CCSD Educator Named 2025 LHRIC TELL Award Recipient

CCSD educator Richard Bertrand was recently named a 2025 recipient of the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center’s (LHRIC) Technology in Education through Leadership and Learning (TELL) awards. TELL honors those who have demonstrated — in one of three categories — a strategic approach to technology integration in their schools and districts. Congratulations to Richard, who was recognized as an outstanding innovative teacher!

Richard, who teaches English at Clarkstown High School South, credits both his and his students’ success in the classroom to an in-District professional development opportunity offered this past fall that helps bridge the gap between technology and the humanities. “The most wonderful aspect of Design Thinking is that it fosters empathy,” he said. “This framework aims to solve real-world problems by focusing on peoples’ experiences and needs. The approach that my tenth and eleventh graders take emphasizes having a deep understanding of users in order to not only build, but create solutions that resonate, are practical, sustainable and emotionally meaningful.”

So, what does this look like in practice? “Eleventh graders explore a variety of science fiction short stories and then craft their own,” Richard continued. “Students workshop these stories with me, a peer and an AI chatbot and then partner up to produce a podcast. The medium, which reflects society’s new normal for sharing news and other notable information, allows for meaningful conversations around student-generated work to take place. Furthermore, it fosters empathy and generates authentic discourse all while spotlighting the real-world power of literature on critical thought.”

The learning environment that Richard has created modernizes the educational experience for all through the shared use of — and access to — technology. “I seek avenues for which technology can lead to a more equitable classroom,” he said. “The projects I assign are my optimistic attempt to fathom a future where the English curriculum coexists with its STEM counterparts and moves at an efficient speed that all school stakeholders rightfully deserve. This way, no one is left behind in the process.”

Richard will join his fellow honorees, of which there are only 11, during a celebration next month in Briarcliff Manor. Thank you for your innovation and dedication to the craft!