Joel Backon - Choate Rosemary Hall: Director
As Director of Academic Technology and a History teacher, Mr. Backon has been a supporting member of the Choate Rosemary Hall leadership team since 1992. Mr. Backon has taught history and political science since 1998, and has led teams that created two world history courses stressing depth and analytical thinking rather than the traditional survey approach. He has also designed a technology- and research-based Contemporary Global Issues course, as well as teaching and redesigning three senior electives, Use and Abuse of Power, Democracy, Media and Politics, and American Diplomacy. When he used a Tablet PC years ago, Mr. Backon married the Tablet and Blackboard to create his "paperless classroom," a concept he expects to continue in this age of the iPad. Choate adopted a 1:1 iPad program in 2012. He also directs the Choate Technology and Learning Institute (TLI), a summer program providing Eight Schools Association faculty members with an opportunity to hone their technology integration skills to improve teaching and learning. Mr. Backon is a former chair of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools' Commission on Technology, a current member of the CAIS Commission on Professional Development, a member of the OESIS Board of Advisors, has consulted to ADVIS, NJAIS, and several independent schools, and has made numerous presentations including intellectual property and copyright laws, using Web 2.0 tools for collaborative projects, mapping course management system tools with pedagogy, and redesigning curriculum to reflect the "new shape of knowledge."
As Director of Academic Technology and a History teacher, Mr. Backon has been a supporting member of the Choate Rosemary Hall leadership team since 1992. Mr. Backon has taught history and political science since 1998, and has led teams that created two world history courses stressing depth and analytical thinking rather than the traditional survey approach. He has also designed a technology- and research-based Contemporary Global Issues course, as well as teaching and redesigning three senior electives, Use and Abuse of Power, Democracy, Media and Politics, and American Diplomacy. When he used a Tablet PC years ago, Mr. Backon married the Tablet and Blackboard to create his "paperless classroom," a concept he expects to continue in this age of the iPad. Choate adopted a 1:1 iPad program in 2012. He also directs the Choate Technology and Learning Institute (TLI), a summer program providing Eight Schools Association faculty members with an opportunity to hone their technology integration skills to improve teaching and learning. Mr. Backon is a former chair of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools' Commission on Technology, a current member of the CAIS Commission on Professional Development, a member of the OESIS Board of Advisors, has consulted to ADVIS, NJAIS, and several independent schools, and has made numerous presentations including intellectual property and copyright laws, using Web 2.0 tools for collaborative projects, mapping course management system tools with pedagogy, and redesigning curriculum to reflect the "new shape of knowledge."
Aaron Sober - Choate Rosemary Hall
Aaron Sober is an artist and educator living in Wallingford, CT. His work has been exhibited nationally at galleries such as Northern Clay Center, AKAR, Penland School of Crafts, The Society of Arts and Craft, Baltimore Clayworks, American Craft Council and Schaller Gallery. He was a Core Fellow at Penland School of Crafts from 2004-2006 and received his M.F.A. from University of Nebraska, Lincoln in 2014. He currently teaches Ceramics, Digital Media, and Mixed Media at Choate Rosemary Hall.
Aaron Sober is an artist and educator living in Wallingford, CT. His work has been exhibited nationally at galleries such as Northern Clay Center, AKAR, Penland School of Crafts, The Society of Arts and Craft, Baltimore Clayworks, American Craft Council and Schaller Gallery. He was a Core Fellow at Penland School of Crafts from 2004-2006 and received his M.F.A. from University of Nebraska, Lincoln in 2014. He currently teaches Ceramics, Digital Media, and Mixed Media at Choate Rosemary Hall.
Kathy Uhr - Fort Worth Academy
After graduating from VA Tech, Kathy had a successful career in business management, but knew her passion was working with children. She returned to school and earned an MAT degree from Johns Hopkins University, and then began her teaching career at an elementary school in Baltimore County Public Schools where she taught for two years. Kathy taught for another six years at an independent school in Baltimore where she also held the positions of technology coordinator, curriculum coordinator, and middle school dean of students. Kathy moved to Fort Worth with her family in 2006 and has taught middle school English and history and served in a variety of leadership roles for the last eleven years at Fort Worth Academy. She continued her education by completing her doctoral coursework and comps in supervision and administration at Texas A&M University -Commerce and has plans to work on her dissertation after her children graduate from high school. Kathy has presented examples of project based learning and design thinking cross-curricular lessons at both state and international conferences and has served as a team member on several different Advanced Ed accreditation review teams. Currently, Kathy is the Head of Lower School and Director of Professional Development at Fort Worth Academy
After graduating from VA Tech, Kathy had a successful career in business management, but knew her passion was working with children. She returned to school and earned an MAT degree from Johns Hopkins University, and then began her teaching career at an elementary school in Baltimore County Public Schools where she taught for two years. Kathy taught for another six years at an independent school in Baltimore where she also held the positions of technology coordinator, curriculum coordinator, and middle school dean of students. Kathy moved to Fort Worth with her family in 2006 and has taught middle school English and history and served in a variety of leadership roles for the last eleven years at Fort Worth Academy. She continued her education by completing her doctoral coursework and comps in supervision and administration at Texas A&M University -Commerce and has plans to work on her dissertation after her children graduate from high school. Kathy has presented examples of project based learning and design thinking cross-curricular lessons at both state and international conferences and has served as a team member on several different Advanced Ed accreditation review teams. Currently, Kathy is the Head of Lower School and Director of Professional Development at Fort Worth Academy
Steve Uhr - Fort Worth Country Day School
Steve began his career in education as a Biology teacher at Prince George High School in Virginia. A family move to Baltimore, Maryland introduced Steve to the world of independent school education. He led the technology program at Dahan Day School in Baltimore before joining the administration at Fort Worth Country Day. Steve deeply believes in the role independent schools play in our society, and the role they fulfill in the national educational community. As Director of Technology for Fort Worth Country Day School, Steve is chiefly responsible for all aspects of educational technology as well as the physical technology infrastructure. He works daily with faculty, staff and administration to ensure their technical needs are being met, and to broaden the instructional approaches related to technology. Student learning and engagement, consistency, customer service and communication are areas of focus. Steve also teaches an upper school Design Lab focused on project based learning and design thinking models of instruction.
Steve began his career in education as a Biology teacher at Prince George High School in Virginia. A family move to Baltimore, Maryland introduced Steve to the world of independent school education. He led the technology program at Dahan Day School in Baltimore before joining the administration at Fort Worth Country Day. Steve deeply believes in the role independent schools play in our society, and the role they fulfill in the national educational community. As Director of Technology for Fort Worth Country Day School, Steve is chiefly responsible for all aspects of educational technology as well as the physical technology infrastructure. He works daily with faculty, staff and administration to ensure their technical needs are being met, and to broaden the instructional approaches related to technology. Student learning and engagement, consistency, customer service and communication are areas of focus. Steve also teaches an upper school Design Lab focused on project based learning and design thinking models of instruction.
Tara Quigley - Princeton Day School
Tara Quigley began her teaching career in 1991 and has been at Princeton Day School for 19 years. She currently teaches sixth grade Humanities, serves as Director of Miss Fine’s Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, and is a Co-Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee.
Having begun her career as a Middle-School science teacher, Tara has always been interested in incorporating inquiry, questioning, and exploration in her classroom. She has also taught early-childhood science, fourth grade, and both fifth and sixth grade Humanities at Princeton Day School. In order to spark more engagement and intrinsic motivation in her classes, Tara began using Design Thinking, PBL, and inquiry in her Humanities classes to encourage student agency and allow for differentiation. Having seen great success with this approach, Tara frequently shares her process and experiences with her colleagues at PDS, national conferences, and peer schools.
In 2014, Tara was appointed to the position of Director of Miss Fine’s Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in which she has worked to educate and empower teachers to try new pedagogical practices and strategies, including: design thinking, PBL, Guided Inquiry Research, Visible Thinking Protocols, and teaching towards mastery of skills and competencies. In 2016, Tara was recognized as an OESIS Network Leader and currently leads one of the PBL Cohorts.
Tara Quigley began her teaching career in 1991 and has been at Princeton Day School for 19 years. She currently teaches sixth grade Humanities, serves as Director of Miss Fine’s Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, and is a Co-Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee.
Having begun her career as a Middle-School science teacher, Tara has always been interested in incorporating inquiry, questioning, and exploration in her classroom. She has also taught early-childhood science, fourth grade, and both fifth and sixth grade Humanities at Princeton Day School. In order to spark more engagement and intrinsic motivation in her classes, Tara began using Design Thinking, PBL, and inquiry in her Humanities classes to encourage student agency and allow for differentiation. Having seen great success with this approach, Tara frequently shares her process and experiences with her colleagues at PDS, national conferences, and peer schools.
In 2014, Tara was appointed to the position of Director of Miss Fine’s Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in which she has worked to educate and empower teachers to try new pedagogical practices and strategies, including: design thinking, PBL, Guided Inquiry Research, Visible Thinking Protocols, and teaching towards mastery of skills and competencies. In 2016, Tara was recognized as an OESIS Network Leader and currently leads one of the PBL Cohorts.