Biography

Debra (“Deb”) Turchetti-Ramm is currently the Instructional Technology Coordinator for her district. She was a fourth grade teacher since 1997 and an early childhood educator for six years prior to that. She transformed her classroom into a blended learning environment and now facilitates Lighthouse Classrooms across her district to enhance teaching and learning and develop technology competencies and personalization through blended learning. Deb was a founding member of a hands-on laboratory where teachers explore technology integration strategies and blended learning models to support the needs of students. She was a Fuse RI Fellow in the first cohort of Highlander Institute's nationally-recognized program, collaborating with districts to assess readiness, analyze data, and disseminate blended learning practices. Deb was a trainer for the RI Teachers and Technology Initiative. She presents workshops at local and national forums, including Learning First Alliance, RI Department of Education's Innovation Powered by Technology, RI Science Teachers Association, and Highlander's Blended Learning Conferences. She was a 2015 PBS Lead Digital Innovator, 2018 PBS All Star, and now serves on her local PBS’ Educational Committee. She was her district’s 2016 Teacher of the Year. Deb is a Past President of the RI Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and created a professional development series ("Personalization and the Whole Child") for the organization. She is currently on the board of the RI Society of Technology Educators, the local affiliate of the International Society for Technology in Education. Deb has a B.A. in psychology and early childhood and a certificate in elementary education from Rhode Island College. She is a National Board Certified Teacher.