Beth Wardlaw has joined the Darlington Community as the technology integration specialist in the I.T. Office.
“This position is truly my dream job,” said Wardlaw. “The school wanted someone to help integrate S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, art and math) into every classroom—and I am very passionate about S.T.E.A.M.”
The Rome native holds a B.S. in Middle Grades Education from Shorter College and an M.Ed. in Instructional Technology from Kennesaw State University. Most recently, she taught Technology, Engineering, Robotics, and Business as well as Computer Science to students in grades 6-8 at Armuchee Middle School in Rome.
There, she also served as the adviser of the Student Technology Association, the AMS Morning Show and the Coding Club, which she founded. Wardlaw also built and maintained the school’s website. As an employee of Floyd County Schools, she built relationships with businesses and business owners inside and outside of the community, helping to secure sponsorships for the school’s technology program.
"Beth has a combination of successful classroom experience and technical know-how, along with an understanding of the complex critical literacies and life skills our students need to learn that will make her a great resource for our teachers," said Stefan Eady, director of information technology. "She also has a great track record of getting students involved in the community with S.T.E.M. projects and competitions."
In 2014, Wardlaw was nominated by the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce for the TAG (Technology Association of Georgia) S.T.E.M. Award, for which she was named a finalist. She holds membership in the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE). She is a past presenter at the Georgia Educational Technology Conference, where she spoke specifically on S.T.E.A.M. integration and how to start successful programs in schools.
An avid competitor, Wardlaw believes this to be a key tool for student engagement and for teaching them how to communicate and present ideas.
“Students thrive on competition and it gets them so involved because they love to win,” said Wardlaw. “They take so much pride in their work if they know they are going to present it somewhere.”
She is also a firm believer in working to build relationships with students.
“The main reason I went into education was because I fell in love with middle school students. I love their attitudes and that age of awkwardness,” said the teacher. “My goal is to make every child feel safe and cared about and to have a safe environment to go to. I want them to find joy in learning and to be excited to learn something when they come into the classroom.”
The new staff member also has a passion to bring more young ladies into the world of S.T.E.A.M., as she did in her previous role, and believes it is that “A” that is often the game changer.
“By bringing the arts into your S.T.E.M. program you get more females involved—whether digital photography, filming, producing and so on—there are a lot of technical components that people don’t always think of as ‘technology,’” she said.
Wardlaw looks forward to leaving her mark by increasing the involvement of Darlington’s technology program in different regional and state events like the Northwest Georgia Regional Tech Fair, initiatives and memberships, as well as opportunities for students to teach their parents about the technology that is used on campus. She also wants to engage the Rome-Floyd County area through open house events to invite the community to see what Darlington’s programs have to offer.
“Technology is our future—they’ve got to learn it. I’m really excited to be here and work with all of the staff and students,” added Wardlaw. “What is important is to help them to connect the classroom to real-world experiences.”
Wardlaw and her family attend West Rome Baptist Church, and are very passionate about adoption and foster care. In addition to a son, the family includes two daughters of Guatemalan descent.
She and husband Andrew, who owns ACW Landscapes, are the parents of Kaleb (’26), Shyann (’26) and Bella. The family resides in Rome and is currently building a new home in Silver Creek, Ga.
