My primary goal as an educator and consultant is to share my passion for technology and challenge those whom I teach, or learn from my curricula, towards the goal of achieving information literacy, technological fluency and a mastery of both print and electronic media. I recognize that today’s professionals and students are growing up within constantly evolving personal and professional landscapes and the above knowledge is necessary for the proper navigation of this terrain. I have had the pleasure of teaching technology and social media classes & workshops to Junior High, High School and College students, a wide range of professionals spanning a variety of disciplines as well as Guatemalan indigenous school teachers. I cherish the opportunity to share with others the knowledge that I gain through my own constant self-education and research. When I was younger, technological education consisted mostly of classes on typing and word processing – necessary skills, but certainly less intertwined with our lives than technology has become today. People now often have access to virtually limitless amounts of unfiltered information in their pockets. This “New Media” is being delivered in countless formats and it is up to today’s teachers to educate their students on the parsing and processing of this information — providing them with a media literacy. I aim to provide those that I teach with the skills they need to continue to learn on their own. Today’s technology requires a proper introduction and a thorough understanding of the underlying concepts to allow for further growth in the field. To this end, I design activities that encourage students to complete independent projects and thoroughly research topics on their own. This is in the service of building self-confidence and critical thinking skills. The current change of pace is so fast that those without the ability to learn on their own will not be able to keep up. When in the classroom, I have a compassionate and empathetic teaching style, observing the unique strengths and weaknesses of each student and providing them with the necessary support to fully absorb and understand the material being taught. This comes from the knowledge that each class represents a wide range of skill levels and experience. Technology was my hobby before it was my profession, beginning in my days as a tinkerer and arriving where I am currently as a consultant and teacher. I have spent my life learning and researching on and about computers and their associated technologies. Though I am well educated, my most important learning has been on my own: reading blogs & books, building websites, constructing computers and no shortage of trial & error experimentation. I consistently hope to teach my students to learn in the same ways that I have been able to over the years.
