Meet Dr. Heidi Baynes - though she'll probably ask you to just call her Heidi.
Twenty-five years ago, Heidi was a history teacher, helping students understand the past while trying to prepare them for their future. Like many of you, she watched technology transform education - from overhead projectors to online learning - always asking herself, "How do we make this actually work for kids?"
What makes Heidi different is her journey through every type of classroom imaginable. She's taught in traditional settings, pioneered online courses before they were mainstream, and mastered blended learning when everyone else was still figuring out what that meant. Each experience taught her something crucial: technology only works when teachers understand it deeply.
That's why, even as she moved into district and then county leadership, Heidi kept her focus on the classroom. She became a champion for computer science access, believing every student deserved these opportunities, not just the ones in wealthy districts. Her work with the #CSforALL movement isn't just professional - it's personal.
Today, as Coordinator for Instructional Services at RCOE, Heidi sees AI as the next chapter in education's story. Not a scary chapter - an exciting one. "AI is reshaping what it means to teach and learn," she often says, "and we can either fear it or harness it."
When Heidi speaks at conferences or works with districts, she brings all of this experience to bear. Real classroom wisdom. Real technology expertise. Real understanding of what teachers need.
Her philosophy remains simple: Technology should empower teachers, not replace them. It should create more time for what matters - the human connections that make learning magical.
That's who's guiding your AI journey. A history teacher who became a technology leader but never forgot why she started teaching in the first place.
This program exists because of a simple partnership: RCOE brought the educational expertise, and we brought the technology platform.
Dr. Heidi Baynes and her team at the Riverside County Office of Education shaped every aspect of the curriculum. They knew what teachers actually needed - not what vendors think they need. Together, we built something that honors how educators really learn: through evidence-based practice, at their own pace, without breaking district budgets.
When RCOE partners on something like this, it's because they've seen it work. They've tested it. They know it serves our community's needs.
That's the partnership you're joining - RCOE's expertise, delivered through technology that just works.
We welcome individual educators too! While this page is designed for district purchases, you can enroll directly with a credit card.
