April 10, 2007
TeachersFirst Creates Educator Advisory Board

TeachersFirst.com, the first free, advertising-free education web site by teachers for teachers, has formed an Educator Advisory Board. The board will provide feedback and guidance to the professional staff of TeachersFirst about the needs and interests of classroom teachers, especially those who seek to use technology in support of teaching and learning. The board spans all grades, from kindergarten to collegiate teacher-ed programs, with representation across multiple subject areas, teaching levels, and geographic locations around the globe. The board will meet several times a year in a virtual environment to share ideas and collaborate.

TeachersFirst has been a free offering since 1998 from Network for Instructional TV (NITV), the not-for-profit learning and technology corporation that is also home of  TeachersAndFamilies.com, VideoFirst.com, and  PreschoolFirst.com. TeachersFirst recently launched version 2.0 of its site, incorporating collaborative features and enhanced, free membership options for teachers. Several of the new Advisory Board members provided valuable feedback during the beta testing of the new version.

Candace Hackett Shively, Director of K-12 Initiatives for NITV, describes the advisory board members as “a very willing, positive group of teachers who want to ‘give back’ to the profession by helping their colleagues access the best resources possible. Their eagerness to offer specific and reasoned ideas makes them a powerful support for any teacher who wishes to integrate technology. Research shows that teacher collaboration is key in adopting any new teaching strategies, and especially in teaching with technology. This group has the teacher-leaders every teacher would want to find in the classroom next door.”

The TeachersFirst Educator Advisory Board includes:

* Dr. Mike Currier, teacher educator, Texas 

* Ms. Ilene (DeeDee) Franklin, retired high school science teacher and current adjunct community college chemistry teacher, New Jersey 

* Ms. Bonita Hamilton, Assistant Director of Instructional Technology/Administrator, Colorado 

* Mr. Peter Hanisch, middle school science teacher, Australia 

* Mrs. Donna Ingalls, fourth grade teacher, South Carolina 

* Ms. Karen Johnson, middle school language arts teacher, Oregon 

* Mr. Ange Kenos, high school teacher, Australia 

* Ms. Linda W. Hill, school library/media specialist, Virginia 

* Mrs. Jeannie Rahaman, elementary media specialist, Michigan 

* Mrs. Deborah Seyffert, kindergarten teacher, South Carolina 

* Mrs. Ruth E. Smith, high school English teacher, Tennessee