Alexis Underwood – Cobb County School District

Role Classroom Teacher
School District Cobb County School District
Link 
From the nomination…
Mrs. Alexis Underwood consistently seeks new opportunities to grow and learn in her profession. As an ELA teacher, she sets the bar high incorporating many different levels of technology integration with her scholars. As a subject area leader for her school, she provides professional development for her team during their meetings helping add to their collective teacher efficacy. In her leadership of the building, she advocates for and shares new technology initiatives to keep instruction engaging and relevant to all in her school. Mrs. Underwood is the first person to try out and embrace new technology to prepare her scholars, her school and her profession for what is next on the horizon in education. Additionally, she shares resources across schools and throughout the district through professional development opportunities and creating a professional learning network.

Mrs. Alexis Underwood has offered staff training on the use of and vision for using Artificial Intelligence in the classroom, including Chat GPT and Canva’s text to image features. She attended a John Hattie workshop and presented her learning with the school using an engaging, interactive professional development session. Mrs. Underwood advocated for, presented and received a $5,000 grant to fund Mobile MakerSpaces to assist with STEAM initiatives in her building and provide spaces for scholars to create. This grant also includes a traveling 3D printer, which will allow all grade levels to have the opportunity to use creative technology. Her scholars are well versed in the use of the Office365 suite to enhance their learning as it is used daily in her class. She is a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert for the 2022-2023 school year. Additionally, she has presented to the county and her school on innovative tech like Canva and Wakelet. She holds many certificates from EdTech companies including Quizizz, Wakelet, Flip and Adobe Express. Mrs. Underwood is a giver, and she is willing to help and collaborate to advance her scholars’ learning and to advocate for sustainability in the classroom using tech to reduce the already full plates of teachers, coaches and schools.