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Honoring Innovation in Education

Educators and district leaders from across the Lower Hudson region gathered on March 6 at the Edith Macy Conference Center for the 2025 TELL (Technology in Education through Leadership and Learning) Awards.

Hosted by the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center’s (LHRIC) Technology Leadership Institute, the event recognized outstanding educators—teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators—nominated by their peers for demonstrating innovation and best practices, and having implemented systemic change in teaching and learning while incorporating and embracing technology.

https://www.lhric.org/groups/84248/news_feed_lhric/honoring_innovation_in_education

If you were unable to attend the presentation or would like to review it again, please visit the recorded session.

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the educational landscape, a pressing question remains: What comes next? On February 12, the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center’s Technology Leadership

Institute (TLI) held a keynote series to answer that very question.

Educator, researcher, and advocate Dr. Nneka McGee led the virtual event, titled Our Quantum World: How Leaders Can Prepare for the Future of Uncertainty. She provided district leaders with an in-depth look at how quantum computing may revolutionize education in the years ahead.

An expert in technology-driven learning, Dr. McGee has extensively studied the role of artificial intelligence in K-12 education. With degrees in English, law, curriculum and instruction, and education, she explores how emerging technologies like quantum computing will redefine teaching and learning. She asserts that this technology will fundamentally change how educators and students engage with information.

Dr. McGee explained that while AI is everywhere and currently transforming educational technology, quantum computing will soon take its place as the "next big thing." She compared this evolution to past technological shifts in education, from the lanterna magica to scantrons, calculators, and now AI.

“My mission is to keep teachers in the loop in the age of artificial intelligence,” Dr. McGee shared during the presentation. “I want to ensure that they're at the forefront of the development and deployment of AI systems.”

Dr. McGee provided an overview of quantum mechanics and explained how concepts such as superposition, entanglement, and coherence translate to the field of education. She used these principles as a metaphor for the evolving role of educators:

• Superposition represents the vast possibilities that quantum computing offers to the learning experience.
• Entanglement reflects the influence that educators have in shaping how students and schools adapt to this emerging technology.
• Coherence symbolizes the connections that will be necessary to integrate quantum computing into classroom environments.

 After discussing the transformative power of education, Dr. McGee emphasized the vital role of educators in shaping the future, reminding attendees that technology should enhance—not replace—the human impact of teaching. 

 “We have to think of ourselves and how we empower each other and empower our students and remember the importance of what it means to educate,” she said. We are the original influencers—beyond whatever artificial intelligence or a quantum computer can do.”

Dr. McGee concluded the presentation with a clear message: The quantum era is fast approaching, and it is up to today’s education leaders to guide their students and schools through this transformation. By understanding the foundational principles of quantum computing and embracing the possibilities it presents, educators can position themselves at the forefront of the next great shift in educational technology.

Tools and Resources (Quantum in Education Playground)

• National Q-12 Partnership (Link )
• International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (Link)
• World Quantum Day (Link)
• Quantum Education Choice Boards (Link )
• Decoding the Universe: Quantum (Link )

The Technology Leadership Institute’s next event, the TELL Awards, will take place on March 6 at the Edith Macy Conference Center. This annual celebration honors outstanding contributions to educational leadership and innovation. Attendees will have the opportunity to recognize the 2025 awardees and connect with peers who are shaping the future of education.

Learn more and register for the 2025 Tell Awards here.

User group session helps educators navigate powerful music instruction platform

A dozen music teachers from the region gathered at the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center’s Harrison campus for a presentation on leveraging the MusicFirst platform to enrich students’ learning experiences.

The MusicFirst user group was led by Valhalla Music Teacher Anthony Maceli and Jason Panucci of MusicFirst.

“Today is all about problem-solving,” Maceli said. “I have had as many failures with technology as I’ve had successes. Whether it’s things being blocked or audio settings not working, today is all about navigating those issues.”

The teachers started at square one, taking on the role of students to get a ground-up understanding of how best to introduce MusicFirst’s powerful systems to their students. MusicFirst enables teachers to streamline assignment and submission processes, which allows them to spend more time teaching while students spend more time making and playing music.

“It’s like teaching a student to play clarinet when they haven’t ever even picked up their instrument before,” said Tuckahoe Music Teaching Consultant Marc Schneider. “You don’t ask them to start playing music right away. You start by taking the instrument apart. Then you put it back together again. It’s the same with the technology. You can’t just expect students to start using it.”

MusicFirst allows teachers to create and share assignments and compositions as well as manage and organize them for students to access. The platform can even automatically evaluate how well a student’s performance matches an assignment so that teachers can hone in on which students need additional help without combing through dozens of videos of performances.

“Every year the students are different,” Maceli said. “Even after years of teaching, you always get students who have different needs. Twenty years ago, that kid might have quit music. Now, this technology gives them more ways to engage with music and spend time playing their instrument.”