Spotlight Sessions

Charley Suter, M.Ed is the Director of Technology & Innovation at Spaulding Academy & Family Services, where he’s been for the past 9 years. Prior to his time in education, he served as Knowledge Coordinator at the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He’s a devoted educator and certified Digital Learning Specialist, an advocate for equity and inclusion, a tech geek, a privacy proponent, and a lifelong guitar player!

Th1-06-Ex Harnessing VR & Assistive Tech for Student Accessibility ~ Thursday, 9:20-10:10am

Join our NHSTE spotlight speaker, Charley Suter, for this dynamic session focusing on the use of virtual reality (VR) and other technologies to meet the specific individual needs of all students. Charley is using VR with students at Spaulding to excite, engage, and customize the learning process! Hear how you can use these techniques with YOUR students.

Neal Richardson is an award-winning cybersecurity professional with over two decades of experience, primarily in public K-12 schools. Currently, Neal serves as the Director of Technology at Hillsboro-Deering School District, where he has led strategic planning, enhanced information security policies, and modernized IT infrastructure to protect student data and ensure regulatory compliance. Neal's previous role as Director of Technology and Emergency Management at SAU 93 included developing cybersecurity awareness programs, deploying access control systems, and standardizing emergency response plans. His outstanding contributions to cybersecurity were recognized with the SANS Difference Maker award in 2019. Neal is also actively involved in several cybersecurity committees and working groups, including the MS-ISAC K12 working group, K12-Six essential protections working group, CoSN cybersecurity advisory committee, State of New Hampshire cybersecurity planning committee, and the New Hampshire chapter of InfraGard. He holds multiple certifications, including C|CISO, CISSP, CISM, CDPSE, GCCC, GMOB, GCIH, GCIA, GSEC, and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University.

W3-01-Ex Data Security ~ It's Everyone’s Business! ~ Wednesday, 2:15-3:05pm

NHCTO SpotLight speaker and Director of Technology-CISO at Hillsboro-Deering School District, Neal Richardson will continue to expand upon the tenets presented by our Wednesday keynote speaker, Jason Sgro. Data security truly is "everyone's business", but what does that look like from the perspectives of support staff, educators, leadership, and administrators.

Jen Thomas is the Professional Learning and Program Coordinator for MassCUE. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Bates College in 2000, a Master of Arts degree in Musicology from Tufts University in 2002, and a Master of Science degree in Library Science from Simmons College in 2005. A passionate technology educator, she began her career as a library media specialist and later shifted into the role of instructional technology specialist. After almost two decades working in schools, she decided it was time to give back to an organization that supported her career and is now thrilled to be part of the MassCUE team. Jen is dedicated to empowering teachers and students and has a strong interest in planning and delivering professional development in all aspects of educational technology. Jen is a Google Certified Educator, Google Certified Coach, and Google Certified Trainer. She resides in Rhode Island with her husband, Charlie, and their three children, Cooper, Noah, and Caroline.

Th2-06-Ex From PD Fizzle to Lifelong Sizzle: Sustainable Learning for K-12 Educators ~ Thursday, 10:40-11:30am

NHSTE and MassCUE are partnering to transform your professional learning approaches. Join Jen Thomas, our MassCUE SpotLight, to explore practical strategies for creating engaging, sustainable professional learning experiences that will keep the learning "sizzle" going long after the initial training ends. Discover how to create lasting, impactful professional learning programs that empower educators with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively leverage educational technology while promoting equity in the classroom. This session showcases numerous examples of sustainable PL including MassCUE's Building Capacity through Digital Equity (BCDE) program, a customizable professional learning initiative designed to help educators bridge the digital divide and ensure equitable access to education for all students. Attendees learn about key components such as defining digital equity, conducting digital equity audits, developing self-paced learning pathways, 1:1 coaching for personalized implementation support, and creating final projects to build capacity.

Eric Lawson has been in education for over 25 years. He has been an elementary teacher, a technology integrator, an Admin Curriculum/Technology Integrator, and is currently the Director of Technology & Innovation for the York School Department in York, Maine. He has been published in eSchool News, Tech&Learning Magazine and ISTE’s Learning and Leading with Technology Magazine for technology integrated projects and ideas. He was named a member of the Maine Starting 6, and was inducted into the Unum Maine Teacher’s Hall of Fame in January 2012. He was the ACTEM Achieve Award winner in 2018. Eric is a certified Google Champion (Innovator, Trainer, GEG New England Leader and Product Expert).

Introducing Students to Artificial Intelligence Tools, Wednesday, 9:20-10:20am

Join our ACTEM (Maine) SpotLight speaker, Eric Lawson as he demonstrates ideas for professional development for introducing students in the middle school levels to artificial intelligence tools. Emphasis is also placed on allowing students to question the pros and cons of these tools. Participants explore a variety of structured professional development models used with success and will have the ability to experiment with tools that were demonstrated to students in stations.

Gaby currently serves as a Computer Science Teacher at the Greater Commonwealth Virtual School. She is a digital, life-long learner who over the past 12 years has achieved the following:

• Massachusetts Supervisor/DirectorPrincipal/Assistant Principal licenses (PK-12)
• CoSN/METAA Technology Director Certification
• Apple/Microsoft/Google Level I and II Certified
• One of the first 100 ISTE Certified Educators in the VIP Cohort
• Moved Hampshire College online in March of 2020.

Gaby also leads at the regional level as the President of New England ISTE (NEISTE), spearheading a successful webinar series with over 60 archived presentations that includes a badging program, exit tickets, and certificates.

Her career has been filled with exciting and diverse teaching and consulting positions in school districts across Massachusetts. She creates innovative, Universally Designed, personalized, project/problem-based activities that give learners (students and adults) more ownership of their learning. She incorporates GenAI in planning and creation of course materials.

Th2-03-Ex GenAI for Special Ed & Assistive Tech ~ Thursday, 2:15-3:05pm

Join our New England ISTE SpotLight speaker, Gaby Richard-Harrington, to discover ways you can use generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to improve learning experiences for students with disabilities. Explore using prompts to modify materials and meet accommodations. Discover assistive technology tools: electronic note-taking, screen readers, captioning, image recognition, and speech-to-text. Learn how GenAI can be used ethically and effectively to summarize, recognize images, adjust reading levels, differentiate, and personalize learning.

Patricia Aigner serves as a Vermont Technology Director and is licensed as a teacher, principal, and superintendent; she was honored with the Vita-Learn Frank Watson Lifetime Achievement Tech Award in 2020, ISTE GM AI Scholarship, and ISTE Member of the Month. She is the recipient of the ISTE 20 to Watch Award in 2022. Her roles include being the past president of Vermont's ISTE affiliate and a longtime board member of VT ASCD. For over 20 years, she's presented at ISTE Vermont affiliate conferences and has presented at ISTE as recently as 2024. She teaches about technology through the Vermont State College System; she was part of the 2021-2022 AASA Howard University Urban Superintendent Cohort. Patricia is an ISTE Certified Educator who volunteers as an ISTE Community Leader, furthering her commitment to educational technology.

Empowering Educators: An AI Toolkit & Resource Guide for the Modern Classroom, Wednesday, 10:40-11:40am

Join Patricia Aigner, our SpotLight speaker from Vermont representing VITA-Learn to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the educational landscape. Educators gain access to a practical toolkit filled with AI-driven tools and resources that can enhance and streamline instruction to foster student engagement. As we navigate these new technologies, discuss the magnitude of change required—rethinking traditional teaching practices, integrating AI into everyday learning, and ensuring equity and access for all students. This session is designed to empower teachers to confidently adopt AI, transforming their classrooms for the future.