Maria Martinez started her education career in 2002 teaching high school English students. She continued to teach high school for twelve years in the public school setting, and never had a year that had the same schedule.  She has taught regular academic classes, co-teach classes, special reading classes, pre-AP classes, and AP classes in schools that would be considered highly diverse.  In addition to teaching full-time during the day, in 2011 she also began teaching evening developmental writing classes at Lone Star College- North Harris.  Then, in 2013 her passion for helping students navigate the college process in order to enhance their futures led her to working with Lone Star College- North Harris full-time as a College Coordinator.  She travels to high schools within Spring ISD and Aldine ISD giving college readiness presentations, assisting with college testing, advising students on the college process, and helping to facilitate the process for students interested in dual credit.  Maria is kept busy as she travels within schools in the two districts while also balancing her time with her husband, daughter, three cats, and a dog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary Nolan began her career in early childhood education in 1983.  She has taught third grade, preschool, homeschooled her own children and has taught first grade for the past five years at a private school in The Woodlands, Texas.  Her original intention was to teach children older than eight years old, but late in life (age 40), she found her passion for teaching the youngest of students.  Technology and digital tools have changed greatly during her career as an educator and it is her goal to help teachers use tools that improve their teaching and the learning of their students.  Her desire is to see teachers and students using technology to enhance their creativity, their critical thinking skills and their participation in the global community.  In her opinion, teachers and students need these skills to effectively communicate and collaborate with their peers.  In response to this need, Nolan is pursuing a master’s degree in Instructional Technology from Sam Houston State University.  The use of digital tools should no longer be a simple tutorial approach, according to Nolan.  She advocates for the use of technology throughout the curriculum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donna Coussons began her career in education in 2009 when she began working as a Consultant for a Pre-K - 12 educational publisher out of Huntington Beach, CA.  She has worked hand in hand with Pasadena ISD, Aldine ISD, Clear Creek ISD, Bryan ISD, and many other districts in the Houston and surrounding areas in order to address district needs and initiatives in order to bring about greater student achievement. While Donna has not had formal time in the classroom, she homeschooled her youngest son from the fourth grade to the eighth grade.  Her youngest son has been attending public school the last two years and is ranked sixth out of 506 students in his class.  Donna is employed by a technology consulting and design firm in Houston, Texas.  Donna and her colleagues work with Colleges and University systems across Texas in order to design and implement comprehensive and sustainable technology designs that will improve instruction, research, and creativity.  Donna earned her Bachelors of Business Administration - Marketing from Texas A&M University.  Having a business background has helped her see issues within education in a different light.  Donna is able to lend a different perspective to education and offer insight not only from a pre-K - 12 perspective, but from higher education as well.