Access, connection, and a sense of wonder for students everywhere
Daisy Dyer Duerr is a national keynote speaker, educational consultant, and a proud rural educator. She advocates for a higher quality standard of education in rural and low-income regions, working with school districts, federal and state government, and various organizations to achieve greater equality in education. Dubbed a “Turnaround Principal,” Dyer Duerr took a rural, isolated and impoverished school in Arkansas from the “School Improvement List” to the top 10% in the state in under four years—establishing her as one of the “Top 20 Innovators in Arkansas” as named by the Arkansas Times in 2015. A self-proclaimed “New-Age Southern Belle,” Dyer Duerr makes her home in rural Arkansas with her husband and two children. In February, Daisy Dyer Duerr will share her passion for education with administrators at AcceleratED PDX 2016.
In preparation for this event, we conducted a brief personal interview with Daisy Dyer Duerr. Read the full interview below!
Who are you, and what do you do?
I am Daisy Dyer Duerr; rural educator, education speaker, consultant, writer, NASSP Digital Principal, and advocate for all students. I consider myself a “modern day Southern Belle.” I am mommy to Carter, 11 and Cooper, 6, and wife to Eddie. I’m PTO President at my son’s school…and I was recently crowned Fantasy Football League Champion—#playoffs!
What are your technology “must-haves”—the technology (hardware, software—whatever falls into your definition of the category) that you could not get through the day without?
I live by my iphone…I MUST have it and a connection to WiFi or my network! (Yes…I’m like a teenager—I crave the constant connection to others!) I use Twitter, Flipboard, Google (all things), Instagram…JUST DON’T TAKE MY PHONE OR MY CONNECTIVITY!!! (I’d really like to have my MacBook Pro too if possible!)
How did technology affect your own education? Is there anything you miss about technology at that time?
I am from the country—very rural America. When I went to college my roommate had a “bag-phone” in her car, and I remember how “high on the hog” I thought she was living! My high school had limited technology so college was the first time I was really exposed to using technology for research, writing, etc.
What is your hope for the future of technology in education?
My hope is that ALL students, regardless of their location or socioeconomic status, will be provided the opportunity to access the internet at a high speed with devices relevant to today’s workforce. And that this technology will be used by well-trained education staff to increase the level of learning and WONDER in students.
If you could go out for coffee with anyone—historical or contemporary, real or fictional, celebrity or unknown—who would it be?
I’d want to take my sports fanatic son and my husband to lunch with Tom Brady, and then for dessert I’d take my daughter out with her favorite author, Jennifer Donnelly, so she can quiz her about the Deep Blue series!
To hear more of Daisy Dyer Duerr’s thoughts on rural education, connectivity addiction, and the wonders of the “bag-phone,” register for AcceleratED PDX 2016, a one-day event for educational administrators.
For more on Daisy Dyer Duerr, visit her website.