The Catholic Diocese of Lincoln Education office is proud to announce that Carrie Nielsen, Mobile Integration Specialist for the Diocesan Technology Office, has been awarded NETA (Nebraska Technology Education Association) Nebraska Excellence in Leading with Technology Award. This award is given to recognize and honor an individual who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in implementing technology to improve teaching, learning or administration. The contest is open to Nebraska PK–12 public and private school administrators and technology directors and other positions whose primary job role does not include teaching students. The following are the criteria used to determine the winner:
- positively impacts technology use in teaching, learning and administration; locally, regionally, or statewide.
- involves the local community in their work or has facilitated partnerships with business and/or other organizations to advance the use
- of technology in teaching and learning.
- integrates deliberate planning in an effort to improve education through the use of technology.
- works tirelessly to improve the quality of education and/or work experience in their own school.
- contributes to the profession by presenting at professional conferences, seminars and/or workshops or publishing articles in print or through electronic media.
Carrie is a wife and proud mom of four sons and has been a resident of Plattsmouth, NE since 1995. She started working as a kindergarten paraprofessional at St. John the Baptist School (Plattsmouth) in 1999. From 2001 to 2005, she attended classes at night to complete her elementary education degree with middle school endorsements in science, physical education, and reading through Peru State College. In 2005, she became the computer, PE, Algebra, and Pre-Algebra teacher at St. John's. Over the next 12 years, she saw the introduction of many technological advancements in the school and, to keep pace, took almost every training class offered by the technology office. In 2015, she earned her Apple Vanguard Member certificate and added iPad classes to her 4th and 5th grade curriculum. The next year, she became an Apple Vanguard Coach and expanded the iPad program to include junior high.
In 2017, Carrie was hired as the Diocesan Integration Specialist, and has supported 32 Catholic Schools in Southern Nebraska. She has been charged with helping teachers to integrate iPads into each school’s specific curricula. She has also been the primary support for two new 1:1 implementations. Carrie is a source of perpetual enthusiasm and a font of original ideas. One of her strong points is unflagging optimism and enthusiasm for teachers. She has a huge gift of encouraging teachers to grow in their use of technology, regardless of the initial comfort level of the individual. With Carrie’s support, unwilling teachers become eager, and eager teachers become school-level technology leaders. She is unfailing in her support of teachers, and this encouragement allows teachers the freedom to try new approaches to technology use in the classroom, with understanding that it is ok if the new attempt doesn’t work perfectly. To this end, Carrie created Teacher Badges, a type of award system that teachers can work toward and receive recognition for seemingly small or otherwise overlooked personal achievements. One example is the Marigold Badge, because Marigolds are planted to keep bad things out of a garden – the badge recognizes that the person is consistently positive in their approach to technology and encourages other’s attempts. Carrie highly deserves NETA’s Leading with Technology Award.
