Drew Williams

Drew Williams is a tech coach and a photography and yearbook teacher at Lone Star Middle School in Nampa, Idaho.

Drew has served as an educator for over ten years, including six as a middle school teacher. Her teaching experiences range from online dual credit courses, to museum and community-based programs for toddlers through adults. When her district launched a 1:1 device program, Drew led a committee of teachers to research best practices for teaching with technology and created professional development that was designed for the needs of Lone Star Middle School staff. She uses asset-based instructional coaching to provide positive support for teachers, with a belief that technology can allow for equitable, creative, and rigorous learning experiences.

Drew on Powerful Learning:

What’s a strategy teachers can use to incorporate powerful learning?

“Organize project-specific conversations and shared files, links, and resources in specific channels for students using technology tools such as Padlet, Microsoft Teams, or similar platforms. This provides a place for students to engage in dialogue and collaborate, and allows the teacher to guide students through the process when work is visible to everyone.”

What book has influenced your thinking on powerful teaching and learning?

“The Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros and Onward by Elena Aguilar. As an instructional coach, I used the idea of “freedom to fail,” while learning from it, to give our staff permission to take risks and encourage innovative thinking. Using failure and resiliency as part of our learning process is something I try to instill in my students, as well. As for the book Onward, it has provided a powerful reminder to take care of myself and encourage our teachers to do the same. To enact meaningful change as educators, we need to develop our resiliency.”

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