Beth Hamlin is a self proclaimed geek. She is currently the Director of Innovative Practices for the Academy of Las Animas Online. She has held many positions throughout her time in education including Director of Technology, K-8 Technology Teacher, Middle School Technology Teacher, and K-2 online specials teacher. She has experience with Google Workspace in many facets from deployment, administration and management, chromebooks, and mobile learning. Beth also loves sharing her passion for Computer Science, 3D printing and design, and robotics.
Beth has been working in education for over nearly 2 decades, encouraging intentional technology integration into the classroom. She has also done an international teaching internship in Wallerawang, Australia working with years 3 and 4. She holds a Bachelor Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with an Emphasis in English from the University of Northern Colorado and a Master’s Certificate in Instructional Technology from Regis University. She became a Google Certified Innovator (Teacher) in Sydney, Australia in 2011. She became a Google for Education Certified Trainer in 2015. Beth traveled to Manchester, England in March of 2016 and became a Raspberry Pi certified educator, one of the first 100 US educators to hold the certification.
Beth created and hosts an annual week of learning for educators called Geek Camp (geekcampedu.com). During this week she supports teachers and professionals in the educational field to learn different tools and better incorporate 21st century skills into learning.
Beth has been a presenter at district, regional, state, and international conferences. She has been a featured speaker for several companies, serving schools around the US. Her interview on the Cloud to Ground podcast had over 1200+ downloads in the first 4 days of release discussing the use of cloud based tools such as Google Workspace in the classroom. She also consults with schools and educators.
Beth also uses her experience and voice as part of the Colorado Education Commissioner's Teacher Cabinet, InnEdCo Ambassador, and SAC member for American Academy Charter School.
Beth loves technology, teaching, and incorporating the two into a rich learning environment for students. She welcomes new opportunities to present and consult.
Outside the Educator Role:
Beth is a Colorado native that grew up in the infamous Trinidad, Colorado. It is about 15 miles north of the New Mexico border. Her family has lived in that area for over 100 years. To this day, her parents, brother, and his family call Trinidad home. In fact, they all live on the same street as neighbors. To pay her way through school, she worked as a unit secretary working in hospitals. Working with people and helping the community has been a theme of her life. At the end of her college years, she went to Australia to live and teach. She lived and traveled the South Pacific for 4 months; and it was a great part of her life. Beth has a daughter, Presley. As a single mother, Beth and Presley enjoy all the fun we can cram into a day or just making messy art together. Beth loves to travel and try to go on adventures in state or internationally whenever she can. The south pacific is her favorite place to go. When not at work, or dreaming of a beach, she usually at home playing with her daughter Presley or walking the dog.