Katie Cusson

My name is Katie Cusson and I am a Health and Physical Education Teacher and Adapted Physical Education Teacher at Franklin Middle School in Chantilly, Virginia.  I have been at Franklin since 2014 teaching 8th grade Health and P.E. and Adapted Physical Education. Last fall I subbed as the School Based Technology Specialist while ours was out on maternity leave. Following that I was in a hybrid role of Health & Physical Education, adapted P.E. and a resource teacher supporting the school in a variety of ways.  

In addition to my face to face teaching, I am adjunct faculty member at George Mason University teaching a hybrid course on using technology in Health & P.E.  In recent years and summers,  I have spent time teaching 6th, 8th and 9th grades online as an adjunct instructor and a curriculum writer with Virtual Virginia and last summer for Fairfax County Public Schools teaching 9th grade Health and P.E..  

Prior to becoming a teacher, I spent my days as a mother to my two boys who are now 18 and 15.   In my early career before children,  I worked as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Therapist at Matthew's Center in Manassas, Virginia and the HSC in Washington, D.C.  

As part of a dynamic group of educators at Franklin and Fairfax County Public Schools, I was a member of the IT team which has been part of implementing the FCPSON 1:1 grant for technology. As a result of the grant,  I have had the opportunity to use technology to change how we implement and teach physical education as well as a complete change over to teaching health with Google Sites, Google Classroom and now Schoology. 

I completed my MEd. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Blended Online Learning from George Mason University in May of 2019 and spent time the previous summer designing curriculum and resources for Fairfax County Public Schools Health and Physical Education teachers using Google and eCart.   Through the time of distance learning I have continued to expand my teaching using different tools and ideas to reach my students. 

It is important to me to continue to improve how technology is used in our field of education.  I have presented numerous times at the state VAHPERD conference for health and physical education on how to implement and use google and google classroom to innovate and implement technology into health and physical education.  In addition, I have the privilege of presenting at my Alma mater, to students in the Health and Physical Education teacher education program each spring on the benefits of using literacy and blending technology in our field and at the Fairfax County Health and Physical Education In-services on Google Classroom, Schoology and ways to integrate other technologies such as WELNET.   

Other interests at school are that I am a part of the instructional committee and instructional team which promotes and supports instruction in our school. I was in charge of the Falcon Challenge Mentoring program, planned and implemented SEL activities in our "fun lunches" and ran the Touching Hearts Service Club and creating an opportunity for students to grow and also provide service to our local community by completing service projects. I am excited to continue to teach  health and physical education, as well as adapted physical education this fall and being a member of a variety of committess that support our staff and students.