By Elena Perri • Posted August 8, 2025

Most students and teachers look forward to the end of the school year and taking a much-needed summer break.

For 180 teachers and administrators from elementary and secondary schools across the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, that break began after attending a two-day Summer Tech Academy held on June 16-17 at Pope John Paul II High School in Royersford.

The goal of the academy is to support K-12 Catholic school educators in creating meaningful student engagement and better learning outcomes through the integration of technology. The academy also helps teachers explore how technology can positively impact their classroom instruction.

Based on feedback from educators who attended the annual event, the opportunity to learn about technology and network with one another was a positive and energizing experience.

“We don’t have a lot of opportunities to collaborate and network because we’re such a big archdiocese, and our schools are all spread out,” said Annabel Dotzman, associate director of educational technology for the archdiocesan Office of Catholic Education. “This allows teachers to meet their counterparts in other schools and really have a sense of camaraderie, share what they’re doing, and get fresh ideas.”

The timing of the academy gives teachers and administrators the opportunity to head into their summer break feeling prepared for the upcoming school year, she explained.

“This is their chance to get refreshed for the new school year and to find new tools and strategies they can test out over the summer,” Dotzman added.

The Connelly Foundation started the academy in 2009 and organized the summer professional development program until 2020, when the educational technology staff at the archdiocese began overseeing the logistics of the two-day training program in collaboration with the Foundation.

“Their mission is to support teachers in the archdiocese with technology integration, to use it as a tool to support all our students’ learning needs, and enhance their learning experiences,” Dotzman said. “We see technology not as a replacement for anything, but as a tool that can help all our students.”

In addition to learning about technological tools, the academy also integrates Catholic spirituality into the programming.

Shannon McClintock Miller, a teacher, librarian, and author, and Lisa Hendey, founder of CatholicMom.com and an author of several books, gave keynote presentations and facilitated breakout sessions during the academy.

“Lisa really brought a focus on faith and how we can marry the technology, the instruction, and our faith together and see the connections there,” Dotzman said. “We can use technology as a tool for enriching our faith and enriching our students’ faith as well.”

Professional development is required for all teachers in Pennsylvania, and attendees earned 12 Act 48 credits through the Pennsylvania Department of Education, she explained.

Dotzman and her colleague Anthony Dunn, a technology integration coach on the technology team in the Catholic education office, coordinated the logistics for this event.

She expressed appreciation for the teachers who submit proposals for breakout sessions offered during the academy.

Dotzman noted that several teachers have presented many times, including Tina Schmidt from St. Jerome School in Philadelphia, Michele Kiss from St. Patrick School in Malvern, Alexis Loomis from Cardinal John Foley School in Havertown, and Sean Carchidi from Mercy Career and Technical High School in Philadelphia.

“It is a talented group of educators who are willing to spend their first days of summer break, sharing their knowledge with the rest of their colleagues,” she said. “Without those talented teachers, this would not be possible. They’re the lifeline of the Summer Tech Academy.”

Feedback from teachers highlighted how the academy has helped them stay up to date with technology, build confidence in trying new things they can incorporate into their classrooms, gain new insights, and feel inspired to be better teachers.

“This is a premier offering we’re able to provide for our teachers because it gives them the opportunity to stay ahead of the technology curve and even be innovators with the technology they use in their classrooms,” Dotzman said.

“Oftentimes, they’re the champion teachers who are bringing this knowledge back to their schools and sharing it with others.”