The longtime technology teacher expands her expertise and brings new opportunities to students and colleagues.

Kim Marie Kefalas earns Microsoft and Adobe recognition, expanding opportunities for students and colleagues.

LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NJ — Kim Marie Kefalas is a familiar source of technology expertise for Linden students and staff. Now, Microsoft and Adobe are recognizing the work behind that reputation.

The elementary technology teacher at Schools No. 8 and 10 has been selected as a 2026–27 Microsoft Elevate Educator Expert and an Adobe Creative Educator Innovator.

Adobe’s selective, application-based program recognizes K–12 educators who integrate creativity into teaching and learning. Microsoft’s designation recognizes educators who use its tools and artificial intelligence to advance instruction. Both connect Kefalas with global peers, professional learning resources and product teams, expanding what she can bring back to Linden.

“I feel like the more I know, the more I teach our teachers and then the more our students know,” Kefalas said. “And that’s what’s gonna help them be prepared for later on.”

A Linden High School graduate now in her 31st year with the district, Kefalas describes herself as an innovator. Her approach starts with continued learning and a practical question: How can these tools help students?

Expanding Her Expertise

Already holding Apple certification, Kefalas wanted to deepen her knowledge of Microsoft and Adobe, platforms she uses regularly. She applied for Adobe’s program in February and Microsoft’s in May.

“It’s practical for me,” she said. “It’s something I’m using every day.”

Both applications were successful.

Adobe’s selection letter recognized her commitment to student voice, digital creativity and learning experiences that prepare students for the future. The news arrived in June, while Kefalas was also working on Apple Distinguished School applications for both of her buildings.

“I was happy about it, but I really couldn’t process it until the summer,” she said.

Microsoft notified her of its recognition in September. She will participate in her first global Microsoft welcome call Oct. 7.

Superintendent Dr. Atiya Y. Perkins congratulated Kefalas on that accomplishment.

“I am proud of this well-deserved recognition and of the way you represent Linden Public Schools,” Perkins told her. “Keep shining.”

Global Connections, Local Benefits

In July, Adobe flew Kefalas to its headquarters in San Jose, California, for the ACE Innovator Summit. She said she was among 50 educators selected from the United States to attend, joining participants from countries including Japan, Ireland and Australia.

The experience offered a chance to compare approaches with educators using the same tools in different settings. Those connections also provide practical support.

Recently, Kefalas said, she met through Microsoft Teams with an Adobe app developer to troubleshoot an issue.

“It’s a community,” she said. “And now you have the support. You have global support.”

Her Adobe cohort year includes a dedicated mentor, access to creative tools and opportunities to provide feedback to product teams. Participants will also develop a creative project with students or fellow educators.

For Kefalas, those exchanges give teachers a voice in how technology serves children.

“They need the teacher perspective,” she said.

Where Gaming Meets the Garden State

In her fourth- and fifth-grade technology classes, Kefalas turns professional learning into classroom experiences.

Last school year, students researched New Jersey agriculture, then used Minecraft Education to build sustainable farms featuring locally grown crops.

“I tried to bridge the love of gaming with curriculum,” she said.

Kefalas introduced students to the Garden State’s agricultural production and helped them begin their research. They then used that information to shape their digital farms.

Some wanted to go further. Could they add a zoo?

“I said, ‘Sure,’” Kefalas recalled.

The assignment connected research with design while leaving room for students to pursue ideas of their own.

Accessibility is part of her planning, too. Translation and read-aloud features, including Microsoft’s Immersive Reader, can help students engage with classroom material.

“It’s like leveling the playing field,” she said.

Learning That Reaches Others

Kefalas teaches technology from kindergarten through fifth grade. This is her ninth year in that role, following years as a third-grade teacher.

She also leads staff professional development on AI and classroom platforms, shares updates through newsletters and visits teachers’ classrooms for individual support. As the district’s after-school STEM coordinator, she helps select program topics and activities.

At each of her schools, she develops student technology leaders who can assist others.

“What I basically do is I teach them so that they can help others,” she said.

That exchange reflects Priority 3: Staff Excellence and Professional Growth. New knowledge becomes support for a colleague, a classroom experience or an opportunity for a student to lead. It also brings the ROAR pillars of Opportunities and Relationships into practice, connecting collaboration with student access, creativity and growth.

Kefalas pursues professional development on her own at least once a week. Three decades of teaching have reinforced the need to keep adapting.

“The students I had in 1996 are not the students I have in 2026,” she said.

The two recognitions widen the community she can learn from. Linden’s students and teachers give that learning its purpose.

“I’m a big learner,” Kefalas said. “I love to learn.”