The Massapequa School District is committed to meeting the needs of all learners through the use of digital learning resources, supported by technology learning coaches. These coaches focus on assisting teachers and students in effectively leveraging these tools. Jennifer Emberley, Jarrett Fifield, and Meredith Marin collectively support hundreds of teachers and thousands of students across nine buildings.
The technology learning coaches meet with teachers through various learning opportunities to demonstrate how to use and stay current on new features across different apps, platforms and programs. Some of these tools include Schoology, Google Workspace, Canva, BookCreator, Edpuzzle and more. The learning coaches also push into classrooms to support teachers and students in using technology during instruction.
Throughout the 2024-25 school year, the coaches have been training all staff and working closely with teachers on learning about artificial intelligence. Using guidelines created by a districtwide AI committee, the coaches have been sharing newly approved AI resources and providing learning opportunities and support. Additionally, several existing programs and platforms have added AI features, and the coaches have been assisting teachers with these updates.
AI is frequently used to support differentiated instruction. Ms. Marin said that, for example, teachers can use AI to adapt the curriculum to help students learn specific content while personalized for their reading levels. Teachers also can use AI for language translation and image generation.
During the Parent University program in February, Ms. Emberley, Mr. Fifield, Ms. Marin and Executive Assistant for Technology and Innovation Alison Morgan hosted an AI for parents workshop. Topics included how to use AI appropriately as a learning and study resource, as well as safety guidelines.
The debut of the new MSD app in January was followed by the launch of the Rooms feature on April 30, which is a universal platform for parent-teacher communication. The coaches have been training teachers at each building on the platform, including the announcements and messages features.
Ms. Emberley, who works with teachers at Birch Lane, East Lake, Fairfield and McKenna elementary schools, said one of her favorite tasks as a technology learning coach is facilitating the tech buddies program. Older students, typically fourth and fifth graders, work with their younger counterparts one-on-one to teach them the features of different technology tools.
“The older students get to take on responsibility, which builds their confidence, while the kindergartners really enjoy that support,” Ms. Emberley said. “When they have a buddy who’s helping them, it’s really meaningful.”
At Unqua Elementary School and Berner Middle School, Ms. Marin plans technology integration lessons with teachers. She has helped Berner physical education teachers develop a digital health heroes project in which students use BookCreator to write about the benefits of exercise, sleep and taking vitamins. In family and consumer sciences, she supports teachers and students for an annual career exploration project that includes research and a Canva presentation.
Mr. Fifield works at Lockhart and the high school’s Ames and main campuses. He supports a Magnet project at Lockhart in which students use green-screen technology to make videos about the weather. At the high school level, he helped students use Canva to create projects for a Spanish-language contest and worked with athletic coaches to use Schoology to share game schedules with parents.
To keep current on instructional technology, the technology coaches attend conferences hosted by the Long Island Technology and Education Summit and Association of Suffolk Supervisors for Educational Technologies, as well as quarterly BOCES roundtables with other technology specialists. They also keep up to date with the latest trends from websites, listservs, and on social media. The technology coaching team provides a newsletter for Massapequa teachers with tech tips and updates.
Ms. Morgan said that the district puts so much technology in the hands of its teachers and students that it is important to have educators in the district who are experts and can support effective instruction through the use of technology in the classroom. Ultimately the goal is to build student engagement and learning.
“We help the teachers use technology more efficiently and productively,” Mr. Fifield said. “Technology coaches are well-versed in all of the tools.”
Mr. Fifield is the district’s longest-serving technology coach, in his 10th year in the position. Ms. Marin and Ms. Emberley, previously teachers at Birch Lane Elementary School, have been in their coaching positions for six and three years, respectively. All of the technology coaches were previously teachers in the district and have a strong understanding of the curriculum that allows them to use their expertise to match up the best digital tools for a teacher’s desired outcome.
“Having that teacher lens is really important,” Ms. Morgan said. “With our dedicated technology learning coaches, it’s a lot easier for the teachers to stay up to date on all of the technology.”