CK Teacher Honored with 2017 Technology in Education Award

Eighth grade physical science teacher Ashlie Smith has been selected by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation (AMF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Space Foundation to receive of the 2017 Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award due to her innovative approach to incorporating technology into her classroom.

Educators who are recognized as using technology in innovative and exciting new ways are honored at the annual Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, CO, now in its 33rd year. The award, named after the Mercury and Apollo astronaut Alan Shepard, will be presented to Smith at the opening ceremony of the symposium. For more information about this event, click here.

Smith’s achievements align with Cranbrook Schools’ emphasis on innovation and design thinking, and educational collaboration with the Edgerton Center at MIT. The collaboration between the two schools is an initiative that will empower Cranbrook faculty to accelerate innovation and Design Thinking in their curriculum and teaching. In return, Cranbrook Schools will be a testing site for the Edgerton Center with the potential to change the way K-12 curriculum is developed nationally.

Director of Schools Arlyce Seibert noted that Smith’s award is a symbol of the great things that have been, and will continue to be, happening between Cranbrook and MIT. “Ashlie Smith is one of not only the beneficiaries but one of the leaders for us, so it’s with great excitement that we join in this design thinking process.”

To listen to an interview with Ms. Seibert and Ashlie Smith on the Guy Gordon Show, click here; more information about Smith's award and innovative work can be found here. Many congratulations to Ashlie Smith for her tremendous achievements!
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