Tech-Savvy Hopkins Teachers Awarded Exceptional Teacher Certificates

Sixth Grade Teacher Robb Trenda has traded up from the old presentation tools of yesteryear. Interactive whiteboards, electronic voting devices and everything Google have usurped even some of the more modern tools in his classroom.

"PowerPoint is on its way out, there are just so many presentation tools out there," he said.

Trenda and fellow Hopkins teacher Ben Friesen were among the 79 teachers from 39 districts honored for their use of technology in the classroom at the Dec. 7 TIES 2010 Education Technology Conference. School Superintendent John Schultz chose Friesen and Trenda for their ability to integrate technology into the classroom year after year.

TIES, which was founded in 1967 as Technology Information Education Services but is now known solely by its acronym, is an education technology consortium of 41 Minnesota school districts.

Friesen, a science teacher at since 2005, uses applications and video to encourage his students to make connections among their studies.

"By layering the right information together the students can really see the patterns and make sense of things themselves," he said.

Friesen finds the Google Earth application particularly valuable in his earth science classes.

"You literally have the whole world at your fingertips ... The last few days the students have been looking at earthquakes patterns, and by layering a hundred years of real earthquake data it becomes very evident where earthquakes occur and the connection to plate tectonics," he said.

Friesen also works with other teachers to help them use technology in their own classrooms and sends out tips of the week that the principal uses in the staff bulletin.

"He tailors his technology to you," said Reading Teacher Sara Speicher. "He'd say, 'Here's how I use it, now how can you use it?'"

West Jr. High Principal, Shirley Gregoire, is also impressed with Friesen's impact: "Mainly what I see, Ben is a real leader. He works with teachers and follows students' progress closely. He meets them where they are and helps them to move forward."

Friesen and Trenda both teach other staff in the district to use Promethean whiteboards, which are interactive boards that can project and manipulate anything seen on a computer screen.

Trenda, who has been teaching sixth grade at Glen Lake Elementary since 2002, also holds classes after school about using various technology and trains teachers in the classroom.

"We really value him as a teacher/leader not only for the school but the district," said Glen Lake Principal Beth Potter.

Trenda especially likes to use electronic voters. Throughout the day, he asks multiple-choice questions or posts graphs and asks the students to pick the right answer and react to it. The addition of voters allows those students who normally would not raise their hand to join the fray and give their answer.

"I never see any students sitting back. They're all up with voters," Potter said. "He reaches students through technology but it all starts with relationships."