Tech MVP
Staff and administration in Barbers Hill ISD schools may nominate a staff member that they feel merit recognition based on the integration and use of technology in the classroom. Nominations may be submitted monthly by completing the online TECH MVP Nomination Form. Winners will be announced in the weekly Eagle Bits and Bytes (excluding the months of August and December).
Nicole Bright
Math
Middle School North
March 2025
With 20 years of experience in education and now in her second year at Barbers Hill, Nicole Bright has always been passionate about integrating technology into the classroom. From the beginning of her teaching career, she has embraced innovation, eagerly exploring new tools and creative strategies to enhance student learning.
The shift to remote learning during COVID-19 further fueled her commitment to digital education. She developed interactive board games and pixel art activities to keep students engaged while also preparing them for the increasingly tech-driven world of standardized testing. This experience led her to pursue the Applied Digital Learning Master’s program, where she gained a deeper understanding of how technology can transform education. Today, she remains dedicated to equipping students with the digital skills they need to succeed in the future.
What do you love most about technology in the classroom? What do you love most about teaching?
What I truly love about technology in the classroom is its power to create dynamic, interactive learning experiences. It's also an incredible tool for personalized instruction, allowing me to meet students' diverse needs, even on a daily basis. For instance, if a student is having an off day, they can later revisit digital materials at their own pace. And what I love most about teaching? It's the constant renewal, the fresh start each year brings, and the deep connections I build with my students. Seeing that 'aha' moment, that spark of understanding, is what fuels me. Particularly in math, witnessing students overcome challenges and discover their potential is profoundly rewarding. Teaching isn't just a job for me; it's a calling, a lifelong passion
What is your favorite tech tool and/or device?
My favorite tech tool is less about a specific device and more about the creative process it enables. I love crafting my own lessons, meticulously designing learning experiences that resonate with my students. Google Slides is my go-to platform because of its versatility. I often start with a template from SlidesMania and then tailor it to perfectly match my students' needs. Coupled with my Smartboard and iPad, this setup allows me to be truly dynamic in the classroom, moving freely and staying engaged with my students in the 'power zone".
How has technology impacted you and your students?
Beyond streamlining tasks, technology has fundamentally transformed my teaching by empowering me to design richer, more engaging learning experiences. I can craft interactive lessons and activities that resonate with my students, who, as digital natives, are naturally drawn to technology. By integrating it thoughtfully, I'm not just making learning fun; I'm equipping them with essential skills for their future, ensuring they can thrive in a technology-driven world.
"Nicole has used technology to create lessons that have help our students learn 2D and 3D shapes and financial literacy. She has also created spread sheets to help track data and keep our lesson plans neat and in order. " - Jennifer Sandlin
"Nicole is a wizard at technology. She is great at suggesting new ways to incorporate technology for planning methods, notes for students, activities for students, and analyzing data. Nicole has a great personality and it shines through in her approaches." - Jenell Fisher
"With her fun, energetic personality, Nicole makes learning exciting by seamlessly integrating technology to engage students, streamline instruction, and drive data-informed decisions. Nicole consistently integrates technology to make math come alive for her students. Whether using interactive tools to visualize complex equations, or leveraging real-time data to personalize instruction, she ensures every student stays engaged and challenged. Beyond her students, Nicole has been a valuable resource to her peers. She shares best practices, introduces innovative tech tools, and supports fellow educators in implementing technology to improve efficiency and instruction. Her ability to streamline data collection and analysis helps drive informed decision-making, making a measurable impact on student success. Nicole’s dedication makes her a well-deserving recipient of this month’s Technology MVP award. Congratulations, Nicole!" - Jennifer Stephens
Christy Clement
Science
Middle School South
March 2025
Christy Clement brings 11 years of teaching experience, including the past two years at Barbers Hill. She holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Family and Child Development from Texas State University as well as a master's degree in Educational Leadership.
Outside the classroom, Christy enjoys traveling, reading, cooking, working out and most of all, spending quality time with her family—especially her niece, kindergartener at ECC, and her nephew, a first grader at ESN. She also has a passion for coaching, where she finds joy in mentoring students in a different setting, helping them build teamwork and leadership skills.
At home, Christy stays on her toes thanks to her adorable pup, Nola, who always keeps life exciting!
What do you love most about technology in the classroom? What do you love most about teaching?
What I love most about teaching is the ability to inspire and guide students through their learning journey, helping them grow both academically and personally. Technology in the classroom enhances this experience by making learning more interactive and accessible, allowing students to engage with content in dynamic ways. It also provides students with different learning styles the opportunity to see concepts from multiple perspectives, fostering deeper understanding and engagement. The combination of teaching and technology creates a more inclusive environment, where students can thrive and develop a lifelong love of learning.
What is your favorite tech tool and/or device?
My favorite tech tools are TeacherMade, all the Google platforms, and Edpuzzle. TeacherMade has been a game-changer for creating interactive worksheets and assessments, allowing me to easily customize content for my students. The Google platforms, such as Google Classroom, Docs, and Drive, provide an efficient way to collaborate, share resources, and keep everything organized in one place. Edpuzzle is fantastic for creating engaging video lessons where I can embed questions and monitor students' progress in real-time. These are just a few of the tech tools I use daily, and we have so many more available to help enhance learning and engagement in the classroom. Together, these tools make learning more interactive, personalized, and accessible, and they help me engage students in ways that were not possible before.
How has technology impacted you and your students?
Technology has had a profound impact on both me and my students. For me, it has opened up new ways to teach, collaborate, and stay connected with my students. It allows me to create more personalized learning experiences and use a wide variety of resources that make lessons more engaging and relevant. Technology also enables me to provide immediate feedback to my students, helping them stay on track and improve more quickly. For my students, it has provided them with tools to explore concepts in new ways, collaborate with peers, and access information beyond traditional textbooks. It has helped level the playing field for students with different learning needs, giving them more opportunities to succeed and be actively involved in their learning process.
"Christy implements Teachermades daily and all of the special item type question tools. She is our go-to when we are needing to know how to navigate the new skyward, finding new tools and techniques to help students focus on classwize, and really anything tech-related! She also uses edpuzzle, canva, youtube, google classroom, and so much more! Highly recommend Christy as our Tech person for the month!!" - Lori Turbeville
"Christy does an AMAZING job at creating digital content for her team. She is digitally gifted! We are lucky to have someone as talented and hard-working as her on our team!" - Nici Mendez
"Christy is the Tech person for our 8th grade science PLC and has created a drive that the 3 of us (Lori Turbeville, Christy Clement, Andrea Gorney) contribute to daily with links for lessons, She has set it up with weekly google docs so that we can simply go into each week and each day and paste our links of warm ups and lessons and other good content for our lessons, It has been SUPER helpful and has kept us literally all on the same page, as we are able to refer to it and access the same information at all times - it is simply awesome!! In addition, Christy helps with anything we need, as a team, digitally, This streamlining of resources has been so helpful, as we can work on it anytime and contribute what we need as we find content." - Andrea Gorney
"Christy Clement’s dedication to digital innovation has made a lasting impact on both students and colleagues. She seamlessly integrates tools like TeacherMade, Edpuzzle, Canva, and Google Classroom into daily instruction, enhancing engagement and efficiency. Beyond her classroom, her peers have designated her as the go-to tech person helping them navigate Skyward and Classwize. Her creativity, leadership, and tech expertise make her an invaluable asset to Barbers Hill. Congratulations, Christy!" - Jennifer Stephens
