Kanawha County Schools announced today that Pinch Elementary kindergarten teacher Makia Mogielski was recognized as a 2019 Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE). Mogielski was the only educator in West Virginia to receive the recognition this year and is one of only two West Virginia educators currently holding this recognition.
In 1994, Apple created the ADE Program “to recognize K-12 and higher education pioneers who are using Apple technology to transform teaching and learning in powerful ways.” In order to receive this award, Mogielski had to be certified as an Apple Teacher in iPad, MacBook, and Swift Playground software; serve as a pioneer for incorporating technology on a local, state, and national level; and create a video including evidence of how she uses technology in the classroom to enhance learning for students. She also had to include evidence of professional learning opportunities that she participates in to continue to stay up to date on new technologies, best practice strategies, and how she continues to share knowledge of technology with others in order to assist educators on a local, state, and national level.
“Becoming an Apple Distinguished Educator was a goal that I not only set for myself, but I aspired to achieve in order to be a role model for my students,” said Mogielski. “I wanted my students to see, first hand, that working hard and being determined to reach their goals does pay off in the end. As a product of Kanawha County Schools, I have proven to my students that our rural community does not determine the outcome of our lives. Our lives are determined by the goals we set for the future, the effort we put forth to achieve those goals, and our commitment to leave a positive impact on the world.”
Mogielski attended Pinch Elementary as a child. She graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education, with a Pre-Kindergarten Endorsement, and a Master of Education degree in Reading Specialization. She has been teaching kindergarten at Pinch Elementary for 5 years. Mogielski is an Apple Teacher, a Kanawha County Schools Vanguard Member, a member of the Kanawha County Schools Leadership Academy Class of 2018-2020, and a Seesaw Ambassador.
More information on the Apple Distinguished Educator Program is available at: https://www.apple.com/education/apple-distinguished-educator/.
