A Season of Gratitude: Looking Back, Moving Forward

Reflections on a 27-Year Journey of Learning, Leadership, and Technology in Education

November is Gratitude Month at The Worthy Educator!

Grace Magley is a highly-respected leader in education,, recently retired after twenty-seven years innovating teaching and learning with technology. She is regarded by all who know her as the personification of gratitude, making a difference wherever she can be of service. Grace is happiest when she is collaborating with other passionate educators, leaders, and learners. We are honored to lift her up as a role model for living a life of gratitude. She is the ideal Champion for this month's focus!

As November arrives and we prepare for Thanksgiving, I find myself reflecting on how truly grateful I am for the path that has brought me here. This season of gratitude feels especially meaningful as I look back on my 27+ year journey in K12 education and forward to my new role as Executive Director of MassCUE, an organization that has shaped, supported, and inspired me since my earliest days as an educator.

Life’s turning points often begin quietly. For me, it started back in 1997 in the small town of Millis, Massachusetts. My oldest, David, was eight and endlessly curious. My youngest, Lauren, had just started kindergarten. After several joyful years at home raising them, I began to feel that familiar tug, a desire to return to work and make a difference.

What began as a volunteer role in technology integration quickly grew into a calling. I discovered how much I loved helping teachers and students explore new ways to learn through technology. That small beginning blossomed into a lifelong career filled with opportunity, creativity, and purpose. I’ve been fortunate to lead innovation in multiple districts, collaborate with visionary educators across the state, and witness firsthand how technology, when used thoughtfully, can transform learning and empower students.

The best ideas in education often begin with listening to teachers’ needs, to students’ voices, and to the wisdom of our shared experience.

When I think about gratitude, I can’t help but marvel at the incredible transformation I’ve witnessed across decades of educational technology.

From the days of mainframes I worked on in college and at GTE Government Systems to the first desktop computers of the 1970s, like the Radio Shack TRS-80 Model II with its eight-inch floppy disks. Then came the first Apple and Microsoft computers of the 1980s, the networks and servers of the 1990s, and the arrival of the Internet and the 2000’s brought us mobile phones, and social media.

And now we find ourselves in the age of AI, with GPTs, virtual and augmented reality, robot companions and tools that once seemed like science fiction. I still remember speaking at a community event in Millis years ago and saying that my wish was to see a computer in every classroom. We have come so far!

Through it all, each emerging technology had to be understood in the context of teaching and learning. Every wave brought challenges that required creativity, collaboration, and resilience to overcome. That hasn’t changed. Today, AI is reshaping education once again, asking us to rethink what’s possible while staying grounded in what matters most - our students.

What I cherish most are the people. It’s the teachers, mentors, and students who have filled my career with purpose. I’ve seen extraordinary teachers embrace new ideas, overcome their fears, and transform classrooms into vibrant centers of exploration.

The greatest compliment of my career came from a teacher who, after completing one of my summer blended learning courses, told me it changed his teaching and made him a better teacher for his students. That single moment captures the heart of why we do this work.

Progress in education never happens alone. Whether launching a 1:1 learning initiative, leading professional development, or designing equitable AI guidelines, innovation always begins with collaboration and trust.

Gratitude, for me, has always been at the heart of leadership. It’s what sustains us through change and uncertainty. When we lead with gratitude, we build stronger connections, recognize the gifts others bring, and see challenges as opportunities for growth.

As I step into this new chapter with MassCUE, I’m reminded of the countless educators who have inspired me along the way. There are early adopters who take risks, the mentors who offer guidance, and the students who remind me why this work matters. Their passion continues to fuel my own.

We are again at a defining moment in education, standing on the threshold of new possibilities with AI and emerging technologies. But while the tools have changed, our purpose remains the same: to help every learner create, contribute, and succeed in a connected world.

This November, as we celebrate gratitude, I invite all of us to pause and to reflect on the teachers, mentors, students, and opportunities that have shaped our journeys. I believe when we lead with gratitude, we see not just what we’ve accomplished, but what’s still possible.

Warmly,

Grace

Grace Magley is the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Computer Using Educators (MassCUE) after recently retiring as Director of Digital and Personalized Learning for the Natick, Massachusetts Public Schools, finishing up a distinguished career in K-12 education. A lifelong advocate for innovation, equity, and educator empowerment, Grace began her journey as a volunteer in her hometown of Millis, where she helped launch one of the district’s first technology plans and secured its first state technology grant.

For nearly three decades, Grace has led statewide initiatives advancing digital learning, personalized instruction, and AI readiness in schools. She is passionate about helping educators find purpose, balance, and joy in their work, especially at pivotal moments of change.

Grace lives in Massachusetts, where she continues to mentor educators, organize professional learning events, volunteer, travel and enjoy time with her family and friends.

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