BOUNTIFUL — Jean Skrobiszewski Dolling, a St. Olaf parishioner and Davis County School District educator, has been named a Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert, just one of 30 in the state. Through this program Microsoft recognizes what it calls “global educator visionaries.”
“MIE Experts share their learning with colleagues and other educators through local training programs in their own school systems, presentations at conferences, blogs, social channels, and more. Resourceful and entrepreneurial, they relish the role of change agent, and work to achieve excellence in education using Microsoft technologies coupled with their innovative teaching practices,” according to the Microsoft website.
Dolling became a school technology specialist in 2013. Prior to that, she taught in public elementary schools for 22 years, teaching second through fifth grade.
“I was ready for a change; I love technology and I could see that our educational system was making a change where we were implementing more technology and could see the excitement with the students,” Dolling said of her move to the technology position. “I have kind of a knack for figuring things out and I wanted to be a help to teachers.”
Dolling said she was proud to receive the designation.
“In the Microsoft world and in education it’s a pretty cool designation, a pretty cool title, to have,” she said.
Being an MIE expert means “I’ve taken the initiative to take what I’ve learned and share it not only in my own education community but I’m sharing it, outreaching to the global community, through different social media and things like that,” she said.
Dolling works with teachers and students at two schools: Kay’s Creek Elementary and the newly opened Shoreline Junior High.
“Jean is unbelievable,” Kays Creek Principal Susan Andrews said. “She is a lifelong learner; she can figure anything out; she doesn’t give up; she keeps on working to solve any problem. She works tirelessly to do it – she wants to help everyone. She wants no glory; she is just in it for student learning.
Andrews said Dolling has been a large part in the school being named one of two Microsoft Showcase Schools in the state (Canyon Creek Elementary is the other). These schools use technology in a large degree to enhance learning in the classroom and efficiency in the school.
“Knowledge is power,” Andrews said. “Jean has a large role in helping us become educated with Microsoft classes, and keeps our technology running.”
“She is fabulous,” Shoreline Principal T.J. Barker said of Dolling. “She’s’ been very instrumental getting us set up as a new school.”
As an MIE Expert, Dolling is able to attend special conferences where she can network, collaborate and brainstorm with other such experts.
Dolling and her daughter Ann Marie Numbers attend St. Olaf Catholic Church regularly; she has been a CCD teacher and a member of the women’s council at the parish. Her Catholic faith helps her in her chosen career, Dolling said.
“It helps me to be a role model to the kids; I can practice patience, kindness and love, all while enjoying what I do with teaching,” she said. “God has been there every step of the way.”
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