Submitted by David Dietrich, dietrich.114@osu.edu
Dr. Laura Deeter has been recognized by Instructure as a winner of its inaugural Educator of the Year Awards at the annual InstructureCon edtech conference. Building on the success of the 2018 awards, the Educator of the Year Awards recognizes outstanding educators working to further teaching as well as shape the next generation of students. This year's six winners represent education innovation in both the K-12 and higher education fields.
Deeter was one of six educators honored.
"Each winner is dedicated to their students' success and is using Canvas to improve teaching and elevate learning," said Melissa Loble, SVP of customer success and partnerships at Instructure. "Their inspiring stories showcase the role that technology plays in education and how we can use it to prepare students for the world outside of the classroom."
According to Instructure, Deeter has been inspirational at exploring and incorporating non-traditional classroom activities that will help her students in their future careers. She likes to test out new ways of teaching, including flipped classrooms, gamification, field trips, and student video projects.
"I wanted to find a way to turn what I do and teach into something that's fun," Deeter said. " I took Canvas and all of the tools that come with it and turned my plant identification course into a game about plants and zombies. I learned a lot about how the students use the technology and the students felt that they engaged more with the class."
The Canvas Educator of the Year Awards were judged on the following criteria:
- How does this teacher redefine traditional classroom activities to prepare students for college and careers?
- How does this teacher's classroom experience improve achievement for at-risk populations?
- How does this teacher impact student engagement, curiosity and/or achievement?
Instructure helps people grow from the first day of school to the last day of work. More than 30 million people use the Canvas Learning Management Platform for schools and the Bridge Employee Development Platform for businesses. More information at www.instructure.com.