Celebrating Innovation: ISTE+ASCD’s “20 to Watch” Honorees

I am incredibly humbled and grateful to announce that I have been selected as one of ISTE+ASCD’s 2025 “20 to Watch” honorees. This recognition, which celebrates up-and-coming individuals making a difference through their work in education, is a testament to their collective mission of transforming education through innovative technology integration.

About the Award

On June 2, 2025, ISTE+ASCD announced their annual awards, including the prestigious 20 to Watch recognition. These awards will be presented at the first-ever co-located ISTELive and ASCD Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas, from June 29 through July 2.

As noted by Richard Culatta, CEO of ISTE+ASCD, this year’s awardees “represent a global movement to accelerate meaningful learning.” Being included among such innovative educators and leaders is truly an honor.

A Personal Note of Gratitude

This recognition would not have been possible without the incredible support of my students and colleagues that I work with every day at school. As a Digital Learning Teacher, I’ve had the privilege of working with amazing young minds and dedicated educators who inspire me every day.

The TeacherCast Educational Network community made up of many podcast guests, edufriends, and my extended PLC has been instrumental in this journey. Your engagement, feedback, and participation in our educational conversations have helped create a vibrant space for learning and innovation.

Special thanks to my family, particularly my EduTriplets, who continue to inspire me to constantly raise the bar a bit higher each day. Your support makes all of this possible.

Congratulations to my fellow Award Winners

• McKenna Akane, STEM Curricular Head, Alberton School District (Alberton, MT)
• Hanan Attiyah, Elementary STEM Educator (Flemington, NJ)
• Mohd Al Khalifa Bin Mohd Affnan, Teacher, Keningau Vocational College (Sabah, Malaysia)
• Lisa Blank, Director of STEM Programs, Watertown City School District (Watertown, NY)
• Jeffrey Bradbury, Middle School Teacher & Instructional Coach, New Milford Public Schools/TeacherCast (New Milford, CT)
• Jeffery Chernosky, Ed.D. Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University – Kingsville (Kingsville, TX)
• Rebecca Colangelo, STEAM Teacher, South Fayette Township School District (McDonald, PA)
• Constance DeMore Savine, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Trinity Area School District (Washington, PA)
• Sean Gaillard, Principal, Charles England Elementary School, Lexington City Schools (Lexington, NC)
• David Garringer, Principal, Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA)
• Maegan Gayle, STEM Lab Teacher, Eichold-Mertz Magnet School of Math, Science, and Technology (Mobile, AL)
• Evo Hannan, Founder, Design Educator, Innovation X (Wirral, UK)
• Jeff Kilner, Instructional Technology Specialist, Indian River School District (Selbyville, DE)
• Dr. Kyung Kim, Associate Professor, Korea Institute of Energy Technology (Naju, South Korea)
• Dr. Taniya Mishra, Founder and CEO, SureStart (New York, NY)
• Zahra Razi, CS, CTE, and Math Educator, Fontana Unified School District (Fontana, CA)
• Lauren Richardson, Experienceships Coordinator, Indian Hill EVSD ****(Cincinnati, OH)
• Kirsten Salonga, Environmental Science Teacher & Dept. Chair, Justice High School (Falls Church, VA)
• Samantha Shane, Educator, Morris County Vocational School District (Denville, NJ)
• Alana Winnick, EdTech Director and Data Protection Officer, Pocantico Hills Central SD (Sleepy Hollow, NY)

About ISTE+ASCD

In 2023, ISTE and ASCD merged to create a unified organization dedicated to ensuring every student has an amazing learning experience every day. Today, ISTE+ASCD is the largest innovation-focused education non-profit worldwide, serving over a million educators in every US state and over 100 countries around the world. ISTE+ASCD offers inspiring events, professional certifications, dynamic member communities, and innovative thought leadership to help educators create transformational learning experiences.

Looking Forward

This recognition means so much to me, and it only fuels my passion for supporting Digital Learning Leaders, Instructional Coaches, and Classroom Teachers looking to innovate in their schools and classrooms in ways that work for everyone. Being both ISTE Certified and an ISTE Community Leader, I’m pumped to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in education!

If you would like to learn more about my work, please check out my new book, IMPACT STANDARDS: Designing District Systems that Power K-12 Learning

Hey, if you’re heading to San Antonio for the ISTE+ASCD Conference, come say hi! I’ll be there with some incredible educators who are doing amazing things with education technology. Let’s connect!

Thanks for being on this wild ride with me. 🚀