Résumé

Award-winning educator with a unique background in technology and arts education that allows him to leverage creativity in the learning process. Possesses 10+ years of experience teaching K-8 students in urban public schools, as well as 3 years teaching adult K-12 educators and administrators in an online graduate-level setting. Innovative educational technology leader who uses his expertise to support fellow educators by providing ongoing professional development training and peer coaching. Promotes teamwork through project-based learning and uses the same approach when completing administrative tasks. Leads by example and motivates others to contribute fully through strong interpersonal skills and ongoing communication across multiple modalities.

Michigan State University College of Education East Lansing, Michigan (2013 – present) 
Adjunct Faculty, Graduate Certificate in Educational Technology Program

• Provides online instruction to K-12 teachers and administrators as part of their graduate program in educational technology. Small student/teacher ratios allow ample opportunities for individual feedback and coaching in addition to whole-class instruction.
• Teaches coursework in the innovative uses of educational technology (course code CEP 811) and applying technology to issues of practice (CEP 812), incorporating the TPACK framework for technology integration alongside best practices for purposeful use of technology in the K-12 classroom.
• Serves as a coach and mentor to new online instructors, and works closely with colleagues to revise course curriculum to meet the demands of the ever-changing field of educational technology.
• Worked with a team of educators that received the 2015 AT&T Instructional Technology Award for “Best Fully Online Course” from the University for their work on CEP 811.

Teacher on Special Assignment: Computer Science Content Specialist

• Teaches computer science curriculum to 260 students in grades 6-8 at two different comprehensive schools in the district.
• Collaborates with teammates to write and revise standards-aligned middle school computer science curriculum for the district.
• Works as part of the elementary grades computer science curriculum pilot, planning curriculum for grades 3-5 and leading professional development for teachers piloting that curriculum.
• Coaches other middle school computer science teachers to ensure a high level of curriculum and instruction is provided equitably to all students within the district.
• Served on a focus group organized by the California Department of Education to share insights on the development of the California Computer Science Standards.

Stone Scholastic Academy, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, Illinois (2007 – 2016)
K-8 Technology Teacher/Technology Coordinator
K-8 Music Teacher

Curriculum and Instruction

• Taught 630 K-8 students in a culturally and ethnically diverse urban public school in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood.
• Differentiated instruction for a wide range of learners, including a large population of diverse learners and English language learners.
• Incorporated 21st century skills into technology curriculum through units of study in computer science and computational thinking, web-based design and creativity tools, Google Apps for Education (GAFE), photo/video production, and digital citizenship.
• Implemented the SAMR model for technology integration and STEAM-infused learning wherever possible as a music teacher.

Leadership and Staff Development

• Coached K-8 faculty members on purposeful technology integration and tool usage in the classroom through ongoing staff development presentations and one-on-one skill-building sessions.
• Mentored new arts team members through peer-observations and coaching to help them acclimate to the school culture and educational environment.
• Supervised and trained a technology assistant who supports the daily upkeep of devices and serves as the first point-of-reference for teachers requesting tech support.
• Elected by staff members for 5 consecutive years to serve as a teacher representative on the school leadership committee, working in collaboration with administration on the development and execution of the annual professional development plan and the school improvement plan.
• Organized the yearly class schedule for the 8-person team of resource teachers.
• Facilitated presentations on the topics of technology integration, arts integration, and classroom management during school-wide professional development meetings.

Technology Management

• Managed 400+ machines (Chromebooks, Dell laptops/desktops, and MacBook Pros) plus peripheral devices (including SMART Boards, Promethean Boards, and ELMO document cameras).
• Provided general IT support and software/hardware deployment for a school of 40+ teachers and staff members.

Arts Integration

• Served as the school’s Arts Liaison, with the responsibilities of promoting cross-curricular connections in conjunction with the four arts disciplines and measuring the overall impact of arts programming.
• Organized numerous arts performances and showcases each year, featuring both students and local Chicago artists, to cultivate a deeper understanding of the arts and celebrate students’ artistic expression.
• Ensured that every grade level participates in a minimum of one 10-week arts residency each school year through the implementation and sustainment of artist-in-residence partnerships with a diverse array of Chicago arts organizations.

Other Accomplishments

• Established the musical theatre program at Stone and co-directed 9 fully staged musical theatre productions, each with 60+ middle school students involved.
• Successfully applied for Stone to become part of the Chicago Public Schools’ Computer Science For All (CS4All) initiative, a citywide effort to bring computer science and computational thinking to all students K-12.
• Received the Oppenheimer Family Foundation Teacher Incentive Grant for 8 consecutive years, as well as numerous grants from the Chicago Foundation for Education, the Illinois Computing Educators, and DonorsChoose.

LeMoyne Elementary School, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, Illinois (2006 – 2007)
Music Teacher

• Taught general music to a population of 70 students in grades 2 through 8 in both regular education and autism program classrooms at a phased-out urban public school in Chicago’s East Lakeview neighborhood.

Portsmouth Middle School, Portsmouth, Rhode Island (2002 – 2003)
Music Teacher

• Taught general music and co-taught both band and chorus to 300+ students in grades 5 through 8 at a large suburban middle school.

EDUCATION

Master of Arts, Educational Technology – Michigan State University College of Education, East Lansing, Michigan (2012)

Master of Music, Music Theory – Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, Evanston, Illinois (2004)

Bachelor of Arts, Music Education – Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island (2002)

CERTIFICATION

California Preliminary Single Subject Teaching Credential
Subject areas: Industrial and Technology Education (pending approval), Music

Illinois Professional Educator License
Endorsements: Technology Specialist (K-12), Music (K-12)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

• CUE SF, Board Member-at-Large (2017 – present)
• Membership in Computer Science Teacher Association (CSTA)
• Membership in the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and state affiliates: CUE (California), Illinois Computing Educators (ICE), and Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL)
• Google Educator Certification for Google Apps and Chrome (October 2014)
• Certification in Kodály Pedagogy and Methodology (Levels I, II, and III), Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Bloomington, Indiana, USA (2006, 2009) and DePaul University School of Music, Chicago, Illinois, USA (2007)
• Certification in Orff Pedagogy and Methodology (Level I), Vandercook College of Music, Chicago, Illinois, USA (2007)

Donors Choose, New York, NY

• Recipient of numerous grants to support music and technology projects

Oppenheimer Family Foundation, Chicago, IL

• Awarded grants for 8 consecutive years (2009 – 2016) for after-school musical theatre productions

Illinois Computing Educators, Addison, IL

• Awarded an ICE Scholarship in 2014 to attend the ISTE 2014 conference in Atlanta, GA
• Awarded an ICE-CAP mini-grant in 2014

Chicago Foundation for Education, Chicago, IL

• Awarded Small Grants in 2010 and 2012
• Awarded Team Member Grants in 2009 and 2015

Little Kids Rock, Verona, NJ

• Awarded a grant for a class set of 30 guitars, additional instruments, and curriculum materials in 2010

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

AIDS/LifeCycle, San Francisco, CA (2016 – present)

• Training to cycle 545 miles, from San Francisco to Los Angeles, while fundraising $3000 to support the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Team to End AIDS Endurance Training Program, Chicago, IL (2011 – 2013)

• Trained to run the Chicago Marathon for three consecutive years while fundraising over $3000 for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.

Windy City Performing Arts, Chicago, IL (2006 – 2012)

• Assistant Conductor/Substitute Accompanist (September 2008 – June 2011)
• Board Member (September 2008 – June 2012); Board Chair (August 2011 – June 2012)

SKILLS AND EXPERTISE

Musical theatre productions (grades 5 through 8): The Lion King, Jr. (2016), Once On This Island, Jr. (2015), Annie, Jr. (2014), The Music Man, Jr. (2013), [Getting to Know] Once Upon a Mattress (2012), Guys and Dolls Jr. (2011), Seussical Jr. (2010), Honk, Jr. (2009), The Nightingale (2008)

Technology Expertise:

• Google Apps for Education certified
• Chromebook utilization in the classroom
• Macintosh and PC fluency
• Video production and editing using iMovie and Adobe Premiere Pro
• Music production and editing using Garageband
• Creating classroom websites and blogs
• Utilizing a diverse array of web tools to foster student learning and engagement
• Building online course content using a variety of learning management systems (LMS)