EdTech Names 2024-25 Elementary Star Educators

The EdTech Department of Moore Public Schools has named its 2024-25 Star Educators. Each year, those selected are elementary teachers who set personalized technology integration goals for their classrooms, engage in coaching sessions, participate in collaborative discussions and consistently work to deliver high-quality learning experiences for their students.

Diana Eubanks - This is Diana’s second year participating in the EdTech Star Educator program. She has been teaching for 14 years and is passionate about hands-on learning experiences and meaningful technology integration. This school year, Diana focused on expanding her knowledge to develop a user-friendly Canvas course, integrate Seesaw into her lessons, and design learning opportunities that blend traditional and digital approaches. Her classroom reflects a

thoughtful balance of student writing, drawing, and observation of the natural world, alongside digital research and creative projects. Diana successfully achieved her goals while also mentoring her colleagues in the effective use of technology and supporting the EdTech team in testing district tools.

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Courtney Gardner - Courtney has been teaching for 18 years and teaches 3rd grade at Wayland Bonds Elementary. She is an advanced Canvas user who skillfully integrates district-provided resources and creates engaging learning opportunities for her students. As the 3rd-grade team leader, her EdTech goal was to mentor her team and guide them in using Canvas for effective lesson planning and instruction. To support this goal, Courtney developed a Canvas template to share with her team. The team collaborates within a single, shared Canvas course. Each member contributes unique content to the course, such as “At a Glance” overviews, newsletters, instructional materials and assignment links, as well as parent and social media communications. Thanks to Courtney’s leadership, her team has not only become proficient in using Canvas but also established a sustainable framework they can continue to build upon next year and beyond.

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Dr. Phylis Hadley - Dr. Hadley has been an educator for 35 years and currently serves as the 6th-grade Reading and ELA teacher at Plaza Towers Elementary. A passionate educator, she is committed to designing student-centered learning experiences that foster critical thinking and meaningful communication. Dr. Hadley set a professional goal to deepen her blended learning approach by incorporating digital discussions into instruction. Leveraging Canvas, she created curriculum-aligned discussion boards connected to the novels being read in class. These virtual conversations encouraged students to engage with one another’s 

perspectives outside of the traditional classroom setting. The digital platform also provided an inclusive space for students who might be more hesitant to speak in front of their peers. Dr. Hadley’s thoughtful use of technology demonstrates her dedication to meeting the diverse needs of her students while enhancing literacy instruction through innovative practices.

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Shawna Hughes - Shawna has been teaching for 25 years. After spending two years in another district, she returned home to Moore Public Schools and now teaches 6th-grade Science and Social Studies at Broadmoore Elementary. This school year, Shawna set a goal to deliver meaningful content through Canvas and explore innovative ways to integrate technology into her classroom. Passionate about hands-on learning and student creativity, she partnered with the EdTech team to design a project that blended traditional art with digital tools. Students began by researching and creating brochures using traditional methods, then photographed their artwork and incorporated it into digital presentations using Canva. Shawna’s commitment to student engagement, creativity, and thoughtful technology integration is a powerful example of 21st-century teaching.

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Sharon Moore - Sharon has been an educator for 33 years and currently serves as the media specialist at Oakridge Elementary School. This school year, one of her primary goals was to develop a resource to help 5th-grade students effectively navigate and use Chromebooks. Not only did she create a practical and engaging tool, but she also shared it with media specialists across the district, extending its impact beyond her own school. Sharon is known for her enthusiasm for learning, her willingness to explore new ideas, and her talent for creating high-quality resources that benefit both students and colleagues. A true team player and collaborator, Sharon exemplifies the spirit of shared growth and innovation. Looking ahead, she plans to lead the Oakridge Student Tech Team next school year, continuing her commitment to empowering students through technology.

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Karen Owens - Karen has been teaching for 19 years and currently teaches 4th-grade Science and Social Studies at Plaza Towers Elementary. Known for creating interactive, hands-on learning experiences, Karen set a goal this year to enhance her instruction through purposeful technology integration. She focused on improving the design and usability of her Canvas course and created opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning using digital tools. One highlight was a project where students researched an assigned U.S. state and showcased their findings in a Canva presentation—blending digital research skills with creativity and content mastery. Karen’s efforts reflect her dedication to evolving as an educator and providing her students with dynamic, 21st-century learning experiences.

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Kim Ricketson - This is Kim’s second year participating in the EdTech Star Educator program. A dedicated kindergarten teacher for 14 years, Kim is committed to creating a developmentally appropriate and engaging learning environment for her students. Her goal this school year was to deepen her use of Seesaw by integrating it more intentionally into her daily instruction. Not only has she successfully embedded Seesaw into her lessons, but she has also created original Seesaw

activities, which will soon be featured in the district’s Seesaw library. Demonstrating her leadership, Kim also facilitated an after-school Seesaw professional development session for fellow educators in the district. In addition to her instructional contributions, Kim has played a key role in troubleshooting district technology tools and will support the Southlake Student Tech Team in the upcoming school year.

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Julie Robinson - Julie Robinson has been teaching for 26 years. This year, she transitioned from Kindergarten to 5th grade Math and embraced the challenge of effectively using Canvas and the digital components of Big Ideas Math to design meaningful, engaging lessons for her students. It has been inspiring to see her bring the hands-on, collaborative philosophies of early childhood education into her 5th-grade classroom. Julie uses her Canvas lessons to structure

instruction, support daily discussions, and manage student assignments. Her digital activities include video tutorials, picture prompts, and choice boards—all designed to actively engage students in their learning. Julie plans to lead the Wayland Bonds Tech Team next school year.

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Jennifer Sanders - Jennifer has taught for 12 years and currently serves as the 4th–6th grade resource teacher at South Lake Elementary. Her classroom is a welcoming and supportive space for all learners. Jennifer is enthusiastic about exploring digital tools that meet the individual needs of her students while creating engaging, technology-rich learning experiences. As the Department Head at her school, she also leverages Canva to design and deliver

professional development sessions for support staff and colleagues during department meetings. This year, her students researched a country of their choice, created Canva presentations to share key facts, and brought food from that country to share with the class. This project was a strong example of blended learning, allowing students to integrate digital tools with hands-on, collaborative experiences.