My passion, as most educators, is to teach to impact lives.
Currently, I am the Director of Curriculum and Professional Development at the University of California Irvine, working with Mark Warschauer on a project to introduce computational thinking concepts to 4th grade English language learners. Our team committed to creating culturally relevant CS learning opportunities to underserved and underrepresented groups in the computing field. Research interests include the development of CS identity in elementary-aged students, CS professional development of elementary school teachers, and self-regulated learning in ELL students.
I have spent most of my career in the TESOL/TESL/TEFL (Teaching English as a Second Language/Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language) field supporting others in the ability to communicate effectively with others. I have been given the opportunities to teach in k-12, intensive English programs, certificate, and graduate courses in Costa Rica, Germany, Utah, Southern California and online. Particular areas of interest included: educational technology, pragmatics, online education, assessment, teacher education, instructional design, and curriculum development.