Welcome back everyone! It has been an incredibly productive summer here at Teq. We launched our new studio only a few weeks ago, and we had a few additions and changes to our team.

To kick off the school year, we’re bringing in a few guest bloggers to share their view on a topic we love – The Flipped Classroom. Jennifer and Kristi (both teachers in NYC) took a flipped approach last year and they’re here to share some insights on their journey. They will be back later this week to give you an overview of their key items to consider before starting a flipped classroom. We are hoping they’ll even be able to make a guest appearance on our online PD session September 5th, Just Flip It!

Jennifer Hlentzas started her career as a New York City Teaching Fellow, committed to delivering quality education to high needs schools. Using diverse technology tools she has fostered student growth and collaboration in her science and peer leadership classrooms. In addition to supporting her students, Jennifer has actively sought opportunities to promote her own development, including Columbia University’s Summer Research Program for science teachers, where she currently serves as an advisory board member, and Hunter College’s PERC program, where she works to develop curriculum for peer learning. She works hard to support other teachers in a multitude of ways, teaching graduate education courses to new teachers and actively presenting at a variety of conferences including NSTA and NYC’s school technology summit.

Kristi Vilberg is a high school science teacher, empowering her students to take active ownership over their education by using technology as a tool. Over the past 10 years, she has been teaching and serving leadership positions in high needs NYC schools, as well as collaborating on a National Science Foundation project that increases peer learning. Kristi additionally has a keen interest in teacher growth and actively presents her ideas at national conferences, including NSTA and ISTE. She was also the recipient of a Fund for Teachers grant to participate in this year’s ISTE conference.

We look forward to hearing from Jennifer and Kristi this year!