Increasing Digital Equity through Technology in Teacher Education
The Award
The SITE Outstanding Service in Digital Equity Award (OSDE) was established in 2002 to: (a) recognize and encourage outstanding scholarship and service in the area of digital equity; and (b) increase awareness of the variety of successful approaches within teacher education that increase equity over the many forms of the digital divide affecting our societies today—economic, cultural, physical and mental. SITE presents this award to stimulate scholarship and service to:
- expand the knowledge base of digital equity relative to teacher education;
- promote equity in technology and teacher education; and
- disseminate information nationally and internationally.
This award is also intended to emphasize SITE’s commitment to equity in technology and teacher education.
Eligibility Criteria
The SITE Awards Committee seeks nominations for leaders who have demonstrated scholarly leadership and service toward increasing digital equity through teacher education, regionally, nationally, and/or internationally. Scholarly leadership and service should include but are not limited to teaching, research, leadership, performance, publications, and outreach; and may be a project-oriented, programmatic, and/or systemic initiative(s).
The award winner must show outstanding evidence in the following areas:
- Regional, national, and/or international service to and impact on teacher education – The applicant demonstrates a strong regional, national, and/or international commitment to increasing visibility and awareness on the importance of digital equity in teacher education.
- Serves as a leader and contributes to scholarly work – The applicant demonstrates substantial regional, national, and/or international leadership in scholarly work related to digital equity in teacher education.
- Service to SITE’s overall initiative and vision – The applicant demonstrates clear and organized digital equity initiatives in teacher education and a vision that is transformative in the field and aligned with SITE’s mission.
- Work as An Innovation Catalyst – The applicant demonstrates innovation by inspiring and engaging regional, national, and/or international communities about the importance of digital equity in teacher education to support effective research, instruction and change.
- Work in collaboration with other professional organizations – The applicant demonstrates increased awareness about digital equity advocacy in teacher education by networking with other regional, national, and/or international professional organizations.
- Multiple years of service to information technology in teacher education.
Nominations are reviewed by the SITE Awards Committee, which is a subcommittee of the SITE Consultative Council and is chaired by a member of that Council. Membership on the awards committee will include two representatives from the SITE SIGs, and either the chair, associate chair, or assistant chair from one SITE Council (total of three members on the committee). The chair of the Consultative Council receives the recommendation(s) from the SITE Awards Committee, reviews it with the Consultative Council, and forwards it to the SITE President, who makes the final decision on SITE awards. The recommendation may be to make no award for that year.
Submission Information
Due: February 1, 2022
All applications must be submitted online using the SITE proposal system. For more information or assistance, please contact conf@aace.org. Select for Presentation Type: “SITE OSDE Award Nomination” and paste into Abstract the first paragraph of your nomination. In addition, please upload the nomination file as a docx, containing the complete nomination information above.
- Nominator’s name, affiliation, title, and email address. Self nominations are accepted.
- Nominee’s name, affiliation, title, and email address.
- A descriptive summary between 500 and 750 words suitable for a press release describing the nominee’s outstanding service to digital equity in teacher education. Be certain to include how the nominee meets the six criteria listed in this call.
- Two letters of support from individuals who are familiar with the applicant’s work. (must be included in the docx submission – not forwarded separately to SITE).
Award History
2025
The 11th OSDE was presented to Miri Shonfeld, Head TEC, MOFET, at Kibbutzim College of Education in Israel.
2022
The 10th OSDE was presented to Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown of Stetson University, to recognize her outstanding work in social justice, equity, and diversity. She is the Jessie Ball duPont endowed chair of Social Justice Education.
2010
The 9th OSDE was presented to Dr. Mano Talaiver to recognize her outstanding local and global service. Mano was also awarded the 2009 Black Engineer of the Year for her work with low-income and minority students and rural school divisions. Internationally, Mano has led training for rural school teachers in Ghana and India.
The 8th OSDE was presented to recognize outstanding service in teacher education in western China in association with the China Gansu Basic Education Project where Dr Guo Shaoqing has been very active in ICT development for rural areas.
2008
The 7th OSDE Award was presented to Lawrence Kambiwoa Nunatcho, National Pedagogic Inspector of Informatics, Ministry of Secondary Education, Cameroon.
2007
The 6th OSDE Award was presented to ICTs in Education Steering Committee, Ministry of Education, Namibia received by Geoffrey Shakwa. The committee’s work has been recognized as a model for African countries. Schwaka Award Speech
2006
The 5th OSDE Award was presented to Gypsy Abbott, USA. Gypsy is a Professor and Research Scientist, University of Alabama Birmingham. Gypsy Abbott homepage.
2005
The 4th OSDE Award was presented to Joyce Pittman, USA, for her equity evaluation framework and work as a reformer within the US and with the World Consortium on Curriculum and Instruction. Joyce is Director of the CERTI Project.
2004
The 3rd OSDE Award was presented to Bonnie Bracey, USA, for her work as a change agent and reformer within the US and abroad, including her collaboration with GLEF: the George Lucas Educational Foundation.
2003
The 2nd OSDE Award was presented to Paul Gorski, USA, for his work through scholarship and publication, including the Multicultural Pavilion with resources and dialog for multicultural education.
2002
The 1st SITE OSDE Award was presented to J. Enrique Hinostroza, Director, Instituto de Informática Educativa, Universidad de La Frontera, Chile, for his work through Enlaces, the information and communication technologies (ICT) initiative of the Chilean Educational Reform.
