Education Leaders Program / Deborah N. Hargroves

“Using a palette of technology tools, students and teachers can relate to subjects in a more personal, creative way — and students who create multimedia have fun while they are learning.”

Deborah N. Hargroves has been working with students and teachers to promote the integration of technology into the K-12 curriculum since the mid-1970s. She especially aspires to help students and other educators create powerful images through photography and to elevate the art of digital storytelling.

Hargroves relies on Adobe® Photoshop® Elements and Adobe Premiere® Elements software for teaching both novices and more advanced learners to develop their visual literacy abilities. She has a special interest in showcasing digital storytelling and multimedia production, which she believes improve written, organizational, and visual literacy skills and bestow deep knowledge of the subject matter.

Hargroves is passionate about promoting the International Student Media Festival, which pays tribute to young producers worldwide who express their ideas through technology. This festival includes speakers, workshops, screenings, and an awards ceremony — all honoring excellence in student media production.

Hargroves has received numerous awards, including the Connelly Award for outstanding dedication to promoting student-produced media (2006), the Olympus Visionary Educator designation for the creative use of photography in education (2005), the Walter S. Bell Award for Exemplary Media Services (1999), the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award (1998), and the Georgia Media Specialist of the Year award (1997).