My name is Alex Oris, and I am a Google for Education Certified Trainer and a District Technology Coach for Cuyahoga Falls City Schools, where I was a Technology Integration Specialist from 2015-2023. I use various online resources and technological strategies to engage my learners with authentic lessons, and continuously provide support and professional development to my teachers. While at Cuyahoga Falls, I have organized and presented at district level professional development edtech mini-conferences and breakout sessions, and taught graduate level courses for our staff. With my technology team, I publish Tiger One, a monthly technology integration newsletter full of useful resources.
Previously, I taught sixth grade mathematics for eleven years at Grand Valley Middle School in Orwell, Ohio. While at Grand Valley, I became an educational leader by serving on numerous committees, including co-chairing our district leadership team and heading our professional development in-services relating to instructional technology. Specifically, I have planned and instructed educational technology professional development in-services as a Moodle Trainer, ProgressBook Liaison and Trainer, IIS Trainer, EDUSS Trainer, and Tech Coach. I have also lead in-services on various technological strategies I implemented in my own classroom, such as classroom webpages, interactive projectors, student response systems, interactive smartpads, classroom video lessons, student video assignments, teaching through digital media, and using Chromebooks and student devices in the classroom. This webpage displays some of my work while at Grand Valley Middle School.
In August 2004, I graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree in Middle Childhood Education, concentrating in Math and Social Studies. Then in May 2011, I graduated from Kent State University with a Master of Education degree in Instructional Technology, with a Computer/Technology endorsement. In July, 2015, I became a Google Certified Educator, Level 1. When I renewed my Level 1 certification in 2017, I added Level 2 and became a Google Certified Trainer. I am currently certified to teach mathematics, social studies, and reading in grades 4-9, as well as language arts in grades 4-6. I was the recipient of the 2007-2008 Ashtabula County Teacher of the Year award, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Distinguished Graduate Award in 2010 from Kent State University, was nominated for the 2016 Ohio Teacher of the Year by Grand Valley Middle School's principal and superintendent. In April 2022, I was awarded the Cuyahoga Falls City School District Star Award. I've been awarded Grants for technology integration funding from the GAR Foundation (2018 , 2019, and 2020), the Cuyahoga Falls Alumni Association (2018), the Akron Council of Engineering & Scientific Societies (2018), and the GE Additive Education Program (2018). Finally, I have presented at OETC (20, 21, 23), ITIP Ohio Google Summit (17, 18, 19, 22, 23), WVIZ ideastream (18), SPARCC (21,22), High Impact Conference (22), KSU Learning Innovations (22), OELMA (22), Keep Academy (21), NEOtech (17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23), and Teach Better (19).
