Instructional Technology Specialist
Deborah Donohue, Instructional Technology Specialist for the Worcester Public Schools, has been a leader in the field of educational technology since 1987 when she began her career at Belmont Community School. She enjoyed taking her second graders to the computer lab where she witnessed their enthusiasm for practicing basic math facts. She pioneered her students' engagement using technology in the writing process and entered her class into a computer and writing competition. One of her students came in first place and was recognized by the school committee.

In 1991 she received her first master's degree from Harvard's Graduate School of Education in reading and language, and three years later Lesley University awarded Deborah a second master's degree in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in technology in education.

By 1996 when she began her present position as instructional technology specialist she had already been working with teachers and administrators, teaching a technology graduate course at Worcester State College's Continuing Education program and had presented at MassCUE's annual conference.

Deborah believes that all students and teachers should have computer access 24/7. With that belief in mind she became involved in the handheld initiative and was trained as a Palm Educational Technology Coordinator (PETC) sponsored by Massachusetts Computer Using Educators (MassCUE). Soon afterward she founded MassCUE's One-to-One Technologies Special Interest Group (SIG) which met for four years in Worcester. When she discovered the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative she was so compelled she purchased one of the XO laptops in OLPC's Give-One Get-One program. She continues to be interested in OLPC and attends meetings in Cambridge whenever possible hoping to find some way to bring these and other 1-1 technology tools to students in her district.

Through her SIG she was able to build a library to make books about one-to-one technologies available to teachers. She advocated for, planned and implemented a successful handheld project which has grown to equip three full classrooms with handheld computers - a big step but still a long way to go!

Deborah has developed and facilitated several online courses for her district. In 2007, Romeo Marquis, a fellow member of the MassCUE board of directors and former online instructor of Deborah's, invited her to join him as senior partner in The Learning Curve of which he is founder and president.

Former principal, Kathleen Dion, said of Deborah, "Her love for learning is contagious. She meets everyone at their level and gives them the confidence and excitement to take risks and advance to higher levels."