NEMCC Tech Specialist Earns Honor

Northeast Mississippi Community College technology specialist Jeffrey Powell of Tishomingo has been named an Apple Distinguished Educator.

BOONEVILLE, Miss. – As one of northeast Mississippi’s go-to experts when it comes to Apple products, Northeast Mississippi Community College’s Jeffrey Powell has quickly become one of the trusted names when instructors have questions about technology in the classrooms.

Now, Powell can add a prestigious title to his resume – Apple Distinguished Educator.

Under Apple’s program, distinguished educators are part of a community of educators and leaders that do cutting-edge advancements with Apple products inside and outside the classroom.

With the title, Apple Distinguished Educators collaborate with Apple to find new, unique ways to teach and learn.

Apple’s Distinguished Educator (ADE) Program began in 1994, when Apple recognized K-12 and higher education pioneers who are using a variety of Apple products to transform teaching and learning in powerful ways. Today, it has grown into a worldwide community of over 2,000 educators and innovative leaders who do things with technology in and out of the classroom.

From speeches at the Creating Futures Through Technology Conference (CFTTC) on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to a mobile learning workshop, Powell has travelled the southeastern United States giving insight into what it takes for teachers to stay on the cutting edge of technological advancements in the educational arena.

Powell, a native of the small town of Tishomingo in the very northeastern corner of Mississippi, has served as webmaster for the college since the turn of the century and has developed a passion for technology that the Northeast alum passes on to others.

Powell has helped to lead Northeast in the area of technology as it pertains to Apple products with the introduction of the Mobile Learning Conference five years ago.

From a small workshop, the Mobile Learning Conference developed into a three-day all-intensive conference that allows instructors to understand the value of technology and how to use it constructively in the classroom.

From a first-time Mac novice to the complex server processor, Powell provides educators with an avenue of a conference during their “down-time” in the summer months – and offers CEUs as well.

Powell’s Mobile Learning Conference brings in technology specialists from around the continental United States and some of the southeastern United States’ most trusted technology professors to talk about the value of technology in the classroom.

Instructors learn not only about new products at the conference but are allowed to see some of the lessons from previous conferences in action through hands-on learning and intuitive teaching techniques.

Powell has also been instrumental in introducing e-Textbooks to the Northeast campus.

Northeast’s nursing program has taken Powell’s advice and is now requiring all incoming students to purchase an iPad with their textbooks already installed instead of having to carry around multiple books per class.

When not busy with Apple products and helping instructors embrace technology, Powell also serves as the webmaster for Northeast and recently oversaw a full redesign of the Northeast Mississippi Community College website (http://www.nemcc.edu) that allows for an easier flow of information for potential and current students and provides all data and documentation in an easy-to-find format.

In addition to his duties as webmaster, Powell serves as an technology specialist for the college and helps faculty, staff and students with their technology needs from a simple computer repair to resetting of passwords for e-mail.