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William Ayotte
Director of the Marlon Family IDEAS Center at Gould Academy
Professional Background
William Ayotte is a passionate educator and innovator, currently serving as a teacher who brings a wealth of knowledge in subjects from robotics to digital design and 3D modeling. As the Director of Innovation and Design, he leverages his extensive experience in diverse fields to help students pursue their individual goals and foster their creativity. William’s teaching philosophy centers around empowering students with practical skills, encouraging them to build and design their own projects. His journey as an educator is shaped by a unique blend of IT expertise and hands-on technical skills acquired through personal interests and hobbies.
Before stepping into the teaching sphere, William carved out a niche for himself as a skilled IT technician specializing in systems administration and network engineering. He accrued substantial experience managing medium-sized networks equipped with thousands of devices across various sites. A highlight of his early career involved deploying and administering one of the largest Linux laptop programs for four years, where he played a vital role in firewall management, server administration, and general network engineering.
Interestingly, William's journey began long before the technology world. His early employment experiences include a role as a prep cook at Seeds of Peace, where he immersed himself in a community of campers from nations with a long history of conflict, enhancing his understanding of cultural diversity and teamwork.
Education and Achievements
William holds an Associate's degree in Computer Technology/Computer Systems Technology from Central Maine Community College. This academic background laid the foundation for his technical prowess and ignited his passion for innovative teaching techniques. His self-guided journey into machine design led him to build a CNC router and design his very own 3D printer, showcasing his commitment to hands-on learning and innovation. Furthermore, his talents in rebuilding a CNC Mill for OHTS highlight his ongoing dedication to influence and improve the technical resources available to students and educators alike.
As an educator, William integrates cutting-edge tools like CNC robotics and 3D printing into his curriculum, inspiring students to explore their creative potential through technology. His role as the Director of the Marlon Family IDEAS Center at Gould Academy exemplifies his leadership and dedicated approach to transformative learning environments, embodying a space that encourages collaboration, invention, and exploration.
Notable Activities and Roles
Throughout his career, William has held several prestigious positions that underscore his commitment to technology and education. His previous roles include:
- Director of Innovation and Design at Kimball Union Academy: In this role, he excelled at fostering an innovative educational environment and integrating technology into various educational practices.
- Maker in Residence at Gould Academy: Here, he immersed himself in hands-on learning, inspiring students through practical application of technological advancements.
- Lab Coordinator at Lesley University: In this position, he was responsible for managing technology and facilitating learning experiences in various capacities, emphasizing critical inquiry and technical knowledge.
- Technology Support Specialist at Oxford Hills School District, MSAD 17: William provided essential tech support, enhancing the district’s technological infrastructure and supporting learners and educators in maximizing their use of technology.
Through these experiences, William Ayotte has become a credible figure in the intersection of technology and education, continuously seeking new ways to enhance learning experiences for students. His belief in the power of hands-on learning drives his teaching methods and ignites enthusiasm in his students, demonstrating the significant impact an engaging educator can have on future generations. His unique blend of IT expertise, practical skills, and a deep-seated desire to inspire others to explore their creativity and technical skills defines his professional journey and ongoing contributions to the field of education.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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