Welcome
This portfolio is divided into several sections to share information about my skills and experiences working with students in grades Pre-K to 12 as a
- Library Media Specialist
- Social Studies/Humanities Teacher
- Gifted and Talented Program Coordinator and Teacher
- Curriculum Developer
- PD Workshop Presenter
- Partner for Technology Skills Development
Career Highlights: Much of my career developed in international schools in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America where I fulfilled a range of teaching responsibilities listed above. Back in the United States, I enjoyed five exciting years with a focus on STEM when I served as a library media specialist at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. Since 2015 I have been enjoying a job at H-B Woodlawn, Arlington, Virginia, where I am a librarian for students in grades 6-12 (as well as adult learners of English.) It is a well loved alternative school of 770+ students and ranked by Washington Post as one of the the top school in the region, according to Jay Mathews's "Challenge Index." We love it because of its child-centered approach and emphasis on self-directed learning, self-governance and developing a caring community.
Snapshot: What I Bring to a School
Personal Style and Commitment:
- Described by colleagues and administrators as energetic, a passionate educator, a productive collaborator, approachable, responsible and responsive. "Makes these technologies easy to understand." "I feel very comfortable going to her with my technology questions because she explains at my level of understanding."
- adept at differentiation
- strong communicator and team-builder
- proactive, resourceful program developer with sensitivity to balancing needs in the "whole school's big picture"
- committed to community involvement, service learning, environmental custodianship, and helping students find their unique voices
- Myers-Brigg type: ENTP
- Themes from Strengths Profile: Strategic, Connectedness, Self-assurance, Learner, Ideation - read more.
Commitment to Lifelong Learning:
- Masters Degree in Teaching from Teachers' College, Columbia University
- Bachelor's Degree with double major in Government and Soviet Studies from Cornell University
- additional Masters level coursework (26 credit hours) to achieve endorsement as a library media specialist
- training and leadership in Gifted Education
- 27 years of experience that includes classroom teaching, curriculum development, department chairmanship, gifted and talented program coordination, library administration, information literacy program coordination, distance learning program coordination, STEM research support, and 1:1 Laptop Initiative
- perspective and experienced leadership working in several international schools around the world including Taipei American School and Hong Kong International School
- Community Involvement: Runner, fundraiser for Back On My Feet, Managed social media campaign for winner of FloTrack's National Hometown Hero Award, Future Problem Solving Mentor (5-year state championship winner), Theatre Boosters, PTA faculty representative, baseball coach, PDK webmaster, new teacher orientation, US Voter Registration, Friends (Quaker) Monthly Meeting, and member of "kitchen cabinet" on technology for school board member.
Extensive Training and Experience with Pedagogical Best Practices:
- STEM research support for inquiry-based learning
- skills for supporting AP, IB and university level coursework
- workshop presenter for inquiry-based research skills
- Future Ready Librarians
- Personalized Learning Co-hort in Arlington Public Schools, 2018-2020
- Understanding By Design (UbD) curriculum building-- designed and implemented curriculum writing model at Hong Kong International School (see article)
- standards-based assessment reflective of the US national standards
- differentiation for ESL students
- Gifted and Talented leadership in identification of needs, parent and student counseling, and delivery of services
- Art Costa's Habits of Mind
- Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats for cooperative learning
- Charlotte Danielson's standards for teaching
- Big6 Research Process for implementing skills to develop Information Literacy
- Six Traits Writing
- Guided Reading with Fountas and Pinnell
- Literacy continuum of Bonnie Campbell Hill
- Brain-based learning strategies
- Curriculum mapping using Atlas-Rubicon and similar tools
- curriculum development based on developing 21st Century Skills
Tech Skills and Leadership to support school wide Professional Development and Operations:
- provide workshops to support Laptop 1:1 implementation at Taipei American School
- online Virtual School as a response to SARS crisis at Hong Kong International School when school closed for a month
- online curriculum mapping with Atlas-Rubicon and MyDragonnet
- online classroom management tools including Blackboard and Moodle
- Web 2.0 collaborative tools for student-centered learning, including Google Aps
- Development of web pages, online instructional videos, and online classrooms for virtual and distance learning
- provide one-on-one technology coaching to Mandarin teachers, science coordinators, health teachers, social studies and humanities teachers
- webmaster using Mambo, Moodle, Web Expressions, Google Sites and Frontpage as well as Web 2.0 applications
- Library Software: Destiny Catalog, SIRS, Ebsco, World Book, Britannica, NovelList databases, Noodletools, Scholastic Reading Counts (Reading Program) database management as well as research databases listed here.
- See listing of technology proficiencies here.
Educational Leadership for Innovative Instruction:
- Participation on Schoolwide Technology Committees and K-12 Library faculty with proven leadership in information literacy program development and realizing a vision for 21st century libraries
- Published articles related to curriculum development, and using technology and images to enhance learning
- workshop presentations on habits of mind, needs of the gifted learner, inquiry and the research process, concept mapping, and integration of many technologies
- served "Student Services Team" as Gifted and Talented Program Coordinator
- Strategic Planning and WASC Accreditation: steering committee member, committee chairperson