Brian Blake Named UCET Technology Teacher of the Year

Submitted by lana.hiskey on

Mr. Brian Blake, science teacher at Payson High School, is named the UCET Technology Teacher of the Year. UCET is the Utah Coalition for Educational Technology that is an affiliate of the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE).

Mr. Blake has always had plenty of interesting experiments and lively discussions, such as live operations, in his science classrooms. Recently, he has taken his innovations to a new level.

Two years ago, Nebo School District asked Brian to forgo the traditional textbook in his courses in favor of open source and Creative Commons licensed materials. He was eager to develop courses that students would access online through Moodle. Brian was also anxious to experiment with the new iPads that had just hit the market. His innovation and success is now duplicated throughout Nebo School District. These teachers are part of the Professional Learning Community (PLC) and are collaborating about content on a monthly basis.

Utah State Office of Education (USOE) is developing the open educational resources, which certainly puts Utah in the first wave of the nation at the K-12 level. Brian Blake and his colleagues are proving that it can be done, and done well.

Mr. Blake is eager to share what he is doing and learning with others outside the district as well. An article featuring Mr. Blake on technology use generated interest with other districts and the community. Mr. Blake is active in the Utah Science Teachers Association and presents at the Career, Technology and Education (CTE) conferences and UCET focusing on health sciences.

Mr. Blake is sharing his passion for education and technology with an ever-widening circle of colleagues, both in the education arena and through his connections with the health care industry. His influence is touching students as well. This past year Brian reworked his Biology course for the Canvas learning management system, and he is now teaching it online for students from Davis to Tooele to Nebo through the Utah Students Connect Online program.

Congratulations Brian Blake!

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Lana Hiskey
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