Carter Has A Passion To Use Technology To Help Students, Teachers
By Tim Ashley
InkFreeNews
WARSAW — Kyle Carter wants the latest and greatest in technology, but not because the latest smartphone would look nice in his hand or it would just simply be fun to have the latest device.
Instead, he wants to see technology used in a way that will equip students to succeed in a digitally driven world and to accelerate learning. Carter is the chief technology and data analytics officer for Warsaw Community Schools.
Carter has a broad resume with public education experience including classroom teaching for seven years, an instructional coach for two years and then a principal for seven years before moving into his current role when the 2021-22 school year started.
A native of Warsaw, he graduated from Warsaw Community High School in 2001. “I knew fairly early in life I wanted to be a teacher,” he said. “I had some really good teachers.”
One in particular was Beth Crammer in third grade. “She stood out for sure,” Carter said, recalling she really cared about her students and saw teaching as a personal investment in the lives of her students.
After graduating from WCHS, it was on to Grace College to major in elementary education and graduate in 2005. He didn’t have to go very far for his teaching job. “It was right next door to Grace College,” he said, teaching sixth grade at Jefferson Elementary School.
Classroom teaching was certainly fulfilling, but Carter chose to accept a position as an instructional math coach for all grades in the school district. He did this for two years and it allowed him to see different projects and perspectives.
“I found out really quickly how much we want to invest in our teachers and help them to grow,” he said, adding he learned as much from the teachers as he taught them. “It was a very rewarding role and could impact learning.”
Then it was another transition time and he accepted the principal position at the school he taught at, Jefferson Elementary, beginning with the 2014-15 school year. “My goal was ultimately to be an elementary school principal,” he said.
Carter said he wasn’t seeking his current role, but he has always been passionate about using technology to accelerate learning and to use data to make instructional decisions. He was one of the first teachers to have students use electronic devices in the classroom.
Now he utilizes data taken from student assessments to help students learn better. “We don’t just test kids to test them,” he said.
He emphasized “this is a total team effort” and “I look to insure we have the best technology for our students and to help teachers enhance learning in the classroom.”
Students in all grades have an electronic device for a typical four-year cycle. They can keep that device after four years if the repairs are current because it is already being paid for through textbook rental fees.
A big project in the works is replacing projectors in classrooms with some type of interactive touch panels. Also using document cameras to project data onto the screens.
Carter said teachers have been using different platforms such as Google Classroom, Seesaw and Canvas. STEM classes are “moving further down the road” including building robotics fleets.
Some people may arrive at the conclusion robotics is all about fun, but he said instead a lot of learning is taking place because students are working together as teams, using problem solving skills and have to think quickly to find solutions to problems.
“Technology should accelerate learning and is not just about fun,” he said. “It is a tool.”
Carter also serves on the board of directors for the Warsaw Education Foundation and is an active volunteer at Warsaw Community Church where he serves on the technology team. He enjoys hiking and bicycling, as well as board games, video games and Legos.
Kyle has been married to Jenna, who works at WCC in the worship arts department, for nearly 14 years. They have two sons: Lincoln, a sixth grader at Jefferson Elementary; and Benjamin, a fourth grader at Jefferson Elementary.