Author: sHq_LoGiNz

Verizon

Embracing technology in the classroom doesn’t come naturally to all teachers. But for two Verizon Innovative Learning School Coaches — Jennifer Doherty at William Sheppard Middle School in San Jose, California, and Dr. RoseMarie McCandless at the Grace M. James Academy of Excellence in Louisville, Kentucky — a passion for tech integration and supporting other teachers became the cornerstone of their professional careers.

This focus on how technology elevates learning drove them to new heights in leadership roles and on to new positions in administration at their respective schools. Doherty was named principal in 2021 and McCandless became assistant principal in October 2024.

For both women, the Verizon Innovative Learning professional development resources — which are available for free to all as part of Verizon Innovation Learning HQ — were foundational. “I was nervous being out of the classroom,” says McCandless, referring to her initial experience with remote teaching. “But once I got into the professional development lessons, I felt a lot more confident. A lot of what I learned there, especially the micro-credentials courses, was really how to coach and how to support teachers — and that’s what I do all day as an assistant principal.”

Before joining William Sheppard Middle School, Doherty already had experience working on classroom tech integration which made her a strong candidate to become the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Coach when Sheppard became part of the program in 2017. “In my previous experience, the technology itself was never the thing that mattered most,” Doherty says of classroom tech integration. “It was the pedagogy,” she says, how technology as a tool enhances learning, increasing engagement for both teachers and students. “And because the Verizon professional development shared that focus, the 40 hours of training was really key and really spoke to me,” she says.

When a Verizon Innovative Learning Lab was installed at Sheppard, all 22 teachers participated in the professional development micro-credential series. This training helps educators infuse technology into their teaching in increasingly sophisticated ways, all with the goal of creating learning experiences that increase student engagement and achievement.

“We really leaned into that professional development piece,” says Doherty. She wanted to make certain teachers were doing more than simply swapping a book for a screen. “It was important to make sure the teachers were using digital tools beyond substituting,” she explains. Thanks to the course work, teachers didn’t have to come up with ideas all on their own, but instead gathered lesson plan inspiration woven throughout the courses. One example: Instead of a traditional book report, students in an English Language Arts class could make a movie trailer about a book. “The teachers were so inspired. They were all like, ‘YES.’ It was so beautiful,” Doherty says.

In 2021, when the school’s principal went on leave, Doherty was asked to step in as interim principal. “Principal had never been on my trajectory,” says Doherty. But since she was a Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Coach, and already in a leadership position, other teachers felt comfortable with her stepping up. “I was a known entity and people trusted me—and I had been doing a lot of the roles of job with [the principal],” Doherty explains. “So in terms of skills, taking on the role of principal wasn’t a big reach. But it was a confidence issue,” Doherty says. “Can I lead? Can I do this?”

The answer was a clear ‘yes’. After a year in the interim role, she received positive feedback from the district and went on to secure the needed credentials to officially take the position.

While Doherty had focused on technology as a teaching tool that drove student and teacher engagement, McCandless prioritized doing the best for her students. “When I first started teaching, I didn’t think I would ever want to be a teacher leader, because I loved what I was doing with my kids,” she says. “But then I figured out that the more that I learned, the better I can be for my kids. And then if I help the teachers succeed, then I will be helping more kids.”

The professional development coursework gave McCandless new ways to understand her own skills. “One of the first things I ever did was make a coaching menu, so I could talk about what I offer and market myself to my teachers,” she says. “The exercise helped me understand how I’m valuable to others and how I could support teachers.”

As assistant principal, McCandless has taken that core idea and applied it to her work in building up her teachers’ confidence. “We had a brand-new teacher who had literally taught for just one semester and he presented to all the other teachers about engaging ways to present social studies source content, and I just had chills,” she says. “Seeing their development, sharing what they’re good at with the other teachers — it just doesn’t get better than that.”

Verizon Innovative Learning is a key part of the company’s responsible business plan to help move the world forward for all. As part of the plan, Verizon has an ambitious goal of providing 10 million youth with digital skills training by 2030. Educators can access free lessons, professional development, and immersive learning experiences to help bring new ways of learning into the classroom by visiting Verizon Innovative Learning HQ.

Albertsons Companies’ customers can choose to opt out of bags for curbside pickup orders from their local stores. The grocer’s goal is to reduce the number of single-use bags each year, supporting both local communities and the planet. Customers can opt out of bags when they order curbside pickup from Albertsons Cos. stores using the banner store app or website.

See original post on LinkedIn and read more about Albertsons Companies and our Recipe for Change on our website.

New Holland Construction, CNH‘s construction equipment brand, celebrates 75 years of operation in Brazil.

Present in all states, with a network of dealerships structured to serve customers with excellence, the brand celebrates more than seven decades contributing to the development and progress of the region.

The brand is now established in Minas Gerais, where its factory is located, in Contagem and the Customer Experience Center, in Sarzedo, recently inaugurated with an investment of R$12 million.

“The CEC is a space that offers product and service demonstrations, performs engineering tests and the technical and commercial training of our dealer network, elevating the customer experience and further reinforcing the proximity to the brand,” says Pedro Silva, leader of New Holland Construction for Latin America.

Sustainability and excellence

Like all CNH plants in Brazil, the Contagem plant is zero landfill, correctly disposing of 100% of the waste, seeking environmentally appropriate solutions for each type.

Solid waste from industrial activity includes wood, plastic, cardboard, organic material and oil.. The wood is sent for biomass production; the solvent used in the paint is recycled and reused internally; organic waste is composted; the technological effluent passes through an Effluent Treatment Station for reuse in discharges, cleaning the factory floor or testing on machines.

This result is achieved thanks to the separation, packaging and transportation of materials, done internally by a team responsible for waste management.

New Holland Construction’s Parts Distribution Center in Sorocaba (SP) also achieved the Zero Landfill goal.

The building, inaugurated in 2010, has 66 thousand m² and was built within the modern concepts of Green Building, which identify the construction and the enterprise as environmentally responsible. All the material used in the construction had its origin certified to ensure that the work did not use predatory elements to nature. For this reason, the Distribution Center received the Green Building certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) – one of the most prestigious certifying entities in the world.

New Holland Construction’s DC was the first in the sector in South America to receive LEED Gold certification, the most important international environmental seal for sustainable buildings.

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