Renee Citlau: CTE Educator and 2013 National Online Teacher of the Year

I had the pleasure last week of moderating a panel discussion that included the 2013 National Online Teacher of the Year (NOTY) and the other two finalists. I have attended all four NOTY award ceremonies and I must admit that it is truly amazing how these instructors continue to expand how students learn and for how they demonstrate what they know. These wonderful instructors are truly the "silver bullet" in education and no matter how much I like educational technology, there will never be an app that can replace them!

The press release from SREB is below, but I want to add a very important fact about the 2013 NOTY Award winner. Renee Citlau is a teacher in career and technical education (CTE) and her subject areas include, accounting, web page design, economics, and digital animation. Congratulations to Renee Citlau, Jennifer Curriin, and Michelle Licata!

Renee Citlau
2013 NOTY Award Winner

Renee Citlau of Anaheim, CA, an online teacher at Cypress High School and a lead online teacher for the Anaheim Union High School District, has been named the 2013 National Online Teacher of the Year, an honor awarded annually by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL).

The National Online Teacher of the Year (NOTY) award recognizes an outstanding educator for exceptional contributions to online K-12 education and dedication to enhancing and sharing best practices across the field.

Online learning “incorporates 21st century skills such as collaboration, critical thinking and creativity,” Citlau said. “Students from different demographic regions collaborate on projects despite geographic and cultural barriers that might otherwise keep them apart.

“I can use images, make word analogies, create a cartoon or animation, record a live lesson, or add audio to help them remember.” Almost daily, she said, “I get to witness students having ‘light bulb’ moments.”

The two additional NOTY finalists were Jennifer Currin, an online English teacher at North Carolina Virtual Public School, and Michelle Licata, a teacher and mentor for other online educators at Florida Virtual School. Citlau, Currin and Licata were recognized at an awards dinner during the SREB Educational Technology Cooperative K-20 Virtual Teaching and Learning Symposium in Atlanta, GA. This year's review committee, made up of five leaders in e-learning from across the nation, selected the finalists from nominations by their peers in online public schools in 19 states.

Renee Citlau is a Leading Edge Certification trainer and active member of Computer Using Educators (CUE), the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL). In 2012, she won the CUE and California Learning Resource Network Online Teacher of the Year Award. In 2008, she was Cypress High School's Teacher of the Year.

As the National Online Teacher of the Year, Citlau will represent the online learning field at several events and professional conferences, sharing her expertise and insight with audiences across the country, including iNACOL's Blended and Online School Symposium (October 27-30 in Orlando, FL).

“Online learning is growing rapidly because it gives students — the ‘Net Generation’ — access to the courses that provide opportunity, flexibility and convenience,” said Matlea Parker, program manager for the SREB Educational Technology Cooperative. “The use of Web 2.0 and social networking is changing how teachers must deliver instruction. One of the reasons the NOTY award was created was to provide a model of the best practices online teachers use to maximize their students’ learning experiences. Having amazingly effective teachers who are committed to quality — and to the success of their students — is essential.”

Susan Patrick, president and CEO of iNACOL, said, “Teachers working in online and blended learning environments are pioneering personalized education for their students. Renee Citlau exemplifies the very best of the professionalism, curiosity and entrepreneurial spirit that have led to the development of a new generation of teaching tools and methods that optimize and transform learning in these new school models.”

The National Online Teacher of the Year award is made possible by AT&T, Blackboard Collaborate, Florida Virtual School, the Pearson Foundation, SAS and VSCHOOLZ.

I have been a long-time proponent of the use of online learning in CTE and I can see the importance of its growth in drop out recovery, adult education, business and industry training, and other areas. I hope Renee's award will open open a few doors and expand the role of online learning in career and technical education.