KENNESAW, Ga.
(Aug 30, 2021) — Kennesaw Point out College double alumna Stephanee Stephens has dedicated her career
to improving schooling through engineering, and she now is carrying out that as part
of 1 of the world’s major technological innovation organizations.
As a modern day workplace senior professional with Microsoft, Stephens provides academic
support to P-12 and greater instruction specialists all over the southeastern United
States. Stephens, who previously led the iTeach unit in KSU’s Bagwell College of Instruction, exhibits educators how to make the most of Microsoft’s resources and technological tools to
progress instructing and understanding by modern strategies.
“I normally will look at myself a instructor and, from a social affect standpoint, I
truly feel like I’m nonetheless accomplishing that even nevertheless I’m not in a classroom each individual day,” reported
Stephens, whose two levels from Kennesaw Condition involve a doctorate in educational engineering leadership. “I am equipped to help students attain accessibility to tools that will transform their studying
sport and make them even far more marketable as a learner, as a individual in a vocation, and
as a member of culture.”
In the eight months she has been with Microsoft, Stephens stated that she has seen
her colleagues increasingly taking observe of Kennesaw Condition as a leader in instructing
educators to empower understanding with know-how. Earlier this calendar year, KSU elevated the
tutorial technological know-how division in the Bagwell College or university to the University of Tutorial Technological know-how and Innovation.
“Changing tutorial engineering from a division to a faculty places body weight behind
all the get the job done that is been performed to pull alongside one another researchers, practitioners and coaches
within the university to enable academics be the best they can be,” Stephens stated. “I believe
Kennesaw Condition defines what a university should be in the modern day period, by moving ahead
and continuing to improve relatively than sitting still.”
Stephens speaks from her blended ordeals as a Kennesaw Condition pupil, college
member and iTeach director. She gained her initially degree from KSU, a Grasp of Training in Instructing English to Speakers of Other Languages, in 2009 even though she was an tutorial engineering specialist with Fulton County
Colleges. She concluded her Ed.D. in Tutorial Technological know-how from Kennesaw State past December, defending her dissertation on the identical day she
had her remaining job interview with Microsoft.
Alongside with currently being a very pleased KSU alumna, Stephens considers her most gratifying professional
accomplishment to be increasing the iTeach unit in her five many years as director. Stephens
developed a group of extra than 60 instructional technologies experts who provide technological innovation-similar
professional understanding, consulting and solutions to approximately 275 colleges and/or
districts in Georgia and other states.
“The iTeach device will proceed to prosper and transfer forward,” Stephens explained. “That’s
a credit rating to the team, not to me, but I’m so very pleased to have been a element of that.”
Even though Stephens downplays her personal significance, a colleague and good friend from the Bagwell
College respectfully disagrees. Traci Redish, the director of the University of Educational
Know-how and Innovation, employed Stephens as iTeach director and observed up-shut the
contributions she made not only to that specific device, but also in building tutorial
know-how curriculum and becoming 1 of the leaders in elevating the office to
a faculty.
“Stephanee is a really high achiever, innovator and advocate for studying with technology,”
Redish said. “She is a leader in training and will continue to make a identify for herself
in the subject.”
When Stephens has moved on to the job possibility with Microsoft, she continues to be
linked to Kennesaw Point out. Stephens proceeds to educate element-time, instructing graduate-degree
programs in the Bagwell School of Education’s Customized Discovering Endorsement system.
“I enjoy training, and currently being in a position to keep on being school retains me related to the Bagwell
School and to the University, to be capable to add again in a significant way to
those people who also will have excellent experiences going by means of,” reported Stephens. “I owe a
whole lot to KSU, and it is a spot that usually will really feel like property to me.”
– Paul Floeckher
Pictures by David Caselli
Relevant Tales
A chief in progressive instructing and studying, Kennesaw State University presents undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels to its extra than 41,000 learners. With 11 faculties on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw Point out is a member of the University Program of Ga and the next-biggest university in the point out. The university’s lively campus culture, varied population, sturdy world-wide ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw learners from during the location and from 126 international locations across the globe. Kennesaw Point out is a Carnegie-specified doctoral exploration institution (R2), placing it between an elite team of only 6 p.c of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For extra info, check out kennesaw.edu.