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We Officially Welcome Ann Mariano to Framingham Public Schools
Last month we announced that Ann Mariano was joining Framingham Public Schools as the Director of Information Technology. In honor of her starting this week, we put together a brief Q&A to get to know our newest addition. Please join us in welcoming Ann to Framingham!
About Ms. Mariano
Ms. Ann Mariano comes to Framingham from Foster-Glocester Regional Schools in Rhode Island where she was the Director of Education Technology. Prior to that she was a Deputy Technology Director for the Schools and Town at Stoughton District. Ms. Mariano was also a Director of Technology for the Winsor School, the Ursuline Academy, and the Central Falls School District. In addition, Ms. Mariano was employed as a Network Manager/Editorial Systems for Cahners Publishing. Ms. Mariano graduated from Boston College with a Bachelors of Arts and earned her Masters in Information Technology from Worcester Poly Institute.
What do you love about your chosen career path?
I’m so fortunate to work with people who are really passionate about what they do. Everyone is trying to do what’s in the best interests of children. So even if we disagree about the method to use, we all agree about the need.
What advice would you give your teenage self?
That life is a roller coaster. There will be periods of time that are terrific and others that are a real struggle. Have patience during the tough times and enjoy the good ones as they happen.
What are you looking forward to here in Framingham?
I’m really looking forward to being part of the community and being able to contribute with the skills and knowledge I’ve developed over the years. I’m looking forward to visiting the schools and getting to know as many people and students as possible.
What would you say are the top 3 technological advances in the last decade? (can be general or education focused)
I’m not sure its about the technology but more about how our daily lives have been impacted by the latest tools. In education, students can really own their own learning. Knowledge is at our fingertips or voice. The difficulty is curating all that is out there.
For example, I watched the movie, Harriet, the other day on my tablet. I had so many questions generated by watching the movie, I spent a large amount of time googling to learn more.
How do you stay informed of changes in the industry and what PD opportunities do you seek for yourself?
I’m an active member at MassCue so I like to keep informed as to what others are doing and which workshops might help me or others I mentor or coach. I also teach workshops on data analysis for the MassCue DataSig group and I probably google too many youtube videos to see how various products are put into play.
What do you do for fun, when you're not working?
I probably have too many things I like to do. Reading, carpentry, and golf are my more popular pastimes. I also enjoy visiting my children who are in schools around the country - that is the absolute best.