Education

Essex teacher named Magnet Schools of America Region 1 Teacher of the Year

ESSEX, MD—Justin Patterson, interactive media production instructor and technology education department chair at Chesapeake High School STEM Academy in Essex, has been named Region 1 Teacher of the Year by Magnet Schools of America.

“We are so pleased that Justin Patterson’s contributions to Chesapeake High are being recognized at the national level,” said Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. “He is a dedicated educator who facilitates our students’ opportunities to innovate, apply their knowledge and skills, and serve their school and community.”

As one of six regional winners, Patterson will be recognized at the MSA National Conference to be held April 18-22 in Dallas, and he is a candidate for the MSA National Teacher of the Year award, which will be announced at the conference. Region 1 encompasses Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and The District of Columbia.

In describing one of his major contributions to Chesapeake High, magnet coordinator and staff development teacher Maggie Cummins said, “Justin Patterson’s passion for creating educational video games has flourished into a robust magnet program supporting our teachers and community members with engaging experiences by empowering Interactive Media Production students to create video games that directly impact their peers and local businesses. I think we are the only school in the nation where students are making educational game software themselves as a teaching tool for educators in other departments. While these games are being played inhouse, the goal is for systemwide use!”

This project has been selected as a prestigious premier session at the national International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference to be held June 25-28 in Philadelphia. Patterson will lead the session in collaboration with his students.

Named BCPS Magnet Teacher of the Year last fall, Patterson and his students created a virtual Fort McHenry environment designed for use by science and business teachers. Game development for social studies, music technology, and mathematics teachers is underway.

“For Mr. Patterson and his Interactive Media Production students, community does not end within our schoolhouse walls,” Cummins said. “Understanding the power that magnet school options provide for students and families, his magnet students are committed to designing a game to allow prospective students and families to learn about the magnet academies at Chesapeake High School. He has taught these students to function as a team to produce games that align with customer needs.”

Patterson attends conferences and workshops regularly, such as the Game Developers Conference, and continues to refine his lessons. He invites all Chesapeake High students, whether in his magnet pathway or not, to joining his afterschool App Development Club.

Patterson has earned a Digital Learning Showcase award from the Maryland Society forEducational Technology, and he shared his educational games project at the MSA Fall Conference held in October 2022 in Baton Rouge.

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