ACC’s Coppin named North Dakota’s only 2009 Apple Distinguished Educator

Mark Coppin of Jamestown, N.D., has joined the ranks of some pretty exclusive company.

The Anne Carlsen Center’s Assistive Technology Director is one of about 1,500 in the world – and 52 chosen from the United States this year – to be named an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE). Nominations to this elite group are made every two years for K-12 and higher education professionals possessing an identified expertise in educational technology leadership.

“This is something in my professional career that I’ve always worked towards,” says Coppin. “It is one of the top awards in education and Assistive Technology. I feel very lucky to be part of 52 from the U.S. I was the only person selected from North Dakota this time.”

The ADE program was created in 1994 when Apple identified key educators from around the globe who were emerging as leaders in the field of educational technology. Once chosen as an ADE, membership is for life, if the individual remains active in the community. More information about the program is available online at http://edcommunity.apple.com/adeprogram.

As part of the ADE experience, Coppin will travel to Full Sail University in the Orlando, Fla., area this July for a week of training with his ADE 2009 classmates. The summer professional development program will provide each ADE with access to sound stages, design studios, live performance venues, recording environments, and an outdoor back lot as they create a presentation project. This year’s class of ADE inductees will also have the opportunity to meet – and collaborate with – ADE alumni.

“I have the opportunity to be part of a community of professionals doing a unique thing in their field,” says Coppin. “We’ll be using technology in unique and exciting ways.”

Coppin, a native of Hankinson, N.D., joined the Center as a special education teacher in 1987. He taught for nearly seven years before transitioning to ACC’s media resource center as its manager. He made the position his own, constantly expanding the type and scope of technologies that could be utilized at the Center. “Mark is one of the most creative people I’ve known – he really is an artist,” says Marcia Gums, the Center’s Chief
Operating Officer. “He has such a passion for helping others and helping individuals with diverse needs.”

Today, much of Coppin’s work day is spent researching and developing all aspects of assistive technology for ACC. He is an accomplished speaker, and has presented workshops and conferences across the United States. Having helped test software from around the world, Coppin’s wide-ranging skill set is one that is valued in the technology community.

As a member of the ADE community, educators work with Apple directly on a number of projects. ADEs work to integrate technology into the classroom setting more easily, and they publish original work on the Apple Learning Exchange. Examples of published works include teaching and leadership best practices, exemplary lesson ideas, and a range of content that showcases Apple products and technologies for the advancement of education.

“The award is a testament to what we are doing at the Center and the opportunities we are able to provide,” says Coppin.

“You look at Mark and see what he does – that is our mission,” says Gums. “This experience is going to help expand his horizons, and it is also added value for us here. He is just a phenomenal person and professional. He truly is an expert, but he is too humble to tell you that.”

The Anne Carlsen Center offers a rich tradition of empowering individuals with disabilities and their families. Our experienced staff provides compassion, training, services and supports in homes and communities across North Dakota. On our Jamestown Campus, we meet the educational, residential and therapeutic needs of children and young adults with autism, behavior disorders, medical fragility, and other developmental disabilities.