1. Application for Mie-Expert
Natasha Rachell
Application for Mie-Expert

2. Why do you consider yourself to be a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert?
I consider myself to be a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert because I have spent that last 4 years fully immersing myself in the world of everything Microsoft! I have used Microsoft for Education at a very surface level up until 4 years ago! I am amazed at how much I have learned in the past 4 years, and even more so, how much I have shared!
I have spent the last 2 years as a Science Digital Learning Specialist and in that role I have been charged with not only integrating technology into the science curriculum, but leading district wide professional development on all of our Instructional Technology initiatives. The 2 years before that I served as an Educational Technology Specialist in which I was feet on the ground, in schools (K-12) each and every day! I had anywhere between 5-7 schools that I would service each week. I spent time working with teachers and students, modeling lessons, co-teaching, planning, observing, etc.
Microsoft for education is HUGE in all of this work! Not only would I use Microsoft to teach basic computer skills while teaching content, but I would also show students how they could take their thoughts and research and create innovative projects to share what they had learned!

3. Describe how you have incorporated Microsoft technologies in innovative ways in your classroom. Include artifacts that demonstrate your innovation.
During the course of the last year, I have Microsoft has taken over my life! I have been able to incorporate all things Microsoft into my daily life as a Science Digital Learning Specialist! Of course, using the basic Office Suite (Word and PowerPoint) is a daily practice, however, this year I have taught myself how to effectively use Excel as well! I have always been scare of Excel but have delved in and it has become a part of professional toolbox!
I have also incorporated OneNote with my schools in different ways. I have taught the students in my schools to create their career portfolios in OneNote. They have been able to collaborate together on group projects and assignments and even share their portfolios with their teachers and parents! It's been amazing to see them all working together and really bouncing ideas off of each other to create some innovative work! In addition, I have taught my teachers to create grade and content level notebooks. They are able to share and collaborate online and create dynamic lesson plans and activities. I have even had a few teachers share their notebooks with teachers in other schools!

4. Continued…
In Atlanta Public Schools, we have a one stop shop portal that we've created called myBackpack. All teachers and students in our district have access to this portal. This portal contains the Microsoft Office suite so that all of our stakeholders have access to not only the suite, but to their cloud as well! This ensures that all of our students can work both at school and at home! In addition all of our users are able to download 5 FREE downloads of the Suite onto their home personal devices!!! That means they can work from ANY device that they could possibly have in their home!

5. If you become an MIE-Expert, how do you hope it will impact your current role?
I am a life long learner!!!! Becoming an MIE- Expert will allow me the opportunity to continue to grown and learn from the best!!!

6. Continued…
I am excited to share that in the fall of 2016, we will be starting our very FIRST cohort of Microsoft Innovative Educators in Atlanta Public Schools! We will begin a second cohort in the spring! Becoming an MIE-expert would have a HUGE and profound impact on my current role! My colleagues (Felisa Ford and Melissa Dandy Walker) have been immersing ourselves in the world of Microsoft in Education to prepare for the start of these cohorts.
Being able to learn from fellow MIE-experts from around the world would be an amazing opportunity! I would welcome the chance to learn from other MIE-experts and to share and bounce ideas with them in order to better improve my practice as a Microsoft Educator. In addition, becoming an Expert would allow me the chance to share my love of all things Microsoft not only with the MIE cohorts we are beginning, but with my district overall....and even better, with the WORLD!!!!

7. Continued…
Another impact that that becoming an MIE-expert would have on my current role is that I would be one of the few in my district that would be abreast of all of the changes and innovative products, updates, etc. that would release. Since I am in a leadership position within my district that has a direct impact on training teachers, I would be able to bring these changes, updates, products, etc directly to our teachers, which would then bring them to their students! Doing so, would continue to change the way that teaching and learning occurs in the classrooms across Atlanta Public Schools! The goal, at the end of the day is to ensure that we are preparing our students to become ready for college and their careers. Microsoft allows for this to happen seamlessly as we lead the way in innovative teaching and learning practices!
I look forward to becoming a part of such an elite, passionate, group of educators that really know and understand that when we change the lives of the teachers that we encounter on a daily basis, that we can then turn around and change the lives of the millions of students that we interact with over the course of our educational careers.

11. I’m excited to join the Mie-expert family!!!

12. nbrachell@atlanta.k12.ga.us 404-444-2081 @apsitnatasha
Natasha Rachell, ed.s.