Download PDF

Summary

Nicholas Provenzano is a Teacher and Makerspace Director at University Liggett School in Michigan. He is also an author, makerspace builder, international keynote speaker, Mental Health Advocate for teachers and students, and a consultant. He writes on his website, TheNerdyTeacher.com, Edutopia.org, as well as many other prominent educational websites. He has been featured on CNN, Education Week, and other media outlets. He has been recognized as the Technology Teacher of the Year by MACUL and ISTE. Nicholas is a Google Certified Innovator and Coach, Sphero Hero, Micro:bit Champion, ASCD Emerging Leader, Microsoft Minecraft Mentor, Raspberry Pi Certified Educator, Adobe Education Leader, and a TEDEd Innovative Educator. His best-selling books, Your Starter Guide to Makerspaces, The Maker Mentality, and Beyond the Poster Board can be found on Amazon. Nicholas is sharing plenty of nerdy things on X, Threads, Instagram, and TikTok at @TheNerdyTeacher.

Work experience

2017Present

Middle School Technology Coordinator and Makerspace Director

University Liggett School

Supporting students and staff with technology integration. 

Creating and Maintaining a Makerspace for Middle School Students and Staff. 

I manage a budget of over $10,000 to support the Middle School technology needs, the Makerspace, and the classes I teach. 

Created a Design Class for Middle School students and a Mechanical Engineering class for 11th grade students. 

2016Present

Author

Blend Publishing

Your Starter Guide to Makerspaces .The Maker Mentality, and Beyond the Poster Board, are available on Amazon now. 

Jan 2002June 2017

Teacher/ Technology Curriculum Specialist

Grosse Pointe Public Schools

I have taught English and Social Studies for the Grosse Pointe Public Schools for 15 years. During that time I have also been a part of many different student organizations and district level committees. 

Football Coach

Soccer Coach

Class Adviser 

Key Club Adviser

Creative Writing Club Adviser

Grosse Pointe South Technology Committee

Grosse Pointe Public Schools Technology Committee

I have worked part time as a technology curriculum specialist with the Grosse Pointe Public Schools. I work with teachers around the district to help them integrate technology into their classrooms. I also spent time helping write new technology policies for district and had been tasked with finding a new web host for the district. I continue to investigate the possibility of moving the district into the Cloud with Google Apps or other like services. I've dedicated a great deal of time to making all of these transitions possible and I'm excited to see the changes continue.

 

Jan 2010Present

Chief Nerd

The Nerdy Teacher

The Nerdy Teacher is a blog that I started in January 2010 to explore the world of educational technology. My site has opened many doors for me as an educator. I have been invited to speak at national and international conferences and welcomed into school districts to share my experiences regarding the value of technology integration in education. I have professionally consulted with technology companies on how best to support educators. 

I specialize in Project Based Learning, Maker Education, Cross-Curriculum partnerships, and student agency. 

May 20102015

Lead Organizer

Edcamp Detroit

Edcamp Detroit is an unconference inspired by similar events organized around the country. Our goal is to bring educators together to share their passion and ideas for better learning in an open format. It is a conference for educators, by educators. 

I organized the event, worked with vendors, and formed our partnership with Wayne State University that allowed us to host the event at the College of Education. By the time I passed the event to a new group of educators, it was the second largest edcamp in the country. 

Dec 2013Present

Author

Corwin Publishing

Co-authored Classroom in the Cloud. This books shared examples of using cloud technology in the classroom to enhance teachers' skills. Visit here for more info on my book. http://amzn.to/1PxrbJG 

 

Jan 2014June 2015

Organizer

TEDxGrossePointeSouthHS

I'm the founder and lead organizer for TEDxGrossePointeSouthHS. This is one of a very few high school co-organized TEDx events in the country when we started. Students from Grosse Pointe South High School shared their thoughts on learning and education based on their 20 Time Projects.

My role was preparing students for their talks, organizing the venue, advertising the event, and coordinating with TEDEd to ensure all of the regulations were followed for hosting the event. 

Here is a link to the completed talks from June 2014. 

2011Present

Featured Blogger

The George Lucas Educational Foundation

The George Lucas Educational Foundation is dedicated to improving the K-12 learning process by documenting, disseminating, and advocating for innovative, replicable, and evidence-based strategies that prepare students to thrive in their future education, careers, and adult lives Many of my stories have been picked up by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and shared with readers around the world. 

Education

20102011

Masters

Central Michigan University

This Masters program has prepared me for the world of educational technology and was a great platform for my future ventures in the field. 

Jan 2000Jan 2002

BA Education

Wayne State University

I did my student teaching in East Detroit Public Schools and Grosse Pointe Public Schools. 

Websites

I periodically post on my website about topics relevant to the educational community. 

Posts of Interest

These are some posts that represent what I am doing and thinking about in education.

Certifications

2020

Adobe Certified Educator

Adobe

I was part of the first cohort chosen for the ACE program to help build the program and provide feedback. 

2019

Minecraft Education Edition Mentor

Minecraft Education Edition

I work within the community and support other Minecraft educators and create lessons that are shared with the community. 

2020

Micro:bit Champion

Micro:bit

Joined the first cohort of the Micro:bit Champion program and also provided feedback on how the program could grown and evolve. 

2020Present

Sphero Hero

Sphero

I have been accepted as part of the Sphero Hero program based on my work with Sphero in the classroom. I have written articles, conducted professional development webinars, and beta tested products for them. 

2018Present

Adobe Education Leader

Adobe

I have been accepted as part of the AEL program by Adobe based on my work on design and creation in Makerspaces. 

2023Present

Google Certified Coach

Google

As a Google Certified Coach, I have demonstrated expertise in leveraging Google tools to enhance teaching and learning experiences, and possess advanced skills in integrating technology into educational environments. I am adept at providing professional development and coaching to educators, helping them to effectively utilize digital resources to improve student engagement and outcomes. 

2015Present

TED-Ed Innovative Educator

TED-Ed

I was in the first cohort of Innovative Educators selected by TED-Ed for their dedication and innovative work in the classroom. I also worked with TED-Ed to build the program in its early stages before the TIE program was rolled out. 

Aug 2014Present

Google Certified Innovator

Google and CUE
I was selected to be part of the Google Teacher Academy in Mountain View in 2014.
Feb 2016Present

Raspberry Pi Certified Educator

Raspberry Pi Foundation

I was part of the first US cohort to attend Picademy. I was trained on how to get the most out of using Raspberry Pi with my students. I also became a trainer and supported other cohorts, including bringing one to my home state of Michigan. 

Honors

In The Media

These are various articles I have been featured in regarding education and technology.

References

Feel free to contact my references for more information.

Jennie Magiera

Global Head of Education Impact - Google

Jennie and I have known each other for over 10 years and have worked together at conferences providing professional development for teachers, and, most recently, through my work as a Google Certified Innovator and Coach. 

Tanya Avrith

Education Community Manager - Adobe

avrith@adobe.com

Tanya and I have collaborated on multiple projects during her time at Adobe. I have supported social media campaigns, provided product feedback, beta tested software, and hosted Adobe organized events. Tanya has also seen me present in various formats at conferences across the country. 

Clara Galán

Product Marketing: Adobe Live and Behance

galn@adobe.com

Clara and I have collaborated multiple times during her times at Adobe as well as her time at other jobs. We have worked together when she worked at Edutopia of the George Lucas Educational Foundation, Remind, Amazon, and Adobe. At each stop, I supported efforts to create and grow teacher communities and participated in the organization and running of events at major conferences. 

Colleen Graves

Director of Curriculum, Community, and Creative Content at Makey Makey

Colleen@joylabz.com  

Colleen and I have collaborated on multiple presentations on the national level that emphasized the value of creativity as part of STEAM pushes in school.

Meenoo Rami

Principal Product Manager - XBox at Microsoft

Meenoo.Rami@microsoft.com

Meenoo and I collaborated during her time working at Minecraft Education Edition. I supported the work within the community and provided lessons to support the community.

Matt Richardson

Community Engagement

Matt@raspberrypi.org

Raspberry Pi and I have collaborated on podcasts, curriculum review, and presentations. As a Raspberry Pi Certified educator and a member of the first American cohort, I was trained on how to provide professional development to teachers on using Raspberry Pi and the python coding language to support instruction. I have helped facilitate trainings for Raspberry Pi at their Picademy events across the country.