OTIS for educators is online video sessions of relevant and convenient professional development. It stands for Online Technology and Instructional Sessions, but it’s also the name of our new mascot.

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We Help Educators Succeed!

Bringing technology into the classroom is nothing short of an adventure, and we created OTIS so you could have access to the professional learning you need every step of the way. Our courses have a strong focus on educational technology and STEM, but you’ll also find lots of great sessions on topics like social-emotional learning, ENL/ELL, literacy, civics, leadership, and more.

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We provide you with access to a dedicated team of State Certified Educators with skills and expertise in every subject and content area – English, Math, Science, Social Studies, STEM, ENL and Special Education. Teq’s PD Specialists and Curriculum Specialists who facilitate both our Onsite PD and Online PD sessions are all SMART Certified Trainers, Google Certified Educators, and possess various certifications including, but not limited to: Microsoft Office 365; Adobe Acrobat; STEM, Robotics and Coding; and Apple.

Adam Fragale
Curriculum Specialist
AdamFragal@teq.com

CERTIFICATIONS:
Adolescent Education

Prior to joining Teq, Adam taught sixth grade Social Studies and ELA in Floral Park, New York. Adam has a Masters degree in Adolescent Education from LIU Post and a Bachelors Degree in Communications from SUNY Cortland. During his time in the classroom Adam was part of the Literacy Committee, designing curriculum for K-8 classes and crafting professional development courses for teachers looking to incorporate the latest STEAM technology into their classrooms.

Caylie Gaccione
Curriculum Specialist
CaylieGaccione@teq.com

CERTIFICATIONS:
Early Childhood Education B-2; Childhood Education 1-6; Special Education 1-6; Annotation in Severe and Multiple Disabilities

SPECIALTY AREAS:
elementary education/special education, dance/arts, ELA, STEAM

Caylie Lehrer is a Curriculum Specialist at Teq. She is an experienced educator with 5 years of experience in the Elementary classroom grades K-6. Prior to Teq, she was a Special Education teacher in the NYC DOE. Her background and certifications include a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Pace University. In 2016, Caylie received her Masters of Science in Special Education from St. Joseph's College. After receiving this degree, Caylie discovered her passion for technology by designing innovative and collaborative learning experiences for her students with multiple learning styles. Now, as a member of the curriculm team, she creates and facilitates interactive professional development courses geared toward teachers from Pre-K to 12. Caylie would describe herself as a lifelong learner and is excited to continue to learn about new technology initiatives and teach others through her passion for education.

Cheryl Crawford
Curriculum Specialist
CherylCrawford@teq.com

CERTIFICATIONS:
Elementary Education Birth-2; Childhood 1-6; Students with Disabilities Birth-2 and Childhood 1-6;

SPECIALTY AREAS:
Certified Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner and will soon complete her NYS certification in TESOL.

Cheryl Crawford is a Curriculum Specialist at Teq. Previous to joining Teq, Cheryl taught elementary education for 10 years at various Long Island school districts. For the past 5 years, she was a teacher for the Elmont School District. Cheryl graduated from Dowling College with a BS in Liberal Studies and an MS in Elementary Education. She holds NYS certifications in Elementary Education Birth-2 and Childhood 1-6, Students with Disabilities Birth-2 and Childhood 1-6. Cheryl is also a certified Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner and will soon complete her NYS certification in TESOL. Cheryl has conducted professional development for teachers on how to implement Wilson Fundations in the classroom, as well as, parent workshops. Designing curriculum that will engage, challenge, and develop student learning is a passion of Cheryl's. Her philosophy is that every child can learn with proper guidance, support, and innovation.

Diomedes Gonzalez
PD Specialist
diomedesgonzalez@teq.com

CERTIFICATIONS:
Elementary Education

SPECIALTY AREAS:
bilingual education, Spanish, science

Diomedes Gonzalez Jr. is a Professional Development Specialist at Teq. Prior to working at Teq, he taught Elementary science for five years, grades K through 4 at a Charter school in the Bronx and in Harlem. Diomedes earned his degree in Psychology and Education from St. Lawrence University and his Master’s in General and Special Education from Touro College.

Emma Foley
Senior Curriculum Specialist
EmmaFoley@teq.com

CERTIFICATIONS:
Childhood Education 1-6, Special Education 1-6

SPECIALTY AREAS:
elementary education, special education, curriculum development and teacher mentoring

Emma Foley is a Curriculum Specialist at Teq. She is an experienced educator with 8 years of experience in the elementary classroom grades K-6, with 6 of those years working for the NYC DOE. Her background includes a BA in Psychology/Special Education from Marist College. Emma later attended Manhattan College to pursue a degree in School Building Leadership. Emma discovered her interest in technology as she worked to provide equal learning opportunities for her students in the Special Education setting. Now, as a member of the curriculm team, Emma is passionately creating professional development for fellow teachers working with students similar to students she has helped in the past. You can always get her to engage in a conversation about anything education related, especially a conversation on the ever-growing role of educators in following the whole-child approach to education.

Greg DaSilva
PD Specialist
gregdasilva@teq.com

CERTIFICATIONS:
TEFL Certification

SPECIALTY AREAS:
bilingual education, Spanish, ENL/EFL

Greg DaSilva is a Professional Development Specialist at Teq. Prior to working at Teq, he taught English as a Foreign Language at the University of La Frontera in Chile for five years. In this role, he was instrumental in implementing a technology-centric curriculum for teaching English. While living abroad, he also learned to speak Spanish fluently. As a Professional Development Specialist, he trains teachers on the best practices for utilizing cutting-edge educational technology in the classroom. Greg holds a BA in Economics and International Business from Gordon College.

Lindsey Merrow
Curriculum Specialist
lindseymerrow@teq.com

Matthew Thaxter
Director of eLearning
MatthewThaxter@teq.com

CERTIFICATIONS:
Elementary N-6; Social Studies, Grades 7-12

SPECIALTY AREAS:
social studies, STEM/STEAM

Graduate of Dowling College with a BA of History and Education; from SUNY @ Stony Brook University with a MA in Liberal Studies/Technology in the Humanities; and Graduate work Dowling College in Special Education. Permanently certified in both Elementary Education: N-6, and Social Studies: 7-12. For approximately 12 years, Matthew has taught middle and high school Social Studies, elementary school, and Special Education. For the past twelve years, Matthew has been working as a Professional Development Specialist and PD Account Manager for Teq. He also serves as an education consultant/contributor for publications and contest administration for a multinational educational publication firm.

Michelle Hollander
Director of Content and Curriculum
MichelleHollander@teq.com

Prior to Teq, Michelle was the STEM & Logistics Director at the WaterFront Center in Oyster Bay, Long Island. Michelle has both her B.S. and M.S. in Marine Science, and her research on an invasive species was published in the journal, Aquatic Botany. Researching and communicating science has kept Michelle ready to utilize new technologies and make information accessible to a variety of audiences. She is always excited to learn something new and share her findings with others.

Nicole Mathew
Curriculum Specialist
NicoleMathew@teq.com

CERTIFICATIONS:
7-12 Biology

SPECIALTY AREAS:
environmental science, STEM/STEAM, secondary science

Prior to joining the Professional Development team at Teq, she taught Middle School general science for four years in the NYC DOE. While in the NYC DOE, she was actively involved with NYC Urban Advantage's professional development program both as a participant and as a Lead Teacher. Nicole originally got her start in Education by working as an Environmental Educator in the non-profit setting. She earned her BA in Environmental Studies from King's College in 2012 and graduated with her MsEd in Adolescent Education from St. John's University in 2017. Through her experience as a Middle School science teacher, Nicole developed a passion for using innovative technology in her classroom to support her student's STEM learning.

Patricia Umhafer
PD Specialist
PatriciaUmhafer@teq.com

CERTIFICATIONS:
CDA Early Childhood Education

SPECIALTY AREAS:
early education admin, child development, early education curriculum development and teacher coaching, early education classroom design, performing arts

Over five years of teacher coaching and curriculum development experience, and over 12 years of overall experience in the early education field. Tricia has experience as both a teacher and administrator, as well as experience in educational technology and e-learning. She has her BA in Theater Arts from Stony Brook University, and her child development associate (CDA). As an educator Tricia focused on building the whole child who understands compassion and kindness, as well as is academically proficient. Her areas of expertise include coaching teachers on best practice, and how to better enhance the classroom experience for the child.

Robert Abraham
PD Account Manager / PD Specialist
RobertAbraham@teq.com

CERTIFICATIONS:
Elementary K-5

SPECIALTY AREAS:
elementary school, Hebrew schools, special needs schools

Licensed elementary school teacher with over 15 years of experience focused in NY public and non-public schools. Robert’s career is a hybrid of Professional Developer and Project Manager for PD. Robert is passionate about education, especially in the special needs community. He holds a Bachelor in Education and Psychology degree from Hofstra University and has completed his Computer Certification with Cope Institute of Technology. In addition, he prepares and delivers effective interactive workshops that reflect new and creative ideas relating to current issues and trends to provide stimulating ideas for teachers to take back to their classrooms.

Savannah Moffett
SavannahMoffett
office@nolimitsacademy.com

Terry VanNoy
PD Specialist
TerryVannoy@teq.com

CERTIFICATIONS:
Secondary Education 7-12 English and Math

SPECIALTY AREAS:
WA state certificate; eligible to teach all (K-12), computer science, STEM

Terry VanNoy comes to Teq from Spokane, Washington state where he was born, raised, and started his teaching career. He taught for many years in middle schools and high schools in Math and English. Always an early adopter of classroom technology, he learned to incorporate computer stations and student-owned laptops in his Math classes, using integrated curriculum projects with a teaching team. In 2010 he developed a YouTube math videos channel (“Math Class with Terry V”) that he still uses and maintains today part time. After a year as a math content expert and consultant with Teaching Matters in NYC, he comes to Teq as a Professional Development Specialist. He considers the work he does at Teq to be a bridge between technology training and instructional coaching.

State Approved PD

OTIS for educators is a state-approved provider of PD content. Yes, you read that right! It means that completing courses on the OTIS platform equals hours towards your state-mandated professional learning. For a complete list of state-approved professional development visit: Teq.com/state-approved

OTIS for educators is aligned to important ISTE standards! Look for the ISTE Seal of Alignment on qualifying courses or search our course library to complete courses with that extra ISTE sparkle.

Here you will find a series of hand picked lessons from our expert PD Specialists. Browse our Lessons files by using the lesson categories options or educational standard. Get started today by signing up for a FREE Account on www.OTISpd.com

Spark creativity, and give students the opportunity to practice 21st century skills.

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