Curriculum Vitae:  George Cassutto

Honors, Awards, Distinctions

 Psi Gamma Mu Social Science Honor Society, 1981-1982.

Graduated Cum laude, Maryville College 1982, Magna cum laude, Hood College, 1991.

Awarded a grant from the Maryland Instructional Computer Coordinators Association (MICCA) for a project entitled "Social Issues Essay Exchange," 1994.

Inducted in the STARS Society, an honor recognizing teachers using technology in the classroom, 1996.

Awarded Teacher of the Year for Maryland by Technology and Learning Magazine, 1996 and 1997.

Awarded Excellent Use of Internet in Education Award, from Edview, Inc. August, 1997.

Awarded the Internet Excellence In Education Grant from the Compaq Corporation,   December, 1997.

Awarded Maryland Computer Educator of the Year for 1998 by Maryland Instructional Computer Coordinators' Association (MICCA). 

Praxis Examination Award: Scored within the top 15% of all takers of the social sciences test  in the history of the test.

Professional Accomplishments

Teacher of Social Studies, Loudoun County Public Schools, VA. 

Taught US History at Sterling Middle School, 2000-2002. Teaching Civics at Harmony Middle School since it opened in 2002 as Harmony Intermediate School.  Other duties performed as part of this position include:

Teacher of Social Studies and Computer Applications, North Hagerstown High School, 1992-2000.

At North Hagerstown High School:

Education Director for the Oak Hill House, 1986-1991.

Conferences and Presentations

Curriculum Development:

Designed and delivered teacher workshops on using computers and the Internet for:

Web Development:

 

Publications:

 

EDUCATION

B.A., History, Maryville College, TN. 1982.

M.A. Contemporary Government, Hood College, MD 1991.

M. Ed, George Mason University, Curriculum and Instruction with emphasis in Educational Technology, 2005.

GMU portfolio available online, 2003-2005.

Certification: Advanced Professional Certificate (APC), Maryland Social Studies, History. Virginia endorsements: Social Sciences, Political Science, History.

 CIVIC SERVICE

Digital Lead (web developer/social media content coordinator), Organizing For Action (formerly, Obama For America), 2012-present. Coordinated and provided online content for Western Maryland Chapter of President Obama's re-election campaign. Also acted as Comunity Organizer (CO) and Neighborhod Team Leader (NTL) for the campaign to re-elect President Obama.

Webmaster, North Hagerstown High School, 1994-1998: Set up one of the first high school web sites in Maryland. Maintaining and developing the web site for students and teachers to use as a resource making North Hagerstown High school a global leader in teaching, learning, and technology.

Youth leader, Frederick Presbyterian Church, 1986-1995. Designed a program that instilled in young people the importance of service to God and community. We engaged in building low-cost housing for the homeless, assistance to the elderly, and rebuilding of church and community property.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

As the son of a Presbyterian minister, I grew up hearing how my parents survived the Nazi occupation of their native Holland. 
My parents were Jewish survivors of the Holocaust
who decided to maintain their Judaism while embracing the basic beliefs of Christianity. This made them "Hebrew Christians," so I and my twin brother often had to answer the puzzled questions of our peers who asked "how can you be both Christian and Jewish?"

The lessons that my parents taught in their ministry involved mutual understanding, respect, and  acceptance of humans towards each other. These lessons were very important to me, and as I went through college, it was their influence that instilled in me a love for history. During that time, my mother became a teacher of French and English on the secondary level for the Carroll County Schools. Her example led me to choose teaching as a career.

In 1994, I was invited to attend a conference of educators on the Holocaust at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. A few months earlier, I had discovered the joys of telecommunications and computing. At the conference, I witnessed a demonstration of what was then the new-born World Wide Web as well as how it could be used in the classroom. From then on, I was inspired to bring the Internet into my classroom. Through slow but consistent steps, I obtained computers and Internet access for little or no cost and integrated these new technologies into my teaching. 

The Internet and teaching are providing more opportunities for me every day. I am thankful to my family, co-workers, and the on-line community for making those opportunities possible. In 2002, I transplanted my skills to a brand new intermediate school in  northern Virginia. My role there has given me many opportunities to apply those skills that make the Internet an important teaching tool.
 

George Cassutto
geocas@aol.com
Winter, 2014-2015