CUE Names LPS' Sophia Thomas BOLD Educator of the Year

We were thrilled to attend CUE’s 1st ever BOLD (Blended and Online Lesson Design) Conference this past weekend and celebrate as Leadership Public School’s Sophia Thomas received the Blended and Online Educator of the Year Award.

The Blended and Online Educator of the Year Award recognizes a teacher who has made a noteworthy contribution to learning in an online or blended setting. CUE uses a rigorous rubric to decide on the winner, and supporting and engaging all students is the key element of this award. CUE also considers the nominee’s contributions to educational technology in a classroom setting and how the nominees use technology to support standards-based curriculum on an ongoing basis.

In announcing the award, CUE mentioned Sophia’s:

• Commitment to using blended and online learning to personalize instruction for all students
• Risk taking as a pioneer and early adopter of blended learning
• Incorporating technology into her pre-algebra class to allow for differentiation, individualization of pace, and voice and choice in learning
• Career as a teacher at Leadership Public Schools (LPS) for nearly ten years, helping pioneer their cutting-edge, blended learning work

It was exciting to engage with district leaders, school leaders, and educators on blended learning lesson design. Attendees seemed to love the two "model classrooms" that CUE set up instead of an exhibit hall. The classrooms showcased new furniture and flexible seating options for blended learning, as well as next generation white-board technology. Teachers also got to experience the latest Google, Apple, and Microsoft apps.

It is wonderful to see educators like Sophia who are doing this hard work on the ground, and taking the time to SHARE it with others, being recognized at events like CUE's BOLD Symposium. We anticipate seeing more regional convenings of this type with educators sharing, learning, and iterating on blended and personalized learning. If you would like to learn more about Sophia’s work at Leadership Public Schools, please visit our Blended & Personalized Learning Practices at Work platform where her work and strategies are displayed.