Who I am

 

My educational career began in California where I served as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and technology integrationist. For the first ten years of my career, I worked for the Larkspur-Corte Madera School District which lies just north of the Golden Gate in California. Later, I moved to the Twin Cities area of Minnesota where I began working to support the teachers and students at an independent school outside of Saint Paul. I am proud to have spearheaded several successful initiatives including their designation as one of only five Apple Distinguished Schools in all of Minnesota.

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Now, as a full-time National Faculty Member with PBLWorks, I work with educators, leaders, and school districts as an internationally-recognized expert in project based learning (PBL) I spend everyday helping to familiarize educators from across the country with the elements and processes that are emblematic of high-quality PBL. Over the past few years I have also worked with a number of districts and outside educational organization through my own consulting firm using a unique approach to PBL that emphasizes community, place, and experiential methods. Wherever my work takes me, be it small rural districts in Idaho, the streets of New York City, the middle of expansive pine forests, or international symposiums in Shanghai, I am always focused on helping educators give their students experiences they deserve.   

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My writing has been published by a number of education-focused organizations including TED-Ed, Edutopia, KQED, and National Geographic. I am the co-author of a great book published by ISTE entitled Environmental Science for 6-12: A Project Based Approach to Solving The Earth's Most Urgent Problems and am excited that my first solo title, The National Park Classroom: A Guide to Designing Project-Based Learning Adventures will be released shortly.

 

Both my writing and my work in educational visioning has been presented nationally at multiple conferences such as ISTE, FETC, NAI, NAAEE, AEOE, SXSWedu, TCEA, CUE, and for the California State University system. My many certifications include Google Certified Innovator, Adobe Campus Leader, a Common Sense Media Ambassador and most recently was selected as a Top Coach by Coach Foundation. 

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While some of my consulting work focuses on classroom, I also work extensively with public land agencies and informal educational entities across the US where I help refine and improve their educational programs and materials. Some of this work I have done during my fifteen years of volunteering for both California State Parks and the National Park Service while other aspects have been funded by grants from National Geographic and other organizations. I also helped to facilitate the National Park Service's Teacher-Ranger-Teacher program and currently moderate The National Park Classroom, a network of 2700 teachers across the country passionate about bringing . I am supported in this work by The Classroom Ranger Collaborative  where we use our shared experiences to support informal educational entities who are looking to reimagine their educational offerings. I am also proud to facilitate online trainings for educators across the globe through UNESCO-MGIEP on behalf of the United Nations as the only Master Teacher from North America. 

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No matter the area of interest, I am ready to share best practices from my years of educational experience with your school, organization, or your community.