Adjunct Lecturer Kristen Mattson has received the 2024 International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Making It Happen Award. The award honors "educators and leaders who demonstrate outstanding commitment, leadership, courage, and persistence in improving digital learning opportunities for students."
ISTE is a nonprofit focused on accelerating innovation in education. Mattson was recognized during the 2024 ISTELive Conference, which was held from June 23-26 in Denver, Colorado.
"It is an honor to receive this award from such a respected and forward-thinking organization. ISTE advocates for the causes I am most passionate about: equitable access to information, the effective pedagogical use of technology in the classroom, and digital citizenship and media literacy education for all. It is truly a privilege to work alongside educators from across the globe in these vital efforts," she said.
At the iSchool, Mattson teaches courses on digital citizenship and media literacy for youth. She has authored Ethics in a Digital World: Guiding Students Through Society's Biggest Questions (International Society for Technology in Education, 2021) and Digital Citizenship in Action: Empowering Students to Engage in Online Communities (ISTE, 2024 and 2017). Mattson earned her EdD in curriculum and instruction leadership, MS in instructional design and technology, and BS in elementary and middle school teaching from Northern Illinois University.