Meet New Assistant Principal Jennifer Beard

Take a moment and picture walking into a classroom where the teacher is not lecturing glassy-eyed students, who are staring blankly at the board.

Instead, they’re working independently or collaborating in small groups as the teacher allows them to freely work on a personal device.

This is the vision new Assistant Principal Jennifer Beard has for the ideal classroom here at the school. Beard was hired for the position to replace Amy Price, who retired in November.

With students’ tablets arriving next month and a shift toward more personalized learning well on the way, Beard has been hard at work on a committee dedicated to coaching teachers on how to approach the change.

Beard is a Microsoft Innovative Educator. This title comes from a two-day training intended to provide teachers with the tools and the guidance needed to use different types of personalized devices in the classroom.

Beard was able to experiment with personalized learning when she taught science and social studies at River Trail Middle School in Johns Creek. One of the ways she incorporated personalized learning into the classroom was through “Twenty Percent” projects.

The “Twenty Percent” projects allowed Beard’s students to research a particular topic of interest and present their findings to the class.

“The kids loved it,” said Beard. “They loved independently pursuing things they were passionate about.”

Beard also worked on a technology leadership board, where she taught teachers at different schools how to properly integrate technology, and personalized learning into every student’s life.

Beard has made an effort to get to know the students, parents and faculty here at the school. She often stops to chat with students during 5th period lunch when they ask her for a pass to leave the cafeteria. She said she asks them about weekend plans and how their weeks are going.

Beard said she is a huge supporter of personalized learning and is excited about the new devices and their potential to enrich students and teachers at the school.

The personalized devices being issued to students at the school are equipped with many features that can help with studying, reading, completing worksheets and many other aspects of work.

One of Beard’s favorite programs installed on the devices is called “Snap and Read.” When in use, a toolbar appears at the side of the screen as students are on websites and it can be used to read texts out loud, translate texts and create citations.

“There are many features on the devices that are really going to help students. I’m very excited,” said Beard.

Beard said by teaching students how to use technology to their advantage now, they will be better prepared in the future, adding that the use of technology is only increasing as the years go by.

“In every job I’ve ever had in my whole life, I’ve had to use technology in some way,” said Beard. “The better you are with technology today, the more marketable you will be in the future,” she said.