MassCUE is pleased to announce Kristina Ierardi as our Featured Educator for May 2024!

Digital literacy skills empower students, promote critical thinking, bridge divides and prepare students for life in the digital age. That’s why Digital Literacy Teacher Kristina Ierardi is committed to staying ahead of technological advancements and sharing her love of learning and technology with her students.

“Digital literacy is essential for preparing students for success in the digital age,” Ierardi says. “These skills empower them to be critical thinkers, responsible digital citizens and lifelong learners in an increasingly interconnected world.”

Ierardi teaches digital literacy in grades 3-5 at Bourne Intermediate School in Bourne. She says she mixes lessons from the regular curriculum, focused on typing skills and the responsible use of technology, with What I Need (WIN) classes, which are focused on project-based learning.

Examples of lessons in WIN classes include creating with AI in Padlet and other apps, developing stop motion in Google Slides and iMovie, learning HTML with Codemoji and binary code and creating ads in Canva, to name a few. She says digital literacy is important because technology is everywhere.

“Being digitally literate is crucial for functioning effectively in many aspects of life, including education, work and personal tasks,” she says. “Teaching digital literacy encourages students to think critically about the information they encounter online. It equips students with the knowledge and skills to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.”

Ierardi has a long list of favorite tools to use with classes. Some examples include Google (because it offers so much for free), Typing.com, Blooket, Kahoot, Piskel, Brush Ninja, Word Art and Storyboard That and Photos for Class. She says rapidly changing technology and the unpredictability of online resources can be a challenge of working with technology in education.

“Sometimes I can plan a lesson, check it the night before, and then the day I deliver it, there’s been a change,” she says.

Other challenges include monitoring students’ screen time to ensure they stay on task and addressing habits and managing apps that students are allowed to use at home, but not in school.

When she’s not teaching students about safe and effective online navigation and communication, she’s offering training to her fellow educators. Ierardi offers weekly tech tips for faculty and staff, conducts trainings on various topics such as AI and provides one-on-one assistance on apps and devices. Her latest project is a podcast called Teaching is Hard.

“This was an initiative to expand the reach of the professional development we offered in the district,” she says. “I work with the Elementary Curriculum Director, Lisa Dix, to produce weekly podcasts.”

Her advice to others in similar roles: learn as much as you can and try to stay up to date or even ahead of the curve. Ierardi says the best way to do that is to attend conferences, do research on YouTube, join online forums and tune in to social media conversations. A couple of her favorite edtech experts are Alice Keeler and Eric Curts. Another great way to stay current on the latest in edtech is to join an organization like MassCUE to connect with others like her.

“I find a lot of schools don’t have a dedicated Digital Literacy Teacher, so I’d love to meet you."

Kristina Ierardi is a dedicated educator with a passion for integrating technology into the classroom to enhance student learning experiences. She holds a Massachusetts Professional Teaching License in Information Technology for K-12 education, a Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration from Boston College and a Graduate Certificate in Instructional Technology from Framingham State University. She has been an educator serving Massachusetts public school students for over 30 years.

Currently she teaches Digital Literacy and serves as an Instructional Technology Specialist at Bourne Public Schools. She possesses the expertise to effectively teach and incorporate technological tools into the curriculum. She integrates AI, iMovie, Canva, Sphero Robots, stop motion, animation, and many other applications and tools into teaching students to responsibly use and communicate with digital devices. She is a Google Certified Educator (Level 1 and 2) and a Certified Educator for Clever’s Enhanced Teacher Portal. Her background also includes web development with HTML, JavaScript and game development with GameSalad. She is proficient in using and teaching both Google Workspace apps and Microsoft Office programs.

Her background in higher education includes serving as a Teaching and Learning Center Mentor, Academic Advisor, admissions recruiter, adjunct faculty member, Professional Development Co-Chair, and the Coordinator of Career Services and Experiential Learning at Cape Cod Community College. She has effectively utilized and instructed on Learning Management Systems (LMS), including Moodle, Blackboard, and Canvas. She is also skilled in using and teaching PowerSchool, Jenzabar, and other student databases and applications.

Kristina is committed to utilizing innovative educational platforms to create engaging and dynamic learning environments. She recently co-presented at the MassCUE conference on GAME ON! Free Online Tools to Create Winning Learning Activities. She also presents on LinkedIn and other career development tools. Her latest project is co-hosting and producing the Teaching is Hard podcast on Podbean.