Dr. Bill Brennan, administrative director for innovation and communications in the Farmingdale School District, got quite a surprise while attending the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Making it Happen Awards; he was deemed the award’s winner.
Brennan was honored for his contributions and commitment to the successful integration of technology in education. The ceremony was held at ISTE’s annual conference in Rochester on Nov. 20, 2017. The name of the honoree is kept secret up until the ceremony.
“It was actually my birthday that night,” said Brennan. “At the last minute a woman I knew on the board invited me to sit up front at her table. I thought they were going to sing ‘Happy Birthday.’ But when they started to read the bio of the winner I thought, wait a second—this sounds a little bit like me.”
His hunch was confirmed when they put up a slide of a letter he had received from Kiley Cacace, one of his seventh grade Innovation Fellows. He added, “At that point I knew there was something going on.”
As Brennan climbed on stage to receive the award, his win was tweeted around the room. Before he even got back to his seat, his phone was filled with congratulations messages from district colleagues and social media connections.
Brennan has had an association with ISTE for 10 years and said he was, “honored and humbled to be recognized by ISTE for their Making It Happen Award and to join past recipients who have contributed so much to the field of education.”
—Submitted by the
Farmingdale School District
