Hello! My name is Tracy Sockalosky and I am currently an Instructional Technology specialist in Natick, MA. I  had promised myself in the fall that I would slow down in the winter. It is working out well so far! I am super excited about this course, though. I have spent a great deal of time working on teaching others, both children in my classroom, as well as teachers, that I want to take the time to focus on my own learning. I am most interested in the ways that technology can promote critical thinking and higher order thinking skills in the K-8 classrooms.

About me, I have been in education for almost 15 years. I began as an 8th grade US History teacher at a school for students with language-based learning disabilities (primarily dyslexia), worked at the same school as the Ed Tech Director and am now an Instructional Technology Specialist at a middle school in Natick, MA. In my “free time” I like to work with teachers on integrating technology into their curriculum, and teach workshops in the summer with EdTechTeacher.

I am also an unconference junkie. Thanks to seeing a tweet from Liz Davis back in 2011, I signed up for EdCamp Boston. Last year I was lucky enough to join the organizing team. I have the pleasure of working on the EdCampBLC team as well. And in a few weeks, on 2/9, I will be chairing the committee for the first PlayDate Boston, a new type of unconference conceived by an amazing group of educators from Chicago.  Very excited about it!

And of course, my most important job is being a mom to three very energetic and amazing kids. My oldest is in 2nd grade this year and her experience in public school thus far has only driven me further in my passion to create meaningful learning opportunities for students, and change the direction public education has taken.

My husband

My family

My extended family