Baldwin-Whitehall's Peretin named Technology Administrator of the Year

Baldwin-Whitehall School District has reason to celebrate, particularly during a time when technology plays a very integral part in education.

Dr. Janeen Peretin, director of communication, innovation and advancement for the Baldwin-Whitehall School District, has been selected as the Technology Administrator of the Year by The Pennsylvania Education Technology Expo and Conference.

According to a news release, the Pennsylvania Education Technology Expo and Conference brings like-minded technology administrators and educators from all over Pennsylvania and surrounding areas to learn from leading experts in the education and technology fields.

Peretin was instrumental in the district’s acceptance into the Digital Promise’s League of Innovative Schools.

This year, with the shift to online and hybrid learning, her dedication has shone even brighter.

“Even now, during this global pandemic, our library media center is fully functioning due to Dr. Peretin’s forethought when we redesigned and repurposed this space,” said Brigetta Del Re, library media specialist at Baldwin High School. “Whether we are in a fully remote or hybrid model, the Library Media Center serves our students with access to digital resources, production tools and a sundry of apps that enable them to remain engaged in their learning activities. We were poised for success because of Dr. Peretin’s leadership.”

District superintendent Dr. Randal Lutz echoed those sentiments. “Every decision she makes is about improving the life of a child,” he said.

Peretin is already looking ahead.

“I think we are at an inflection point in education and I’m excited for what the future might be. When I think about the future, I think about the expanded role of AI and blockchain and how they might help teachers leverage data to personalize learning for all of their students,” she said. “I think about tech continuing to evolve and support project and problem-based learning rooted in real world problems with a global audience, and how AR and VR can help to support these experiences. I see technology continuing to evolve to allow students to have agency in their learning. But no matter where technology takes us, I believe it must remain our collective responsibility to teach our students how to use these powerful tools for good to make our world a better place for everyone.”