About
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Origins
Doug Fordham is originally from Flemington, New Jersey. After high school, he attended James Madison University where he majored in mathematics and earned a Master Of Arts in Teaching degree. After his time at JMU, he moved to Richmond, VA in 2011 and accepted a part-time position with Amelia County Public Schools before accepting a permanent position with Chesterfield County Public Schools, where he has worked since.
In education, he has been a middle and high school math teacher, an Instructional Technology Integrator, and most recently an eLearning Integrator. His passion is to show students their endless possibilities and to help them achieve a growth mindset for learning.
Doug is happily married to his wife Kate and together have two dogs, Dakota and Luna.
Educational Philsophy
What do you believe is the grander purpose of education in a society and community?
I believe that the main purpose of public schools in our society is to foster the growth mindset for learning of its youngest citizens for life. Schools should strive to install the foundational learning knowledge needed to thrive in our world, while preparing students to be answer seekers. Not everything can simply be Googled; instead a student should be prepared to seek out the answers to tough questions through the training that a public school education provides. A school is not just a building, it is an ever-evolving microcosm of the community and it should serve as the foundation, hope, and inspiration for the community by not only preparing the students that attend, but by contributing back to the area in which it resides.
In general, what are your goals for your students?
From their starting point, students should be expected to achieve considerable growth in both academics and citizenship.
Resume
Experience
Serving my first term on the James Madison University College of Education Executive Advisory Council
Nine years in the education field serving middle schools, high schools, and central office for the division
Division representative by presenting at state and national conferences
Awarded Beginning New Teacher of the Year for Middle Schools
Education
Educational Leadership Endorsement: 2022*, Longwood University
Masters in the Art of Teaching: 2011, James Madison University
Bachelor of Science: Mathematics, 2010, James Madison University
*Educated to graduate August 2022
Vision and Strategic Goals
During the first semester of the Educational Leadership Endorsement program through Longwood University, students take a deep dive into their school's vision, mission, and goals for the year. This paper is an overview of just that for CCPSOnline, Chesterfield's online program for students. Specifically the paper analyzes the current state of CCPSOnline as it navigates through its 18-year existence and where the program is heading.
Commendations
Presenter, New Educator Orientation 2022 (Chesterfield County)
Title: Using Data to Drive Decisions
Session Description: Data is all around us; from Instagram updating its algorithm to provide relevant content, to gauging price changes on flights, it's useful to collect and analyze information for the world we function in. So what about our students? How can we easily collect data from them to drive our lesson plans? In this presentation, we will discuss how to design quick informative data points to provide indicators toward learning goals, use information already at your fingertips to differentiate a lesson, and how to find the tool that best fits you.
Presenter, International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Live 2019
Title: Why Aren't More Teachers Streamers?
Session Description: With sites like YouTube and Twitch now playing host to streamers that cover a wide variety of topics, why aren't teachers getting in on the game? Learn how teachers can get their stream life up and running and establish a solid model of use.
Presenter, VIrginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) 2018
Title: The Next Great Director is using an iPhone
Session Description: Cell phone technology has changed end-over-end since I first started making home videos in 1995. With recent advancements in cell phone camera abilities, entire productions are now being shot on smartphones (See: Tangerine). Educators have this tremendous power sitting in their pocket, and through this presentation we will tap into that power for the growth of both the student and the teacher.