Ethel Walker SchoolJuly 29, 2013
Sarah Edson, Walker’s Dean of Academic Technology and Innovation, joins the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS) as one of its newest Board members.
Edson has a unique skill set built on educational innovation specifically as it relates to technology. Her passion revolves around the potential for progress when schools and educators connect and collaborate. “Teaching has traditionally been a relatively isolated profession, but it need not be with the myriad ways we now have to connect. I believe that by nurturing relationships among girls’ schools, sharing best practices and lessons learned, and supporting one another in fostering innovation, we will all advance in achieving our goal of preparing our students for college, career, and citizenship,” Edson remarks on her appointment.
Edson’s impressive accomplishments include leading the successful implementation of the Walker’s iPad initiative, teaching a section of the collaborative 9th grade seminar in which she partners with three other faculty members to infuse 21st century skills into the curriculum, and frequently presenting at education conferences. She has been the keynote speaker at independent schools on the subject of technology and innovation and she also sits on the Advisory Council for the Online School for Girls. Additionally, Edson brings EdCamp, an “unconference” for educators, to The Ethel Walker School each summer. Now in its third year, public and private school educators flock to attend, eager to learn from and collaborate with each other over the course of the day.
And yet Edson is quick to point out that, while it’s easy to jump on the technology bandwagon with all its bells and whistles, a balanced approach is critical for success. The focus needs to remain on effective learning for students, where knowledge is the foundation and from there, you build to increasingly higher-order thinking skills. Edson weaves this throughout the culture and curriculum at Walker’s, and is eager to expand it to the NCGS.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve on this Board, to tap into the experience and vision of its current members, and to contribute to our collective efforts to advocate for the best possible education of girls in the 21st century,” says Edson on her NCGS Board appointment.
