Tech Company Recognizes Innovative Massapequa Art Teacher

MASSAPEQUA, NY — Massapequa High School art teacher Paul Leone has been named the first Educator of the Month by OKIOLABS, the creator of a new document camera that he has been using for instruction since the beginning of the school year.

Leone was featured on the OKIOLABS website in February in which he described his uses of the OKIOCAM as both a teaching tool and for virtual game nights with friends.

When Leone needed a new document camera for his classroom, he became the first art teacher in the district to receive an OKIOCAM from Director of Fine and Performing Arts Vincent Green. Leone said it is an essential tool because it allows him to give his students an up-close look of different artistic techniques. They can see his demonstrations on the classroom Smart Board or on their Chromebook screens. Unlike a traditional document camera, the OKIOCAM has several flexible parts so he can adjust the height and camera angle, and it also folds up very compactly.

“It’s been really great for educational purposes,” he said. “I use it every day. It’s cool to be at the forefront of something.”

The department of fine and performing arts has since purchased OKIOCAMS for all art teachers.

After Leone’s first day using it, he Tweeted a picture of his new workstation, tagging OKIOLABS. A few days later he also shared a video on his Twitter page on how he has used OKIOCAM for art demonstrations. Soon after, representatives from the company reached out to him and Leone not only shared how it has served as a good instructional tool, but could also help friends connect virtually to play tabletop games during the COVID-19 pandemic. He began to do just that after receiving a free OKIOCAM from the company, and later received a second one.

Leone joined the district in 2003 as a leave replacement art teacher at the high school. He then got a job at Berner Middle School and taught there for 16 years, moving back to the high school this year following a retirement. At Berner, he also advised several student organizations including the Art Club, National Junior Art Honor Society, Gaming Club, Mural Club and Yearbook.

This year, he teaches Advanced Placement Art, Drawing and Paint Level 2 and the CCC art program at the high school, and is adviser of the Gaming Club and co-adviser of the National Art Honor Society. He also teaches visual arts classes with the district’s Summer Fine Arts program.

“The entire art department has been doing an incredible job innovating and learning new ways to address the curriculum,” Green said. “I’m glad to see them recognized outside of the classroom for their great work.”