Math teacher and Educational Technology Committee chair Jeff Snapp is this year’s recipient of the Kogan Family Award for Innovation in Teaching, Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts announced Wednesday at the annual faculty/staff opening-of-school meeting.
The Kogan Family Award, established in 2010 by Betsy and Mark Kogan (Ben ’11, Eli ’13), “is intended to foster innovation and acknowledge the most interesting teaching initiatives,” Huybrechts said. “The award is presented annually to a teacher who has developed and implemented practices that have substantially improved teaching, curriculum design, technology integration and/or assessment in his/her classes.”
Snapp has been heading the Ed-Tech committee for eight years, working with teachers from different schools to find new ways for laptops to improve the classroom experience.
This year, Snapp was appointed to be the Director of Instructional Technology and hopes to ensure a smooth implementation of the new laptop initiative in the coming years.
“Whenever you receive an award, it is an honor,” Snapp said. “I don’t seek recognition and feel uncomfortable as the center of attention, and prefer instead simply to know that my efforts help someone else to feel less anxious or more enthusiastic about instructional technology. Whenever I work with a colleague, they express appreciation for my time and effort. This moment was special to me because of the collective, enthusiastic recognition from my colleagues in the audience.”
Huybrechts described Snapp as a guide for many questions about iPads, the Hub and technology in general.
“It is impossible to overestimate the depth of his caring and the magnitude of the work he has done with us and for us, often behind the scenes, but never unnoticed,” Huybrechts said.
Snapp said he was pleasantly surprised by the award and is optimistic about the future of technology at the school.
“I am blown away by the enthusiasm to learn that I have experienced among my colleagues in the last several months,” Snapp said. “Perhaps more than any other teacher, I get to see bits and pieces of what my colleagues do in class and the enthusiasm they bring every day. It truly is an honor to be part of this faculty at Harvard-Westlake.” Snapp said.
