Elementary Technology Teacher of the Year

The 2003-2004 Elementary Technology Teacher of the Year is Margarethe Weideman. Ms. Weideman teaches Computer Literacy skills to students at Travis Middle School. Her syllabus begins with this paragraph…"Hang on to your boots! Obviously, you will be working with computers, but that's not all. We can become interior designers photographers, advertisers, reporters, or even movie producers?" As you can tell, her classroom already sounds exciting.

This year her students won 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place in the Digital Graphics (6-8) category and 3rd Place in the Digital Video (6-8) category at the Region One Student Technology Competition.

Ms. Weideman and some sixth-grade students have been featured on Intel’s Innovation Odyssey – a world tour of innovative uses of technology in education.

She also won a $2500 grant from The Best Buy's Children's Foundation in support of educators using technology to make learning fun.

Ms. Wiedeman has presented several campus technology staff development sessions, she is a member of the Campus Technology Team, she sponsors a technology club and she opens her lab to students as early as 7:00 am.

Secondary Technology Teacher of the Year

The 2003-2004 Secondary Technology Teacher of the Year is Michael Padget. Mr. Padgett, is a 1969 graduate of McHi, he has taught Physical Science, Geology, Marine Science, and is currently teaching Physics at McAllen High School.

Mr. Padgett was one of the first McHi teachers to utilize a computerized gradebook.

He uses the UT Homework Service, in which students retrieve, post, and get immediate feedback on their homework thru the Internet. This prepares students for college, since most colleges require online homework. He notes that most of his students prefer the online homework over a handout or bookwork.

Mr. Padgett also utilizes eChalk to post important resources, and class schedules which are available to all his students 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In the classroom he uses Ti graphing calculators along with interfaces that allow the use of probes and sensors for gathering and analyzing data.

In Mr. Padgett’s classroom students access the Holt Physics Online Textbook, this enables students to use their textbook from any computer with internet access.

Mr. Padgett overcame his fear of technology and helps others overcome their fear by using one phrase… Never be afraid to use new technology, if it fails, it won’t be the first or last time, if it succeeds, you have acquired a new teaching tool. Technology is coming and is here, there is no stopping it, so jump on board!