About Mr. A

#MadeForMiddleSchool

After graduating from the University at Albany in 2000, Chris Anderson had one dream: to become a middle school social studies teacher. The Averill Park Central School District made that dream a reality hiring him to teach 6th grade social studies at Algonquin Middle School.

Chris went on to teach 6th grade for 9 years helping to develop projects like the United Nations Forum, Spotlight on Primary Sources, Medieval Day, and more. He also created his alter ego, 49 Cent, to penned and record a series of raps about Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the Middle Ages. In addition to coaching two sports, he also took on the role of Team Leader, a position he has held in all three grades.

In his 9 years in seventh grade, Mr. A taught early American history from the arrival of the first humans in North American through the Reconstruction Era. This new curriculum gave him the chance to craft more opportunities for his students to experience history and demonstrate their learning. Some of his favorites include the Exploration Game, Colonizing Andersonia, “Get Rich”, the “Constitutional Convention”, and Famous Folks of the New Nation. He also wrote raps and created lyric videos for nearly every unit of study, a collection you can find on this website.

For the last three years, Mr. Anderson has fulfilled two roles simultaneously: he teaches several sections of an elective called Current Global Issues and provides technology support for teachers, staff, students, and families as the building’s Technology Integration Specialist. While teaching Current Global Issues, he has created engaging, dynamic, student-centered learning experiences. From infographics to podcasts, news broadcasts to digital portfolios, students have been empowered to create, share, and reflect on their learning. In his role as Technology Integration Specialist, he’s provided in-person as well as virtual workshops for teachers, recorded weekly technology for students and families, authored a bi-monthly newsletter for the staff, and more. He is excited to collaborate with colleagues and students to see what captivating learning experiences they can create in the future.

Education and Certifications

• Masters of Science-University at Albany (2000-2004) Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology

• Bachelors of Arts-University at Albany (1996-2000) Social Studies major with a minor in Secondary Education