Personalizing Future-Readiness for Students

Contributed by Dr. Rod Berger

Using edtech to innovate instruction and prepare students for the future

The Putnam County School District in Tennessee has slightly over 11,000 students spread out over 400 square miles, and it’s the job of Sam Brooks and Lance Key to help prepare them all for the unknown future. Working as teachers and administrators implementing personalized learning programs has given them insights into blended and flipped classrooms, for which they’ve developed effective instructional solutions using edtech. Due to their willingness to share their practices, districts from around the country have learned about the innovative programming Sam and Lance have implemented. They will be presenting …. (Read More)

 

About Sam Brooks

Sam Brooks is honored to have worked for Putnam County Schools (TN) for the past 25 years. Brooks leads all student/teacher personalized learning opportunities in the district, which includes online, dual enrollment, dual credit, and industry certification options. Mr. Brooks is a Google Certified Trainer and was recognized by the Center for Digital Education as a national Top 30 Technologists-Transformers-Trailblazers in 2014 and his program has been identified in several national organizations including EdSurgeThe Institute for Teaching and Leading, and The Clayton Christensen Institute. Follow Sam on Twitter.

About Lance Key

Lance Key is the Instructional Technology Specialist and has taught all math classes 6th Grade math to AP Calculus. He has a B.S. Degree in math from Middle Tennessee State University and a Masters Degree in Teaching and Learning from Cumberland University. He has taught mathematics for 12 years and has been using the blended/flipped model in his classroom for the past 9 years. Key has also supervised the online learning for the past 6 years at Cookeville High School and is a District Administrator for Google and Compass Learning for Putnam County.

Key has been charged with developing the instructional technology for Putnam County Schools. He specializes in helping teachers incorporate technology in their classroom and was selected as the 2016 – 2017 VITAL Teacher of the Year. Key’s Certifications: Google Certified TrainerEdulastic InnovatorNearpod CertifiedCK-12 Certified EducatorBook Creator AmbassadorRead&Write Certified, & a Kami Hero. Follow Lance on Twitter.

Sam Brooks and Lance Key will be co-presenting four sessions each at the 2019 Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) from January 27th-30th in Orlando, Florida. The conference will bring together thousands of educators and technology leaders for an intensive, highly collaborative exploration of new technologies, best practices, and pressing issues. Registration is now open.

Sam and Lance will be presenting at the following sessions together:

Lance Key will be part of the panel for:

And Sam Brooks will be presenting the session: