Welcome to The Tech-able Teacher! My name is Charlotte Hollinger and I have been a teacher for six years and have taught in three states: California, Maryland, and Texas. In those six years, I have had the opportunity to teach a different grade level each year. In my second year of teaching, I had the privilege of teaching a 1st/2nd Grade combination class. My comfort level and proficiency related to the use of technology in the classroom grew exponentially that year as I discovered and developed methods for using technology to keep the lessons uniform in schedule but separate in curriculum.

I majored in Elementary Education at Texas A&M University. The professors not only encouraged the use of technology, but graded us on it! Our syllabus included requirements for creating a podcast, iMovie, screencast, YouTube video, and much more.

I started my teaching career in Monterey, California. A brand new school in a small district had opened with 15 classrooms and an ocean view. It was magical. As it turned out, I was the only tech savvy teacher on staff. I was immediately called upon to provide training, tech support, and counsel on technology in, and for, the classroom. I became an expert at everything from setting up computers and printers, to teaching the staff how to use their brand new iPads in the classroom. In my own classroom I was using whiteboard apps and connecting my iPad to the projector for a math lesson.

I have taught many colleagues how to use a variety of tech devices. I became a teacher because I love to teach. I find joy and satisfaction in sharing the “Ah-hah!” moment with a student and I have come to learn that I find the same joy and satisfaction in helping teachers learn how to use new tools for the classroom. I have enjoyed introducing teachers to the Google suite of apps and watching as they come to realize just how awesome the features really are. I am a Millennial. I am a teacher. I am a colleague. I am excited about technology because of the world in which I live. I am excited to bring technology into the classroom because of the passion that I have for teaching. I am excited about introducing teaching to a culture of technology in the classroom because I am a team player.  I was awarded Technology Teacher of the Year in 2016-2017.

I have over a decade of experience using technology and in just a couple of years, my third grade students will be able to make the same claim. I am a teacher who understands the importance of technology in the classroom and I want to share that understanding with all who will listen...I think there’s an app for that.