Fara T. Faust
Instructional Technology Specialist (ITS)
Virginia Beach City Public Schools
Educational Leadership
I have served as an Instructional Technology Specialist (ITS) for 10+ years in my district. During this time, I have served on the building Leadership Team and district-wide curriculum committees. I am a frequent presenter at VSTE and other state level technology conferences, and I serve on the district technology conference planning committee. My teammate, Heather Thomas,LMS, and I serve as a model for a successful Educational Technology Team collaboration. We host many visitors each year to our school’s Learning Commons where we share our design ideas, MakerSpace area and co-teaching model. During the past year, I created a weekly Computer Science webinar for elementary age students in her district. I work with a fellow ITS to provide engaging and enriching activities for our students.
Vision for VSTE
I would like to see VSTE promote and advocate for equitable access to technology for all students across the state of Virginia. Computer Science is an area of great interest to me. VSTE is the perfect organization to promote the Virginia Computer Science Standards of Learning especially in the elementary grades. So often people think that Computer Science is covered in the secondary schools and there is no need to include Computer Science integration in the elementary grades. I feel that the opposite is true. We need to provide teachers in Virginia elementary schools with learning opportunities that will enable and empower them to provide integrated Computer Science instruction to their students.
Biographical Sketch
I began my career as a special education teacher and moved into instructional technology in 2007. I have taught in both Nashville, Tennessee, and Virginia Beach, Virginia. In 2018, I was named the CodeVA Computer Science Educator of the year. I was the first educator in Virginia to receive this state-wide distinction. I also work as a facilitator for CodeVA. Outside of school, I enjoy pursuing my interests in history, genealogy, travel and cooking.
