EDUCATION
Massachusetts certified instructional technology specialist
Initial licensure, all levels, expires 2010.
MESPA Instructional Technology Certification Program
Marlborough, Massachsuetts - Cooperative certificate program with Northeastern University
- Broad range of topical and relevant subjects related to instructional technology in education.
- Studied best-practices in technology education.
- Practiced instructional technology strategies and techniques
Master in Education - Curriculum and Instruction
Keene State College, Keene, New Hampshire
- Honors: 4.0 cumulative GPA
- Awarded graduate student of the year, NASPA
- Studied pedagogy, methods, and techniques of education.
- Studied tennants of effective education
- Enjoyed reviewing literature relating to effective education
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology & History
Franklin Pierce College, Rindge New Hampshire
- Honors: Departmental honors in psychology
- Presidents award in psychology
- Elected into Phi-Alpha-Theta, an honorary history organization
- Studied liberal arts curriculum. Special interests in parapsychology, statistics, and WWII era-history.
WORK EXPERIENCE (in chronological order)
Instructional Designer
Hunter College Campus School, Manhattan
- Hunter College Campus Schools are the preeminent schools for gifted children (grades K-12) in New York City
- Created and delivered exceptional professional technology development
- Maintained school website, and created a new one, based on a dynamic CMS
- Administrated the blackboard system
- Managed the turnitin.com system
- Created and managed a student tech team
- Continued to advocate the use of games in learning
- Oversaw the wide-spread installation of Smartboard systems
- Managed state-of-the-art OS X lab and OS X server
- Considered and evaluated many software application for use in the curriculum
- Advocated the use and implementation of open-source
- Assessed and measured faculty and staff technology aptitude
- Participated in Elementary School technology strategic committee
- Faculty Advisor: video game club
- Faculty Advisor (temporary): Ham radio club
Moving from Martha's Vineyard to New York City was a big change! This job has really helped me focus on the effective use of technology in the classroom. The school is very focused on the bottom line;
if it doesn't enhance what we are already doing, why use it?. This is a driving idea behind the implentation of technology. The exceptionally high level of the students underscored the importance of using technology well. This school is part of the
CUNY system, and as such, part of a very large organization. I am learning how to move inside a byzantine structure.
This is proving to be an excellent job for me; I am challenged, and working to squeeze every ounce of technology from the school.
Blog-master (part time)
Terry Real, Relational Life
- http://newrulesofmarriage.typepad.com/
- Oversaw the blog for Dr. Terrence Real, a nationally recognized relationship therapist
- Assisted in organizational technical support and technology planning
- Insisted on original, high-quality content from multiple sources
This is a great side-job for me, as it allows me to see the immediate application of technology for an organization. The blog serves as a publically-visible voice of Dr. Real and his team. Seeing how a blog can make a difference in a business organization was interesting.
Computer teacher / Professional development
Edgartown Elementary School - Edgartown, Massachusetts
- Set up and administrate an OS X network (about 100 client machines)
- Planned, developed and taught comprehensive technology curriculum to middle school students (ages 9 to 14)
- Actively participated in the Edgartown School Community
- Developed and maintain the Edgartown School Website
- Planned and implemented technology professional development.
- Budgeted and allocated resources for technology use.
I loved this job!! I melded my interest in technology with my love of teaching, and viola! I did lots of stuff at the Edgartown school; I was a union building rep, I chaired the playground subcommitee, I chaperoned trips, I solved computer problems, and I created and delivered professional development here. I really worked hard to be a
better teacher and my number one goal was to
INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY into the curriculum. I'd say I made some very satisfying progress.
I'm enthusiastic, interested, motivated, curious, positive, thoughtful, deliberate, considerate, and involved with the school.
Mathematics Teacher's Assistant
Edgartown Elementary School - Edgartown, Massachusetts
- Guided, supported and assisted 7/8 mathematics teacher
- Created step-by-step guides for middle-school math concepts
- Graded, evaluated, and recorded quizzes, tests and projects
- Gained important classroom management and experience
I love math, and working with a dynamic math teacher was a great. I mainly supported kids with IEP's, but offered help to anyone who asked. There's something about the
purity of mathematics I really enjoy. This particular teacher regularly reviewed homework..a good idea, and one I practice when I assign homework.
Social Skills Teacher's Assistant
Edgartown Elementary School - Edgartown, Massachusetts
- Taught in a highly structured environment with 5 E.D. children, aged 6 to 10
- Provided intensive behavioral limits, up to and including physical restraint
- Developed and presented lesson plans...in social studies and science
- Taught reading, arithmetic and writing
This classroom was an intensive "social skills" classroom. Because sending a child to residential treatment is so expensive (and divisive to a family) the school district has an in-school program to deal with these troubled youngsters. It is
very structured. I was exposed to, and used touch-math, and the Wilson Reading program.
Cabletron Systems, Inc. - Programmer B
Rochester, New Hampshire
- Worked as a computer operator in a SAP R/3 environment
- Trained in advanced administration of SAP R/3
- Practiced Unix system administration
- Authored ISO compliant documentation
- Gained Valuable experience working in a large corporate environment
I worked at Cabletron for about nine months. The majority of my time was as a second shift computer operator. I ran lot's of batch jobs, did some Unix system administration, worked with SAP, and resolved printer issues. Basically, I was there to back stuff up, and make sure nothing went wrong.
Reserve Police officer - Oak Bluffs Police Department
Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts
- Worked as a summer reserve officer on Martha's Vineyard
- Assisted in the protection of the President of the United States of America
- Increased my repertoire of communications and crisis management skills
- Became familiar with the legal system and Massachusetts General Laws
- Effected several arrests
I chose to be a police officer because I have always deeply enjoyed helping people, and I felt like police work might afford me the opportunity to help people in a way I haven't been able to in the past. I also love the Island (it's my home), and I felt like protecting the peace was something I could do well. Not to mention, it's noble work.
Educational Counselor - TRIO program
Keene State College, Keene, New Hampshire
- Developed academic support strategies for college students and adults
- Managed several cases on an on-going basis through several semesters
- Organized and directed a Peer mentor program
- Authored and published newsletter with distribution to 280+ students and faculty
- Increased knowledge about learning disabilities and the American's with Disabilities Act
While I was earning my Master's Degree, I worked in an assistantship. Basically, my tuition was waived, and I earned a $1500 per semester stipend..pretty good deal. I worked in the TRIO programs, which are federally funded grant programs designed to help students get into college, and help them succeed once they're there. I worked in Student Support Services, which provided academic help and assistance to students with learning disabilities, low income students, and first generation college students.
My strongest skills here were my "how to be a better student" lectures/groups. I think I really connected with the students, and made a definable difference. I also learned alot about the American's with Disability Act (especially sec. 504).
English Teacher - Shenyang, China
Liaoning Management Engineering College
- Gained an international perspective in relation to business, culture, and education
- Taught conversational English 22 hours a week to Chinese students
- Developed lesson plans, helped Chinese teachers develop lesson plans
- Increased awareness regarding multi-cultural issues
I enjoyed teaching in China. I taught for about 6 months in Shenyang (pronounced shen-yung), China. I taught conversational English to a wide variety of students. My two main goals in China were to learn Tai Chi (a slow moving martial arts-type exercise), and to teach English. That's exactly what I did!
Residential Counselor - Nashua Children's Association
Nashua, New Hampshire
- Worked 50 hours per week with 12 abused/neglected adolescent young women
- Honed communication and crisis management skills
- Awarded outstanding team player by peers
- Managed cases, with inclusive responsibility for emotional, physical, and educational well-being
- Only male on an all female unit
This job was one of the most positive, transformative employment opportunities I have ever had. With an employee average length of stay around 11 months, I worked 4 years (minus the trip to China). I worked on an adolescent girls unit, and for a long time, was the only male on the unit. It was exciting, and very difficult work. There was a lot of limit setting, some physical management, and a whole lot of chores.
The one person who really made this job a pleasure was my supervisor. She really supported me, met with me on a weekly basis, and encouraged me in my training process. I credit her with my success there, and have remembered the lessons she taught me there...training and supervision make a definable difference!
Substance Abuse Counselor - Seafield Pines
Keene, New Hampshire
- Worked with adolescent drug and alcohol addicts, many with dual-diagnosis
- Became familiar with the 12 steps
- Learned residential treatment paradigm
- Facilitated anger management groups, social-skills groups, and the disease concept of alcoholism
The 42 day treatment paradigm was ending, and with it, a number of last-desperate-gasps treatment centers. This was one of them.
I actually ended my employment here
nailing the windows shut and burning a ton of patient records! The place went out of business...it was kind of sad.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Networking
- My long-standing love affair with blinking lights, bits, cables, and electrons has really paid off for me!
- Competent in configuring and fixing DNS, DCHP, mDNS, basic network telemetry stuff
- Configuring ACL's on switches is no problem...
- I'm comfortable in the physical, data-link, and network layers (OSI)
LAMP : Proficient
- LAMP stands for Linux, Apache, MySql and PHP (or Perl, depending on who you are talking to)
- I am comfortable developing and administrating in this evironment.
- I use PHP and MySQL daily, and administrate a Linux webserver.
- I do not consider myself a Linux Ubergeek, but I can get myself around it and solve problems.
OS X Server: very proficient
- I grok OS X server.
- I mainly administrate from the command line. I fix stuff, configure services and optimize stuff.
- I do openLDAP, networked accounts, DHCP, DNS, Webperfomance cache, playing nice with Windows, blah blah blah.....
OS X: about the same as OS X Server.
- I do net installs, net boots, net everything.
- Hardware repairs are no problems, although I don\'t have as much experience fixing laptops.
- Remote administration is no problem
Hardware: proficient
- I've fixed / upgraded desktop machines and printers. I really know Epson ink-jets, and HP laser printers.
- I don't have as much experience fixing laptops.
- I know my way around wireless routers, and WAP's, and I also grok switches (Asante especially).
- I usually need help configuring Cisco routers, but I know where to look for problems.
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
Amateur Acoustic Guitar Player
- Enjoy playing acoustic 6 string guitar
- Influences include Neil Young, Paul Simon, Peaceful music, and classic rock
- Thankfully I have a good experience with computers, because I would never make any money playing the guitar.
Learning Polish!
- I've been spending a TON of time learning to speak Polish.
- Hopefully, I'll never be invloved in anything diplomatic. I'm sure I would start a major international incident.
- My wife is Polish, and in an effort to better connect with her and her family (and friends) I'm learning Polish. Fun stuff.
Text-based multiplayer games
- This is one of those geek things. If you want to know about this, ask. It's really cool.
- With kids spending a majority of their time in front of the TV, and videogames, text-based gaming presents an engaging and important alternative. Imagine a game with no graphics...only text. Textual descriptions, and textual interaction with a virtual world. Taking advantage of students love-affair with text messaging, and chatting, I see text-based gaming enjoying a surge in activity. Very cool stuff.
Reading
- I love to read. Heinlein, Gaiman, Asimov, Zinn, Ken Wilber, J. K. Rowling, Stephenson, Orwell, Lem, etc....
Miniature wargaming
- I've always had a rather morbid fascination with military stuff. Probably results from being raised in the 80's.
- I enjoy messing around with microarmour, and enjoy an occasional campaign with friends.
- This hobby has a very circadian rhythm to it. I'll get really into it for a few months, and then drop it for 6 or 7 months.
Lay Leader, Episcopal Church
- Serve in a small congregation as a lay reader
- Participate in church activities (especially those dinners on Sunday...yummy!)
- I was raised in the Episcopal Church, and was confirmed in 2002. I would like to learn more about the Anglican Communion, and always strive (struggle?) to deepen my faith.
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