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Two educators from Forest Lake Area Schools were presented with awards last week in recognition of their work with educational technology.

Kelly Duncan and Joy Sietsema, both of Forest Lake Elementary School, received TIES Exceptional Teachers awards at the 2008 TIES Educational Technology Conference, held Dec. 9 at the Hyatt Regency.

All of the award recipients were from school districts that are members of TIES.

Duncan and Sietsema were among 67 teachers from 33 districts around the state who were chosen by their own superintendents to receive the award. The award recognizes teachers who model the best practices in using technology in their classrooms and engage students in learning.

Duncan, who works as Teacher Technology Specialist and Gifted Coordinator at Forest Lake Elementary, has been at the school for 21 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in K-6 Elementary Education from Augsburg College and a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Minnesota.

Sietsema, a certified SMART Board trainer, been media specialist at Forest Lake Elementary since 2004. She earned her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from Gustavus Adolphus College, her Library Science degree from Mankato State University and a master's degree from Hamline University.

Prior to working at Forest Lake, Sietsema worked as a substitute teacher for 11 years and taught second grade for three years in Hector, Minn. She also spent four years in the North Branch school district working as a media specialist and gifted-and-talented coordinator.

Both teachers reside in the Chisago Lakes area.

Besides being recognized at the conference, each award-winning teacher was featured in the TIES Exceptional Teachers publication and received a certificate.

TIES was created as Technology Information Education Services in 1967 to provide technology and information resources to school administrators, educators and students. It is now known solely by the acronym TIES and is a consortium of 38 Minnesota districts.

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