Educational Technology Home Page

My name is Noah Mickey-Colman (Mr. M-C) and I am the Curriculum Technology Integrator at Manzanita Elementary School and Ventana Vista Elementary School in Catalina Foothills School District. My parents always told me I’ve been an educator as soon as I was old enough to “educate” so becoming a teacher was a natural progression for me. After getting my Master’s in Education I taught middle school ELA, Math, and Science and embraced innovative and creative ways of teaching that included project-based learning and educational technology.

Students were always invested, engaged, curious, and empowered when using these types of approaches to educating them in my classroom. It was rewarding to be a part of that. Therefore, it was a natural step for me to work as a technology coach and collaborate with other teachers so they could begin to use similar approaches and tools in their classrooms. Coaching and collaborating with teachers in educational technology and innovative learning practices has become a passion of mine. I love working with colleagues and then seeing a room full kids inspired by new ideas their teacher has shared with them, having fun, directing their own learning, and deeply engaged in the content. My colleagues and the students we serve continue to amaze me with their excitement for learning and engaging with ideas in new and interesting ways.

Check out this great opportunity I arranged for our students by collaborating with the amazing parents we have at our schools!

Here's an example of how a CTI supports students and teachers in the classsroom - The Podcast Challenge completed at Manzanita and Ventana Vista Elementary Schools.

What is a CTI?

Curriculum Technology Integrators or CTIs are a group of five certified teachers with years of classroom experience that work directly with teachers and students to effectively integrate technology and 21st century skills into the curriculum . They are teachers who possess a strong technology background, leadership skills, a commitment to implementing the District's Technology Plan, and a desire to work collegially towards connecting technology and education for students. We believe the CTIs are a critical support network for teachers so they can more effectively support students' in developing and utilizing technology skills and applications. Since needs vary from the second grade classroom to the tenth grade classroom, or from a mathematics classroom to a social studies classroom, they do not have a daily schedule. Rather, they provide "just in time" or preplanned, individualized or classroom assistance and professional development on a daily basis.

Some of the things you might catch a CTI doing around campus include, but are not limited to:

Providing direct support to classroom teachers via coaching, team teaching, or modeling to support student and adult learning in the use of technology.
Collaborating with classroom teachers to design lesson plans that appropriately and effectively integrate technology.
Creating and supporting professional learning opportunities that enable educators to collaborate, share best practices, and integrate 21st century skills into classroom practice.
Model the safe use of technology and web-based applications/learning tools.
Assisting students who are using mobile devices.
Creating and facilitating professional development for teachers.
Providing tech support for students creating a multimedia presentations.
Instructing students on the use of online textbooks and technology tools.
Coordinating the selection and acquisition of software and emerging technologies in collaboration with the other CTIs, Information Systems personnel, and Associate Superintendent.
Working with teachers to incorporate the CFSD K-12 Technology standards into curricular areas.
Training and providing oversight in the use of Synergy (which includes TeacherVUE, StudentVUE, and ParentVUE), our online grading and attendance program.

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