Patricia Rosini

Holy Child Catholic School

When several parochial schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia merged in 2005 to form Holy Child Catholic School, technology educator Patricia Rosini knew she had her work cut out for her. Students in the newly combined school came to Holy Child with a wide variety of backgrounds. Some students were well-versed in computer technology, while others had limited education in technology. Mrs. Rosini’s challenge? To bring all of her students to the same level and prepare them for high school, college and the world beyond.

“Four years later, I am absolutely amazed at the ability of my students,” said Mrs. Rosini. “I look at my fourth graders, who I began teaching when they were in first grade and today they are creating PowerPoint presentations and doing their own research on the Internet. Their improvement from where they were four years ago is one of my proudest accomplishments.”

Mrs. Rosini should be proud. Thanks to her grant application to the Connelly Foundation, Holy Child received a brand new computer lab this year. “It’s the technology that makes everything I teach possible,” she says. “And technology is, after all, the future for these kids. I’ve been an educator for twenty years and because of the new technology available, this is the most exciting time in my career.”

Mrs. Rosini teaches her students everything from Internet research and word processing to podcasts and digital movie making. She incorporates classroom curriculum into her lessons and makes sure that her students are learning as much about history, English and math as they are about technology. “I think one of most rewarding parts of my job is that the students really do enjoy coming to my class,” she says.

In addition to her role as a technology teacher at Holy Child, Mrs. Rosini also maintains the school website and her own classroom website, and is a member Elementary Technology Curriculum Committee. Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Rosini enjoys spending time at the beach and playing with her grandson.