during classroom instruction.”   Recently, I visited her room to see great lessons in action.  What I found was a classroom full of eager second graders ready to jump into math.  Her lesson, which covered math SOLs 2.11 and 2.16, was presented using the Smartboard.  The students eagerly awaited their turn to come to the front and interact with the lesson.  All students, with hands held high, wanted a chance to participate.  Mrs. Word stated, “Technology is an integral part of our learning environment. I believe that educators should use technology in the classroom because its wide range of uses and forms has the potential to reach students of all learning styles, as well as be more efficient. ”  You can check out her wonderful math lesson on the TRT Connection.  We admire Mrs. Word’s excellent use of technology in her classroom.