Educational Philosophy
The student exists in multiple planes of the educational experience. Not only are they the recipients for which curricula is designed, but their own culture, initial conditions, and expectations should drive the methodology and themes of a subject. However, the cyclical process of delivery, assessing significance, and modification of content requires the student to communicate with instructors and think about their own goals. A conscious decision to engage in the process of education is a prerequisite for knowledge. As a whole, effective education needs to be understood as a team exercise that utilizes feedback loops from all participants to improve the process of exchange.
However, it is through the instructor’s prowess and tact that a subject comes alive in the life of the student in a way that intrigues and elicits participation. Through exploring the multiplicity of perspectives, connections, and practical application of a subject an instructor serves to inspire students to consciously engage in a particular field of study. Multidiscipline and experiential lessons are integral to break the pop-cultural notions of boredom, uselessness, and ignorance that are associated with some subjects. When a subject like systems of differential equations comes alive through packing and testing ignition sequences in model rocket engines, even complicated mathematics becomes exciting and memorable. An instructor should equip students with a passion for education as well as knowledge that is applicable in the real world.
A fundamental goal of education is progression, and this process of instigating meaningful, positive change should transcend the classroom. The classroom has the ability to extend beyond the schoolhouse walls and into the community through cooperation with local organizations, elders, and business. Creating pathways that explore career fields and skill development can reinforce the practical application of a subject, while also building self-efficacy when successfully applied outside the classroom. An instructor who strives to teach, as well as demonstrate the interconnectivity between the pursuit of education and livelihood strengthens the community as a whole by providing students with knowledge to forge a career and participate as a critical member of society.
However, it is through the instructor’s prowess and tact that a subject comes alive in the life of the student in a way that intrigues and elicits participation. Through exploring the multiplicity of perspectives, connections, and practical application of a subject an instructor serves to inspire students to consciously engage in a particular field of study. Multidiscipline and experiential lessons are integral to break the pop-cultural notions of boredom, uselessness, and ignorance that are associated with some subjects. When a subject like systems of differential equations comes alive through packing and testing ignition sequences in model rocket engines, even complicated mathematics becomes exciting and memorable. An instructor should equip students with a passion for education as well as knowledge that is applicable in the real world.
A fundamental goal of education is progression, and this process of instigating meaningful, positive change should transcend the classroom. The classroom has the ability to extend beyond the schoolhouse walls and into the community through cooperation with local organizations, elders, and business. Creating pathways that explore career fields and skill development can reinforce the practical application of a subject, while also building self-efficacy when successfully applied outside the classroom. An instructor who strives to teach, as well as demonstrate the interconnectivity between the pursuit of education and livelihood strengthens the community as a whole by providing students with knowledge to forge a career and participate as a critical member of society.
Credentials |
Masters in Science - Alaska Pacific University (continuing)
-original thesis research on avalanche risk in Turnagain Pass published here Masters in Arts: Teaching - University of Alaska Southeast -Earned teacher certification Bachelor in Physics - University of British Columbia -minor in philosophy, unofficial minors: math, astronomy -researched: neurophysics, higher dimensions in String Theory, alternative energy Wide work experience: Environmental education guide/instructor, snowboard and avalanche safety instructor, First Aid/CPR/Wilderness First Aid instructor, 80,000+ trees planted, head mechanic for Alaska E-bike store, insulation upgrades/retrofit, contracting/construction, camp instructor, landscaper, heavy equipment operator, cook, and more. |
Extracurriculars
|
Currently I enjoy a wide variety of pursuits outside. Part of our family's food comes from fishing, hunting, and growing our own produce - we enjoy the rewards as well as the adventure bringing these to the table. We have recently purchased land and are doing a lot of the work ourselves to put in water, septic, and a geodesic dome home. I also enjoy mountain biking in the summer and snowboarding via splitboard or snowmachine in the winter. I also work and volunteer with various organizations who benefit the outdoor community including SAR, avalanche safety, and outdoor events. |
Educational Philosophy - Digital Version
Recent Work:
TEACHER RESOURCES: Individualized Learning
Check out some tools to bring the classroom into the digital age while improving assessment, practice, and differentiation!
Detailed descriptions are at the bottom of the resources page.
* * *
DIGITAL STORY REFLECTION
As you have hopefully seen (above), my digital story is complete! While I was working on the assignment, I realized that it was largely a digital interpretation of part of my educational philosophy. I truly believe a good education creates citizens who are capable of thinking critically and continuing to learn throughout life. In our fast paced digital world, new media is truly an assault on the consciousness - we are overwhelmed by the volume of content that we are exposed to every day, and this is especially true for students who are developing. Given the rapidly changing scope of digital exposure, we do not know how this is affecting youth and whether or not the temporal correlation with growing attention disorder diagnosis is anything other than coincidental. However, an an educator I do see a threat from information that propagate through social media without any filter as to authenticity or truth. Our students are participating in online vigilante justice in cases that go viral, like Cecil the lion, and learning a different type of justice in the process. In a similar vein, the amount of exposure for competing ideas does not always agree with scientific truth, as is the case with climate change. Recently, the Globe reported on the practice of "scientists" selling media pieces written to fit the needs of companies; this misinformation propagates without vetting and becomes one of the waves breaking in social media. When students lack critical thinking, these pieces can easily pass as fact. On the other hand, I understand the benefits of digital citizenship, despite the distraction, instant gratification, and misinformation that it can bring. Access to information is unparalleled in today's digital world, and that amazing benefit makes the problems seem like mere trifles in comparison. As educators, we need to embrace the reality of digital citizenship, and by doing so we can help students learn to problem solve through deep thinking, interpersonal communication, and critical reading of digital media. In my classroom, digital media affords for connections to math and science through interactive applications, resources to enable a flipped classroom when appropriate, and digital media to help teach and explain every concept in myriad ways. I look forward to engaging in digital citizenship with my students, and I will strive to empower them with a critical lens to find the gems and filter the misinformation.
* * *
RESOURCES LIBRARY
Plenty of great Edu-tainment to keep your brain happy and learning. Browse the list of the 10 resources there, and don't forget my three favorites at the bottom of the page! Science pictures of the day are available for astronomy and earth science, both of which will make great live home pages or even live desktops to peak your curiosity when you open the computer.
I am also working on my own technological progressions through a variety of sites that combine real time student assessment with teaching tools. The idea being that students can see the results of their efforts immediately, and that a variety of tools can be integrated into an assignment, quiz, or project to assist in fixing misunderstandings that are common in any challenging work. So far this effort includes customizing socrative.com quizzes, compiling online homework assignments through a variety of textbooks, and finding virtual experiments that are able to provide quantitative results that can be used to check, or predict calculations.
* * *
Professional Organization and Development:
Teaching science is easier when you are doing science at the same time! While I finish up my thesis work on Avalanche Risk (published here), I am ramping up my work with electronics in a breakthrough platform: electric bikes. Through forums like endless sphere I am following the rapid developments in the field of light electric vehicles, while working on my own projects that put theory into practice. I am also collaborating with groups in Seattle who manufacture brilliant motors and electric chassis that transcend the duties of normal bicycles. Check out Madboy Electric Vehicles and Tangent Motors.
TEACHER RESOURCES: Individualized Learning
Check out some tools to bring the classroom into the digital age while improving assessment, practice, and differentiation!
Detailed descriptions are at the bottom of the resources page.
* * *
DIGITAL STORY REFLECTION
As you have hopefully seen (above), my digital story is complete! While I was working on the assignment, I realized that it was largely a digital interpretation of part of my educational philosophy. I truly believe a good education creates citizens who are capable of thinking critically and continuing to learn throughout life. In our fast paced digital world, new media is truly an assault on the consciousness - we are overwhelmed by the volume of content that we are exposed to every day, and this is especially true for students who are developing. Given the rapidly changing scope of digital exposure, we do not know how this is affecting youth and whether or not the temporal correlation with growing attention disorder diagnosis is anything other than coincidental. However, an an educator I do see a threat from information that propagate through social media without any filter as to authenticity or truth. Our students are participating in online vigilante justice in cases that go viral, like Cecil the lion, and learning a different type of justice in the process. In a similar vein, the amount of exposure for competing ideas does not always agree with scientific truth, as is the case with climate change. Recently, the Globe reported on the practice of "scientists" selling media pieces written to fit the needs of companies; this misinformation propagates without vetting and becomes one of the waves breaking in social media. When students lack critical thinking, these pieces can easily pass as fact. On the other hand, I understand the benefits of digital citizenship, despite the distraction, instant gratification, and misinformation that it can bring. Access to information is unparalleled in today's digital world, and that amazing benefit makes the problems seem like mere trifles in comparison. As educators, we need to embrace the reality of digital citizenship, and by doing so we can help students learn to problem solve through deep thinking, interpersonal communication, and critical reading of digital media. In my classroom, digital media affords for connections to math and science through interactive applications, resources to enable a flipped classroom when appropriate, and digital media to help teach and explain every concept in myriad ways. I look forward to engaging in digital citizenship with my students, and I will strive to empower them with a critical lens to find the gems and filter the misinformation.
* * *
RESOURCES LIBRARY
Plenty of great Edu-tainment to keep your brain happy and learning. Browse the list of the 10 resources there, and don't forget my three favorites at the bottom of the page! Science pictures of the day are available for astronomy and earth science, both of which will make great live home pages or even live desktops to peak your curiosity when you open the computer.
I am also working on my own technological progressions through a variety of sites that combine real time student assessment with teaching tools. The idea being that students can see the results of their efforts immediately, and that a variety of tools can be integrated into an assignment, quiz, or project to assist in fixing misunderstandings that are common in any challenging work. So far this effort includes customizing socrative.com quizzes, compiling online homework assignments through a variety of textbooks, and finding virtual experiments that are able to provide quantitative results that can be used to check, or predict calculations.
* * *
Professional Organization and Development:
Teaching science is easier when you are doing science at the same time! While I finish up my thesis work on Avalanche Risk (published here), I am ramping up my work with electronics in a breakthrough platform: electric bikes. Through forums like endless sphere I am following the rapid developments in the field of light electric vehicles, while working on my own projects that put theory into practice. I am also collaborating with groups in Seattle who manufacture brilliant motors and electric chassis that transcend the duties of normal bicycles. Check out Madboy Electric Vehicles and Tangent Motors.
Professional growth through online professional communities
Communicating with students as a science educator affords the opportunity to illustrate how academic knowledge can transfer to real life. I am in a position to share knowledge thanks to my experience working in a variety of fields all over the United States and Canada, as well as thanks to my ties with organizations in the real world and on the web. I participate in the D4H Moutain Rescue group, Alaska Avalanche Information Center Observations, and through the outdoor community on Facebook. D4H is a community open to members of search and rescue groups that are part of the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA). Through this organization, we are able to connect via interagency communications, portals for individual groups like Alaska Mountain Rescue Group (AMGR), group email, text and Facebook. Avalanche center communication occurs through submissions on their webpage, social media, and group email as well. I want students to understand future careers and workplace culture as doors that open from personal efforts, both scholastic and extracurricular, and the connection with the outdoor industry is a great way to connect these ideas to math and science. Also, my participation in these communities makes it a lot easier to teach science, since I am able to draw on experience actually doing science.
Thanks to 10 years in the outdoor industry, I am embedded in a few lasting communities. Snow science, wilderness first aid, and search and rescue make up an intertwined group of people that are as likely to interact on Anchorage’s trails as through social media trends in our digital age. These industries offer a bridge between the world of knowledge-specific careers that require serious study and the lure of extreme sports. Since students are typically drawn to extreme sports, I have ramped up my participation in the virtual side of these communities to investigate how to increase my efficacy as an engaging educator.
Through discussion with other professionals who blend traditional education with this type of awareness training, I have heard and read a wealth of stories about how students have changed their attitudes towards a particular subject. Therefore, integrating examples and content from these disciplines is a great way to engage students who may otherwise see a topic like physics as divorced from reality. Whether engagement is a challenge in the classroom, or if an educator would like to increase the subject’s connection to place-based culture, incorporating any stories about how the content being taught applies to real life can benefit the classroom. I have discovered
The avalanche safety industry truly benefits from increased communication, and this has included the bulk of my participation as a member of an online community. Everyone who works to increase public knowledge about avalanche safety faces the same challenges as traditional educators in the classroom: we are competing for attention from students who are attracted by a dozen other things. As educational theory espouses the value of experiential education and limited lecture, other industries have followed suit. I have been using my theoretically-tuned perspective to locate short digital media pieces that highlight key information while also engaging the audience. Other people in the community are doing the same thing, so through the connected circles of social media we are able to keep meaningful and intriguing content cycling through the outdoor communities frontpage, if not frontal cortex.
Additionally, I am still working to complete my own avalanche research so I am tuned into developments from the academic side of the field. In this regard, I have been sharing some very important breaking research on the newest and greatest tool in the avalanche safety world - the balloon pack (or airbag, as it is known colloquially). The balloon pack is a backpack that includes a pressurized tank connected to a large inflatable bag folded into the backpack. If a person is caught in an avalanche, they can inflate the bag in about three seconds by pulling a cord that releases the stored air. Theoretically, the inflated bag adds about 150 liters of volume to a person, so they will rise to the top of an avalanche flow just like the largest chips in a bag of well shaken potato chips. While these new devices are popular, research is ongoing and there are many shortcomings that prevent these bags from being the silver bullet that many users expect. However, hopefully the links and information that I am sharing is percolating as well as the digital media throughout the community.
In a similar vein, I also share content related to wilderness safety, including how to prevent search and rescue scenarios and great examples of improvised backcountry medical gear. One successful venture is a youtube channel that holds a repository of videos for wilderness first aid students, all of which are engaging and insightful. I am sure that my content has helped people. In fact, I was once activated for an informal, but still serious, search and rescue through Facebook!