SMART continues to support program with product donation
Washington, DC – May 27, 2009 – SMART Technologies announces that Anthony Mullen has been named National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers and was recognized by President Barack Obama during a recent ceremony at the White House. Mullen has spent his entire career in the public sector, first as a New York City police officer and then as a teacher and mentor to teenagers with emotional, social and academic issues. Mullen won the award based on his innovative approach to teaching, community focus and collaborative work with other teachers. As part of his mandate, Mullen will spend the next year traveling around the country and internationally, sharing his teaching successes at various events. SMART has been a strong supporter and sponsor of all of the State Teacher of the Year award programs for the past eight years. The National Teacher of the Year award is the highest honor an educator in the United States can receive.
For being named the 2009 Connecticut State Teacher of the Year, Mullen received a technology package from SMART, including a SMART Board™ 680i interactive whiteboard system, a SMART Response interactive response system, an AirLiner™ wireless slate, a license for Bridgit™ conferencing software, a computer-lab license for SMART Sync classroom management software and an unlimited school site license for SMART Ideas™ concept-mapping software. Mullen has been teaching ninth- through twelfth-grade special education for the past seven years at Arch School for at-risk and special-needs teenagers in Greenwich, Connecticut. His philosophy is to incorporate passion, professionalism and perseverance in his role as an educator and mentor. He cites the SMART Board interactive whiteboard as a “tremendous tool” in his daily lesson delivery and advocates that all teachers come out of teaching school proficient using the technology.
“The SMART Board interactive whiteboard has revolutionized my classroom by creating an environment that’s engaging and interactive for all my students, regardless of their emotional or behavioral issues,” Mullen says. “Students whom I used to have to pry out of their seats now all want to get up and use it and show me how to use it.”
“At SMART, we support the State and National Teacher of the Year awards because we highly value the contributions excellent teachers make to society as a whole,” says Nancy Knowlton, SMART’s CEO. “Anthony Mullen’s dedication to helping students develop to their full potential is a model for educators throughout the country.”
