Teacher Appreciation Week: GoCertify Salutes IT Educators

People take an interest in computers and information technology for a lot of different reasons. Some people are just naturally inquisitive about how the world works in general, and how electronics work in particular. Others may fondly remember playing video games in childhood, or may have been spurred on by a parent or sibling.

Whatever causes the initial spark of curiousity, however, most budding tech professionals really get up to their elbows in IT because of a savvy educator. Good teachers make a difference in so many important ways, but their greatest influence is often found in the encouragement that helps young minds discover a lifelong passion.

Set alongside everything that teachers do, Teacher Appreciation Week, organized by the National Parent Teacher Association and held in the United States every year since 1984, is a modest gesture. Still, it provides an opportunity to thank teachers for tirelessly fostering and improving education, and for boosting young learners to greatness.

Our friends at Certification Magazine recognize outstanding IT educators and IT education programs in every issue. So as a small show of recognition to excellent IT instructors everywhere, we'd like to highlight some of those excellent stories here. The portraits captured here inspire us, and we think they'll inspire you as well:

Adam Scroggins of Pierce County Skills Center (Puyallup, Wash.) — Pierce County Skills Center prepares IT students for actual IT jobs

Debra Gruber of McCracken Country High School (Paducah, Ky.) — Kentucky tech teacher is one tough mother to her students

Cause for Hope: One Life at a Time (based in Sandy, Utah; operates throughout Central and South America) — Cause for Hope uses IT to help poor families in developing nations

Chris Canone of Cypress Creek High School (Orlando, Fla.) — Cypress Creek High School uses certification to prepare teens for real-world jobs

Walt Jaqua of James Whitcomb Riley High School (South Bend, Ind.) — Indiana IT program molds high school students into job-ready professionals

Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School (Washington, D.C.) — Washington, D.C., school teaches tech to America's newest arrivals

Brock Maust of Goshen High School (Goshen, Ind.) — Indiana high school kids learn IT skills by fixing and servicing computers

Bryan Mecklenburg of Technology Certification Program, Goodwill Industries (Grand Rapids, Mich.) — Energetic IT pro helps adults with disabilities enter technology careers

Jay McElroy of McElroy Enterprises (Bowie, Md.) — One-woman whirlwind: IT training expert is a do-it-all �worker bee'

Marvin Schildknecht (retired) of Northland Career Center (Platte City, Mo.) — Down-home IT educator is a cowboy of the modern day