Teacher Feature: summer 2024

Karen Bogoski

Technology Educator

Eleanor Roosevelt High School

Prince George’s County Public Schools

Some background:

  • “I am from a little town called Carleton, Michigan, in the South-East corner of the state.  I am the youngest of three children and a proud Aunt to my nephew Matthew, who will be turning 20 this year.

  • I have been to Canada, of course, Great Britain, Spain, Mexico, Grand Bahamas, and about half of the states.  My dream vacation is to go to Egypt to see the pyramids.

  • I have two kitty fur babies named Julius and Frankie.

  • I live in Old Greenbelt, MD and could walk to work if I wanted to. 

  • I love to be outdoors gardening, spending time with friends, and visiting the family back in Michigan.

  • I graduated from Eastern Michigan University in December 1996 and promptly started substitute teaching, and have never stopped teaching since.  

  • My degree is a BSA in Fine Arts with teaching certifications in K-12 Art and Technology Education, and a minor in Art History.  I was also pursuing Vocation Technology certification in Construction Trades with plumbing, electrical, and welding skills.

  • I completed my Masters of Education in Career and Technology Education, from the University of Maryland Eastern Shores, in December 2022.

  • My diverse background as an educator includes working at after school programs, community programs, tech & art camps, on-site field trips, and a charter school or two.  Educational sales, training teachers, and curriculum writing are also skills that I learned to harness.

  • I moved to Maryland specifically to take a Technology teaching position at Parkdale High School in August of 2012.

  • I am an Authorized Teacher Effectiveness Coach (ATEC) for Foundations of Technology (FoT) in PGCPS, meaning I train all new FoT teachers to the District and support all the others in whatever they need.

  • I started and ran Parkdale’s FIRST Robotics Team from 2014 until 2019.  I have also mentored the SeaPerch program for CMIT North in Laurel.  I transferred schools in 2019 and now am Faculty Sponsor and coach for VEX robotics at Roosevelt High School, along with MESA and SeaPerch with my after school Engineering Club.

  • I am currently teaching at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland.  The subjects I am teaching are CTE Foundations of Computer Science and Science & Tech Foundations of Technology (Engineering), both ninth grade curriculums.”

1. As a technology teacher, what are some of your favorite tools and resources that you use with students?

“Students get so excited to use power tools, even something as simple as a cordless drill.  I like when I can teach students tool usage skills like soldering or cutting cardboard on the scroll saw.  It’s harder to plan on tool usage with the ninth grade curriculum as the projects do not lend themselves to construction, I have to step outside the curriculum to add it.

Workshops!  I go to as many workshops as I can to learn new things, keep on top of skills, and that darn coding we have to incorporate into our curriculum.”

2. What are some ways in which you collaborate with other teachers in your building on interdisciplinary projects or other activities?

“Oh gosh, I really wish I could have real time to sit down and collaborate with other teachers.  I typically seek out other teachers if I can’t get a clear answer from my research.  I try to work with the Computer Science teachers on coding questions, but they are coders and don’t do physical systems coding, so I have to figure it out on my own or go outside the building to people I know through workshops and robotics.  It’s a real shame that we are made to do collaborative planning but are not allowed the time to collaborate with other subject matters.”

3. You are a part of our next STEM Teacher Leadership Academy cohort this summer - congratulations! What are you most looking forward to during this week of STEAM programming?

“I am looking forward to networking with teachers outside of my usual realm of influence.  I am also looking forward to learning new things, learning about new products, teacher hacks, lessons, and about more resources for my classroom.”

4. What is the best part about your job as a technology educator?

“There are two parts to my job that are the best: 1.  Students who come to me after they have finished my class and tell me how they appreciate and use the teachings I gave them in ninth grade.  They never appreciate the class while in the class. 2. Running into students in the community that have graduated and they tell me how they are using the knowledge from my class.”

Thank you so much, Karen! Have a great summer, everyone.