ACHIEVE Award Winner 2025 – Susie Simmons - MSAD 6 - Bonny Eagle Schools

By Stephen Avery, Instructional Technology Coach at Bonny Eagle Schools

The ACTEM ACHIEVE Award honors educators who bring technology to life through meaningful relationships, innovative thinking, and a willingness to try something new. One of this year’s recipients, Susie Simmons of Bonny Eagle, represents exactly what it looks like when curiosity, collaboration, and community come together to shape a career. I am honored as her friend and colleague to share some of the great work she has done through the years as a champion of innovative and impactful technology use within and beyond our small district.

Susie’s path at BE began twenty years ago, when she accepted a long-term substitute position in graphic arts just as she was starting her senior year at USM. She has often remarked that she found herself surrounded by colleagues and leaders who recognized her spark from the very beginning, crediting technology directors Dennis Crowe and Scott Nason, among others, as influential figures who shaped the course of her career. Her gift for connecting with staff and community members has sent down deep roots, and she proudly says, “I’ve now been at BE for over half my life, and it has become my home.”

In her early career, Susie was surrounded by leaders who encouraged creativity and innovation. She received the first SmartBoard in the district when Dennis Crowe noticed the engaging, forward-thinking energy she brought to her classroom. That spark was further fanned by Scott Nason, who took a chance on deploying a classroom cart of MacBooks into Susie’s photography class—a move that paid dividends as she reimagined the course as a flipped, tech-enabled experience. Those around her could see she had both the passion and the talent to support others in expanding their use of technology.

Scott continued to encourage Susie to stretch her wings, convincing her to step outside her comfort zone and lead district technology PD—something she describes now as nerve-wracking, but transformative. That encouragement ultimately led her to present at ACTEM, MAMLE, and MassCUE, where colleagues across the state found her practical, approachable, student-centered style refreshing and impactful. Many educators within and beyond Maine have benefited from Susie’s ability to translate meaningful and creative technology use into accessible learning opportunities that keep students at the center. And in 2013, after what she lovingly described as Scott “relentlessly hounding her,” Susie stepped into the technology integrator role—broadening her impact far beyond a single classroom.

Susie’s desire to grow, learn, and bring new insights back to Maine educators has only deepened over time. Before ChatGPT was even on the scene, Susie led the charge in MSAD 6 to explore the possibilities and pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence, participating in the ISTE-GM AI Explorations program in 2022 with district technology coaches. In 2024, she was accepted into the inaugural cohort of the ISTE + ASCD GenerationAI Communities of Practice, a national collaboration focused on advancing best practices for the use of AI in education. She has leveraged these opportunities—not for personal prestige, but for the betterment of our entire community. Colleagues and administrators across and beyond our district rely on her for thoughtful guidance, grounded perspective, and her knack for translating big ideas into practical classroom impact.

Susie doesn’t revel in the spotlight; she prefers to shine it on others. Nowhere is this more evident than in her leadership of the ACTEM Integrators Group, a statewide professional network for educators leading technology integration. Susie oversees monthly virtual meetings, facilitates rich discussion, and brings voices together from across Maine. She is known for weaving the experiences of others into the fabric of the group—expanding its collective capacity, strengthening its collaborative culture, and helping to shape technology practices statewide. Her colleagues often note that she doesn’t just participate in this community; she nurtures it.

In a rare moment of standing center stage at the fall ACTEM conference to accept her 2025 ACHIEVE Award, Susie used the platform to shine the light where she believes it truly belongs: on the idea that innovation doesn’t begin with titles or awards—it begins in classrooms. She offered a call to action that every educator can embrace:

“If you see someone in your schools who is doing cool things, give them a voice—and sometimes a gentle push—to share the awesome work they are doing.”

It is with heartfelt joy that I invite you to celebrate Susie’s achievements—and to carry forward her challenge. Be the one who takes a chance on lifting someone up. Celebrate messy ideas and bold thinking. When we create a culture that empowers teachers, students benefit—and our schools thrive.

ACHIEVE Award Winner 2025 – Sarah Cousins - Bangor Schools

Bridging Music and Technology in the Classroom

By Sarah Cousins

ACTEM announced at our annual Fall Conference that Sarah Cousins, a music teacher at James F. Doughty School in Bangor, ME had been named a winner of the prestigious 2025 ACHIEVE Award. This recognition honors educators who have made significant contributions to integrating technology into their teaching practices.

As a music educator for over 23 years, I’ve always viewed music as more than notes and performances—it's collaboration, history, science, and self-expression. Similarly, I see technology as a tool that enhances learning, fosters creativity, and opens access for all students. When students are able to combine the two disciplines together, new doors of creativity and inquiry are formed to open more pathways for learning.

When the pandemic disrupted traditional music programs, I took it as an opportunity to pivot and find other ways to create/perform since we couldn’t sing and play instruments in a traditional way. I turned to digital audio workstations (DAWs) like Soundtrap, learning the platform myself through a course at Vandercook College of Music for students to still connect and create music in the classroom. This hands-on experience allowed me to guide students in creating their own music, helping them understand musical form, collaborate, and express emotions through songwriting projects like our “Stop. Collaborate and Listen” composition.  Also students create a Genre project using a digital drumset tool called Groove Pizza. Within this project students use the digital drumset to create their own drumset beats, select a genre they want the beat played in and then import the file into soundtrap to create a new “loop”. Students then add other instruments and rhythms for that genre to complete their project.

Inspired by the book Full STEAM Ahead by Kathryn Finch and Abby Blair, I later expanded into coding and Makey Makeys. My students now code sounds and design tangible instruments—some even creating adaptive percussion tools. They've built “paper pianos” and programmed melodies and chord progressions using platforms like Scratch and Chrome Music Lab Song Maker.  Students also have been creating music using code.org’s Music Lab.  The combination of block based coding and remixing pop music has energized my students to be more creative.

Through these tech tools, students not only compose, but gain a deeper understanding of tempo, form, and theory. They see connections between music and tech, and often, I find myself learning from them as they explore and innovate.  By integrating technology into music education, I’ve created a space where tradition meets innovation—allowing every learner to engage, create, and grow.

I also feel it is important to empower my students and give them voice and choice while learning in my classroom.  I asked an 8th Grader, Sophie Makarowski, to put in her words what it’s like to be in both general music class and Chorus.  Sophie writes, “Mrs. Cousins is a remarkable choir and music teacher. She treats everyone with respect and is tremendously kind to each and every one of her students. Her classroom is always a safe place to be and she always makes sure you feel at home. She constantly is working hard to guarantee that all students get a good education. Overall, Mrs. Cousins is a truly incredible teacher and we are so lucky to have her at James F. Doughty.  Mrs. Cousins' work with technology in music classes has been absolutely fabulous. She teaches students how to code and program music through Scratch and Makey Makey. She teaches us that music isn’t just an art, it’s also a science. Throughout the year everyone learns something new from music class. We get to explore the making of instruments, the sounds of instruments, and we even get to play them!“

As I’ve reflected on what the ACTEM ACHIEVE award means to me, I take pride in being true to my own love of learning, leading the way with music and technology integration, and sharing that love with my students.  When you walk by my classroom, each day looks different as to how technology is being integrated.  One day we could be working on a whole class play-along to a pop song with Ukuleles using the projector, or writing their own tablature melody and practicing individual videos on their own laptops. The next day you can find students on their computers creating their own digital musical compositions through scratch, coding out not only their song, but also creating what is happening on the stage to encompass art, music, and technology together.  Reaching and engaging students in 2025 is a lot different from when I started teaching in 2003. I have learned by embracing student interest, strengths, and curiosity mixed with collaboration, creativity, and student leadership makes for strong connections between both disciplines. This also empowers students to see the sky as the limit for their future. Thank you for recognizing me with this incredible honor.