The Member Spotlight is a new way for CoSN members get to know each other and improve networking. Each month, CoSN will select a member who has volunteered to answer various questions about themselves, personal and professional, and then share their responses with our entire CoSN community.

January 2024 Member Spotlight

This is a headshot of a woman with short hair wearing glasses and smiling towards this audience.
Dr. Ashley McBride, CETL®

Dr. Ashley McBride, CETL®

Dr. Ashley McBride serves as the Section Chief for the Digital Learning Initiative at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. North Carolina DPI has established a statewide partnership with CoSN, ensuring CoSN membership for every public school unit (> 2500 districts) in the state. Ashley plays a pivotal role in managing this partnership and collaborates with both CoSN and ISTE to deliver year-round professional learning opportunities for technology leaders.

 

1.  How long have you been a member of CoSN? Why did you join CoSN? 

“I have been a CoSN member since 2008.”

2.  Why did you join CoSN? What do you enjoy about being a member?

“I worked in a school district that provided CoSN memberships. I became more active after I decided I wanted to be a Technology Director and I learned about the resources and CETL Certification that was offered through CoSN that could prepare me to take on that role."

3.  What Committee do you currently volunteer with?

"I am currently on the membership committee for CoSN."

4.  What does your daily work entail?

"I work at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction as the Digital Learning Initiative Section Chief. My job is to manage programs and ensure resources are provided to school districts, schools, administrators, and teachers that align with the North Carolina Digital Learning Plan. Some of the work that I do which supports this is:

  • Manage our Statewide partnership providing membership to CoSN for every Public School Unit across the state.
  • Manage our Statewide partnership providing membership to ISTE for every educator across the state
  • Facilitate year-long professional learning programs for coaches and school librarians
  • Support professional learning for educators across the state around digital literacy and technology rich pedagogies."

5.  How did you get into the field of educational technology?

"As an English teacher, I originally wanted to get away from hauling boxes of research papers and other writing assignments home to grade. Bringing technology in originally just made my life easier. But as I started using it more and more, I found that it had the power to transform the learning experience for my students in ways. So I decided to learn everything I could and earn my licensure to be an educational technology specialist. This lead to my first official edtech job as an Educational Technology Coach."

6.  What’s one thing - either industry-related or not - you learned recently?

"Over the holiday break I re-learned how much I enjoy reading books outside of I spent a number of days just reading fiction while cocooned on my couch at home. It was wonderful!"

7.  What are working on right now?

“Currently, I am working on a project to make micro credentials an accessible form of professional learning for educators across the state of North Carolina.”

8.  What are three words to describe yourself?

“Reliable, Resourceful, Proactive"

9.  What is your favorite movie or T.V. show?

"Dr. Who"

10.  What is your favorite holiday food or dessert?

"Homemade Cornbread Stuffing."

Nominate yourself or another member by filling out the questionnaire.

If you missed any of the monthly member spotlights, click below to hear what our past spotlights had to say.