On July 11, Wilson Padilla Melendez, a fourth-grade language and math teacher at Claremont Immersion School in Arlington, was honored for his work as an educator by Instructure, a company that creates learning management systems used by students and teachers across the globe.
The company is best known for its Canvas learning management platform, which consists of digital and organizational tools used in varying levels of education, from elementary to collegiate.
Padilla Melendez received the Canvas Educator of the Year Award while attending the company’s annual Instructurecon event in Long Beach, California, which is a five-day conference full of speakers, honors and other networking events.
“It’s taken me by surprise and also gives me great satisfaction to have been recognized for my work as an educator,” Melendez says. “I realize the work I’ve done has remarkable results and I’m doing my part to contribute to the development of excellent citizens.”
According to Instructure, the award is given to educators who meet the following criteria: redefine traditional classroom activities, improve achievement for at-risk populations and impact student engagement, curiosity and preparedness for the future.
Padilla Melendez, representing the elementary school category, was the only winner from the state of Virginia. He won for his ability to customize students’ learning and teach career-building skills through the use of technology platforms like Canvas. By using data, Padilla Melendez is able to make lesson plans that are interesting and rigorous for each student in his classroom.
Other winners of the Canvas Educator of the Year Award span from Ohio, California, Missouri and Utah.
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