Congratulations to Mary Marotta, MassCUE’s Featured Educator for October, 2020! While creativity and innovation have been a conversation in education for a while now, there has never been more of a need to put these skills into practice than there is now. Mary has gone above and beyond in meeting this need in support of teachers in the use of technology, and fostering a design-thinking approach to teaching and learning. 

In addition to integrating design thinking in class lessons, Mary has also been instrumental in rethinking classroom spaces through the design process. A provider of professional development, Mary has helped to foster the best use of technology for the teachers she supports as a community of learners following #nashobalearns. 

She has been described by colleagues as “committed and dedicated in the support of next generation learning for both students and staff.” As an innovator, Mary is always seeking new ways to model and apply sound technology in educational practice. But it doesn’t end there. The magic she brings to others is her willingness to share with peers through EdCamps, Google events, and within her own school community. 

In addition to providing professional development for her own school, she is a Google for Education trainer and co-facilitator for four graduate level technology courses at Fitchburg State University. In one particular course,  Teaching and Learning with Multimedia, she helps teachers explore new ways to bring emerging technologies to their students’ learning experiences. This includes augmented and virtual reality, storytelling and even virtual expeditions! Innovative design for both teachers and students is at the core of this work, which may be shared with the world thanks to the technology we have at our fingertips!

Mary’s commitment to education is clear to see. The positive impact she is making for her students and her district will benefit many in the years to come. She has been a great role model for many educators. Congratulations from MassCUE on a job well done!

Mary Marotta is an Instructional Technology teacher with over twenty years experience teaching at the high school, college level with a focus on technology integration. She is a Google for Education Certified Trainer and MassCUE Pathfinder. Mary delivers a variety of technology courses for teachers to promote creativity in the classroom. Twitter: @mmarotta