Taste of Tech

John Schinker has been working in the field of educational technology since 1993. He began his career as a middle school computer applications teacher, and has taught in three different school districts in northeast Ohio. He holds degrees in Computer Science Education and Instructional Technology.

Taking inspiration from usenet, John was an early proponent of the use of asynchronous communication tools in an educational environment. In 1994, he set up a bulletin board system for his students to use, and four years later was conducting research on using online discussion boards with middle school students. In his current position, he encourages teachers at the primary, middle, and high school levels to use the discussion tools in Moodle to accomplish the same goals.

Currently, John is the technology coordinator for the Brecksville-Broadview Heights schools in Ohio, a suburban school district consisting of six schools, 4700 students, and approximately 500 employees. He is responsible for all aspects of operational and instructional technology.

Since 2007, John has co-hosted the EdTechWeekly webcast on the EdTechTalk network. This roundup of news and resources in educational technology is broadcast live on Sunday nights, and archived as a podcast.

In 2009, John participated on an international Teachers Without Borders – Canada team to provide technology training to teachers in South Africa and Kenya. He spent six weeks in Africa as part of this experience.

This blog is intended to serve the following purposes:

• Keep teachers in the Brecksville-Broadview Heights City School District informed on technology issues, tools, and resources that would make them more effective as educators.
• Participate in the online community of technology professionals working in education.
• Model effective use of blogs for teachers, administrators, and others working in schools.

John may be contacted at schinkerj at bbhcsd.org.