Janice Loudon S.

Jan entered education technology as a career change 21 years ago, starting as a computer lab coordinator. She worked her way up to senior lab coordinator in the school’s technology department. She coordinated the education technology professional development program for seven years. She was instrumental in researching the opportunities of becoming a 1:1 iPad learning environment in 2011 and bringing about this change to her school in 2012. She considers helping to bring about the 1:1 iPad learning environment in 2012 one of her greatest technical accomplishments. iPad was introduced to the world in 2010. It was a very exciting time in education technology, as iPad brought reliable, low-cost computing power into the hands of each of the school’s 2,000 students and 165 teachers. This leveled the playing field of access for all students. Since it was an emerging technology and most did not know much about it, the path was both one of opportunity and trepidation. All had to learn what its strengths and weaknesses were, and there were many professional development and student workshops designed and delivered. As coordinator of education technology, Jan played a significant role in learning what the capabilities of iPad were in education and educating others on its features. The school earned the Apple Distinguished School award in 2013-14, which was renewed in 2016. The award recognized the school’s leadership, innovation, and academic excellence. Jan coauthored the iBooks which told the story of the school’s early adoption and continued growth as a 1:1 iPad learning environment. All of those experiences positioned the school to be well prepared for the demands of remote and hybrid-learning when COVID-19 closed schools in 2020-21. Going forward, as we look to the future of education technology, Jan would like to learn more about artificial intelligence, since it carries important technical potential and ethical impact if not developed and implemented properly. She would also like to begin a master’s degree in education technology.