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Ben Smith has been a physics teacher at Red Lion Area High School, located in south central Pennsylvania, for the past 20 years. He is certified in Physics and Math. In addition to teaching Honors Physics, AP Physics, and Engineering, Ben serves as the K-12 Science Coordinator and Science Department Chair. He is also the Technology Resource Teacher supervising technology related professional development in the district. Ben has also taught online math courses for Red Lion Area School District. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Lebanon Valley College (PA) and a Master’s degree in Teaching and Curriculum from Penn State University. Ben is currently working on his doctoral degree in Instructional Technology from Towson University (MD).
Ben was identified as a Keystone Educator in Pennsylvania for outstanding integration of technology into his teaching. Ben attended the invitational statewide Keystone Summit in 2005 and returned as an instructor to the Summit in 2007. He has also been identified as a Star Educator by Discovery. Ben has earned a number of competitive grants including the Olin Flinchbaugh Charitable Trust and Best Buy Te@ch Award. Ben has done consultant work as a content specialist for ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education).
Ben has started a education technology consulting business with Jared Mader called EdTechInnovators (www.edtechinnovators.com ). Together, Ben and Jared have presented on topics of technology integration, science education, and 21st century education across the United States. In 2008-09, some of Ben’s presentations include NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) National Conference, Penn State University Literacy Conference and NECC (National Education Computing Conference). Ben and Jared serve as the Science Curriculum Specialists for Learning and Leading, ISTE’s flagship publication.
Ben is currently serving on the ISTE Board of Directors as the PK-12 Representative.
Jared Mader is the Director of Technology for the Red Lion Area School District. He has served in this position for one year, after teaching Chemistry for nine years. He has led initiatives that implemented a professional development model for teachers involved in a laptop initiative that brought 400 laptops to the Senior High School. Additionally, he is responsible for overseeing all of the professional development related to technology and technology integration in the district. He has co-authored the AP Chemistry curriculum for BlendedSchools.net, creating both a traditional and a virtual learning environment for his students through the use of Blackboard. His interests in technology integration in the classroom have earned him acceptance into the Discovery Educator Network and as a Pennsylvania Department of Education State Keystone Technology Integrator. Jared also serves as a Science Curriculum Specialist and Independent Consultant for the International Society for Technology in Education. He has been a conference and workshop presenter at many state, regional, and national conferences in the area of science and technology and has served as a keynote speaker at several of them. He also serves as an Educational Technology Consultant with his colleague, Ben Smith. The EdTechInnovators (www.edtechinnovators.com) began providing professional development to districts including Pennsylvania, New York, and Arkansas in 2006.
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