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I am a Spanish and STEAM: What’s nExT in Emerging Technology Teacher at Riverview Junior Senior High School in Oakmont, PA. I am also an Attorney and earned my Juris Doctor Degree from Duquesne University School of Law and have a Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology. I have presented at conferences such as ASCD, BETT, FETC, ISTE, ICE, iNACOL, PETE&C, PSMLA, Southern Oregon EdTech Conference, Spring CUE ), Summer Spark and  local conferences, on emerging technology and more ways to benefit student learning.

 I am an ISTE Certified Educator.  I have served as the President of the ISTE Teacher Education Network and the past-president. I also served on the leadership team for the ISTE Mobile Learning Network for five years.

During the ISTE 2019 Conference, I received the Making IT Happen Award. I have also received several Presidential Gold Awards for volunteer service to education.

I was selected as the 2017 Outstanding Teacher of the Year by PAECT (the Pennsylvania Association for Educational Communications in Technology, the PA affiliate of ISTE) and by the NSBA as one of the “20 to watch” educators.

In 2016, I received the Presidential Bronze Award for Volunteer Service to Education, the Silver in 2017 and in 2018, I received the Gold Award, for having done over 500 hours of volunteer service in education as part of ISTE.

I am proud to be involved in several communities including being a Buncee Ambassador, Edmodo Certified Trainer, Nearpod  PioNear, Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, and Google Certified Educator Levels I and II.

I am the author of seven books including ‘In Other Words: Quotes that Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU” published by EduMatch, and  “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” published by EduGladiators, my book from ISTE “Chart A New Course.”  I also have written “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us,”  Your World Language Classroom: Strategies for In-Person and Digital Instruction, and my newest, “Things I Wish […] Knew.”  All books are available at bit.ly/pothbooks and in bulk orders for book studies and PD sessions. 

As a contributing author, I wrote a chapter in Education Write Now, Volume 3. I also contributed to the collaborative EduMatch book “Snapshot in Education for 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. My topics focused on the Future of Education, Blended Learning, Project Based Learning, and Power of PLN. I also contributed to “Gamify Literacy” from ISTE and “Stories in EDU” a collaborative book from Jason Bretzmann and Kenny Bosch.

I am a columnist for Getting Smart, Defined Learning, NEO LMS, and continue to look for opportunities to highlight student work and student voice. My personal blog site is www.Rdene915.com and please check out my THRIVEinEDU podcast.

I enjoy providing professional development and coaching sessions on a variety of education topics and edtech trends. Some of the main areas that I present are: Assessments, Student Tools for Creation, AppSmashing, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, the Future of Learning and Work, SEL, STEM, Metaverse and NFTs, and Going Global with Project Based Learning.