National Education Group Includes Ossining Teacher on its "20 to Watch" List

The National School Boards Association’s Technology Leadership Network has selected Ossining High School English teacher Adam Schoenbart as one of its “20 to Watch” honorees for 2016.

The educators were chosen for their “ability to inspire colleagues to explore and embrace innovative technology solutions and instructional strategies,” according to the Technology Leadership Network.

“I'm honored to have been selected by the NSBA and am incredibly proud of the work we are doing in Ossining,” said Schoenbart, who has taught at OHS since 2010 and has been an instructional technology coach since 2015.

In a statement about the honorees, the National School Boards Association lauded Schoenbart for the passion he brings to his work. “His vision of a 24/7 learning model includes flipped and blended classrooms, greater collaboration between students and faculty and, most recently, an opportunity for 18 classes to pilot Google Expeditions,” the group said, referring to the virtual reality platform that enables students to visit sites around the world.

“These teachers and administrators, with support from school boards, share a vision for learning that will prepare students for future success,” said Thomas J. Gentzel, executive director of the association.

Schoenbart said he is thankful to the Ossining administration, his colleagues and students for always being open to trying new and innovative strategies. “It's wonderful to work in a building and district that embraces the power of technology to change teaching and learning,” he said.

The “20 to Watch” honorees will be recognized during the 2016 Consortium for School Networking Conference on April 4 in Washington and at the National School Board Association’s annual conference in Boston April 8.

This isn’t the first time Schoenbart has been recognized for his leadership in instructional technology. In 2014, the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center gave him a Pioneer Award for his “innovative” use of Google Apps for Education.

Schoenbart said technology has transformed his classroom and the way students learn because they can easily share ideas, ask questions and collaborate at any time. As a teacher, he can learn more about his students, keep up-to-date on their progress and use class time more meaningfully.

“Now that we can find so much information online so easily, I'm no longer the expert teacher, but a guide to helping the students build and create their own learning experiences,” he said.

One example is the “Genius Hour” projects his students are conducting this quarter. They picked topics they are passionate about and are focusing on changes they can make in the world. They are working at their own pace – some independently and some in groups – and are using technology to research and collaborate.

“We share their successes on social media, blog about the learning process, reach out to experts around the world, and write about our learning in class and online,” Schoenbart said.

Recently, students read and acted out the play “Fences” by August Wilson while others in the class took pictures and videos of the performances and shared them on social media, he said.

“With Google Apps for Education, Chromebooks, Twitter, and more, our students have so many powerful tools to learn, create, and collaborate,” Schoenbart said. “I'm excited about the opportunity to help them do so responsibly, so that they can become more active participants in their learning, and develop valuable skills for their futures.”