About Me
Since creating this site I have retired from teaching (2019) and have relocated to a tiny community of about 3000 in rural Idaho. My focus has dramatically changed and I'm now enjoying rural living, gardening, beekeping, playing lots of music and spending time with my family.
I began teaching in a small school district in western Montana and then moved to Maui and began working for the Hawaii Department of Education, which is one big district. Here in Hawaii I have had wonderful opportunities to grow and move from the school level, to the district/complex area level, to the state level and then back down, finally ending up at the school level again. As a state and complex area resource teacher I have participated in professional development with some amazing trainers:
In this role, as computer teacher, technology coordinator and integration coach I am responsible for:
- Art Costa - Habits of Mind
- Heidi Hayes Jacobs - Curriculum Mapping
- UC Santa Cruz New Teacher Center - Mentoring New Teachers
- Sue Presler - Adaptive Schools and Cognitive Coaching
- Anita Archer - Vocabulary Instruction
- Rick Stiggins and Anne Davies - Assessment
- Judy Arter - Recognizing and Creating Quality Rubrics
- Kennedy Center - Arts Integration Workshops
In this role, as computer teacher, technology coordinator and integration coach I am responsible for:
- teaching weekly computer classes to our student population of 740 students
- making sure that our technology is up to date and functional,
- updating our school technology plan
- purchasing hardware, software and peripherals
- administering our Google accounts and our online subscription accounts,
- maintaining and updating our school website
- working with students to produce our daily morning closed circuit broadcast
- after school programs (robotics, video production, tech crew)
- audio for school productions
- providing technology training for teachers and staff members
- helping teachers and staff troubleshoot technology issues in their classrooms/offices
EDUCATION
Western Illinois University - MS Instructional Technology and Telecommunications
Technology and Telecommunications for Teachers - Hawaii
Hawaii Leadership Academy
University of Montana - Elementary Education
Western Illinois University - MS Instructional Technology and Telecommunications
Technology and Telecommunications for Teachers - Hawaii
Hawaii Leadership Academy
University of Montana - Elementary Education
EXPERIENCE / SKILLS
Computer Teacher - K-5
Technology Coordinator - Pu'u Kukui Elementary School, Pomaika'i Elementary School
Professional Development Resource Teacher - King Kekaulike Complex Schools
Technology and Telecommunications for Teachers Statewide Project Coordinator (including work with PREL in the Pacific Island entities)
Manipulative Mathematics Resource Room Teacher
Classroom Teacher - Kindergarten, First Grade, Sixth Grade
Computer Teacher - K-5
Technology Coordinator - Pu'u Kukui Elementary School, Pomaika'i Elementary School
Professional Development Resource Teacher - King Kekaulike Complex Schools
Technology and Telecommunications for Teachers Statewide Project Coordinator (including work with PREL in the Pacific Island entities)
Manipulative Mathematics Resource Room Teacher
Classroom Teacher - Kindergarten, First Grade, Sixth Grade
GRANTS
Ke Alahele Grant - $5000 for a schoolwide programming and robotics after school program (implemented in 2017)
Maui District Video - $5000 to build our school video production and broadcasting program (implemented in 2015-2016)
Good Ideas Grant - $3000 to begin using Project Lead the Way modules within our Computer Science and 3rd grade classes (implemented in 2015-2016)
HENC - Grant - $2500 to support our video production classes - Step into our Gardens (implemented in 2015-2016)
Ke Alahele Grant - $5000 for a schoolwide programming and robotics after school program (implemented in 2017)
Maui District Video - $5000 to build our school video production and broadcasting program (implemented in 2015-2016)
Good Ideas Grant - $3000 to begin using Project Lead the Way modules within our Computer Science and 3rd grade classes (implemented in 2015-2016)
HENC - Grant - $2500 to support our video production classes - Step into our Gardens (implemented in 2015-2016)