ActiVAtED Learning

Meet Matt Neale from Hidden Valley High School in Roanoke County. In May of 2025, Mr. Neale was named the 2026 Virginia Teacher of the Year. 

To learn more about the Teacher of the Year program, visit WWW.DOE.VIRGINIA.GOV

For a video version of this podcast, please click the link below.

https://youtu.be/otf6eA4oWSY

As the Virginia Society for Technology in Education turns 40, we thought it would be great to talk to two folks who have seen the organization grow from their positions as some of the original Instructional Technology Resource Teachers, or ITRTs. Meg Swecker from Roanoke County and Jude Raffeinner from Carroll County join host Tom Landon for the Season 3 premiere of ActiVAtED Learning.

For a video version of this podcast, please visit link below. https://youtu.be/P1QKiBmeH4U

Kathleen Fugle of Fairfax County Public Schools didn't know how much she loved instructional technology until she attended a workshop with her own children, and didn't know that it would one day lead to her being named the Virginia Computer Science Educator of the Year. Tom Landon sat down with Kathleen at Sleepy Hollow Elementary School to talk about her journey as an educator and what gets her excited about teaching.

For a video version of this podcast, please visit link below. https://youtu.be/Fpd7MidFEaU

Victor Spadaro went to school to be a PE teacher and thought he'd return home to NY State to take over from his high school cross country coach when he retired, but instead relocated to Arlington, Virginia where Mr. Spadaro was recently named the Southern District Elementary PE Teacher of the Year. Through drumming, dance, and innovative games, he encourages movement in a way that includes all students.

For a video version of this podcast, please visit link below. https://youtu.be/tQZ7H5z7AsU

Michael Carter grew up the son of a successful plumber and never considered that he might one day be not only a teacher, but the National Plumbing Teacher of the Year. But after 7 years of teaching at Gar-Field High in Prince William County, he wouldn't want it any other way. We spoke to him in his active classroom. On this episode of ActiVAtED Learning we'll also meet Morgan Nooney, who was named one of the Virginia Society of Technology in Education's Technology Coaches of the Year.

For a video version of this podcast, please visit link below.

https://youtu.be/UK7bfBTHy5g

Go Tec is a middle school technology program housed at the Institute for Advanced Learning in Danville, Virginia, but it's reach goes well beyond Southside. Julie Brown and Jake Taylor join Tom Landon to talk about this innovative approach to ensuring a ready supply of workers for Virginia's new economy.

For a video version of this podcast, please visit link below.

https://youtu.be/C9-a7xj30dY

Whether they're called coaches, ITRTs or STEM teachers, Virginia is blessed with technology leaders in schools who help teachers implement tech in classrooms. On this episode of ActiVAtED Learning, we visit educators who are teaming up to give kids meaningful, technology rich experiences. Guests include Liz Lynch of Patrick Henry Elementary in Martinsville, a finalist for the Presidential Award for Mathematics and Science Teaching, and Sarah Schaffner and Chrissy Richmond from Gainesville Middle School in Prince William County.

For a video version of this podcast, please visit link below.

https://youtu.be/_-eRY2WWIcE

Jeanne Dodd is an instructional technology specialist with Virginia Beach Schools, and she and one of her students joined us during the VSTE conference to talk about a podcast they created for families of veterans. Next we traveled to Hanover County to meet Avanti Yamamoto, the 2025 Virginia Teacher of the Year, to learn how her love for teaching shines through to her students.

For a video version of this podcast, please visit link below. https://youtu.be/ulWjUhmVh8Y

Launching any new technology like AI in a school division can be difficult, but it's a lot easier when you first build a culture of collaboration and innovation. 2024 Virginia Superintendent of the Year Doug Straley and 2 time VDOE CTE Excellence Award winner Kenny Bouwens share how Louisa County's "Team LCPS" approach is resulting in widespread adoption of Artificial Intelligence and the process they used to get there.

For a video version of this podcast, please visit link below. https://youtu.be/iFdf6a9gCTQ

Rachelle Dene' Poth is a teacher, instructional technologist, and attorney who was an early adopter of Artificial Intelligence in the classroom. She joins host Tom Landon to talk about how teachers can dip their toes in the water when using AI, and about her own journey as an educational leader. The episode was recorded at the 2024 VSTE Tech Splash event in Abingdon, VA.

For a video version of this podcast, please visit link below. https://youtu.be/4bQAQeOQUus