Hendrick Hudson Teacher Receives TELL Award for Innovation
Logan Krause, an Art & Design teacher at Blue Mountain Middle School, was honored on April 10, 2024 at the Celebration of Teaching and Learning TELL Award event, an annual awards celebration at the Edith Macy Conference Center in Briarcliff Manor.
Krause was chosen by LHRIC’s Technology Leadership Institute, which is designed to provide participants with opportunities to engage in discussion with experts and vendors who have been actively Transforming Education through Leading and Learning (TELL). She received the TELL Award for Outstanding Innovative Teacher.
Lauren Scollins, who served as the BMMS principal prior to the 2023-24 school year, nominated Krause for the prestigious honor. LHRIC produced a video about Krause’s contributions to Hendrick Hudson. She also delivered a speech during the celebration, which was attended by several colleagues and district leaders.
“In my time at BMMS, Logan continually impressed me with her ability to create differentiated, innovative lessons that met the needs of all learners,” Scollins said. “In collaboration with her colleagues, she created a thoughtful and engaging curriculum that made art stand out. She is a model of a lifelong learner who continuously revises her curriculum to stay current and relevant and engaging to students.”
This school year, Krause, along with co-teacher Paul Gioacchini, integrated art and computer science units into a semester-long Art & Design class for sixth, seventh and eighth graders. The course provides project-based STEAM learning experiences for all students.
“I am honored to be celebrated by LHRIC and the Hendrick Hudson School District for our innovative program,” said Krause, who has been a Hendrick Hudson teacher for 20 years. “Education is a team effort and I am so grateful for the collaboration with my colleagues, especially Paul Gioacchini, and the support of district administration.”
Scollins described Krause as “the definition of innovative,” praising her for developing a choice-based, student-led curriculum that combines concepts of traditional art, digital modeling, computer science and more.
“We want to give students real-world experience,” Krause said. “Art and technology are ever-changing and evolving. We really live in a visual world, and we want students to have an understanding of those visual elements.”
Superintendent of Schools Michael A. Tromblee, who attended the TELL Awards celebration, received a TELL Pioneer Award in 2015 as the Director of Technology for the Pelham Union Free School District.
“This is one of the region’s most prestigious awards in terms of innovative learning,” Tromblee said. “It’s exactly the type of teaching we hope all of our students receive. Logan has represented Hendrick Hudson well in the classroom but also throughout the region with her innovative approach to teaching.”