Designed Database & User Interfaces for “openSIS”
One of my many responsibilities at Christa McAuliffe Academy was the design of both the Database Architecture and User Interfaces for an opensource custom built Student Information System application. The unique nature of CMA necessitated a custom built solution, dubbed “openSIS”. As a part of the New Application Design Team, I applied industry standard DB Normalization principles design and construct the necessary structures in MySQL running on a SUSE 10.2 server. In addition, using User Interface (UI) best practices, I served as the Technical Architect bringing together diverse stakeholders to create processes and interfaces that would significantly streamline common administrative tasks.
Redesigned & Rebuilt Christa McAuliffe Academy & ACHIEVE Online Websites
In August of 2007, with the PHP support of my Technology Director, I lead the complete redesign and systematic development and maintenance of two new web presences. These sites more clearly articulated and promoted the vision and philosophy of the school as well as supported the rapidly changing administrative and educational needs of Christa McAuliffe Academy / ACHIEVE Online. I collected the knowledge and experience of diverse personnel, forming a consistent user experience and interface as well as providing clean and structured coding architecture for the smooth transition from numerous aging platforms to a custom built, scalable, modular, web presence.
Active member Northwest Moodle Users Group (NW MUG)
Since 2005 I have been an active member of a Moodle Learning Management System Northwest Users Group which brings together IT professionals from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, and Wyoming to collaborate and innovate diverse implementations of the Moodle LMS. I have deployed numerous versions of the Moodle LMS since 2004 including transitioning disperse services at Christa Mc Auliffe Academy to one, custom programmed, implementation of Moodle in early 2007. While I have multiple experience with numerous commercially available and open source LMS & CMS systems, none match the simplicity of administration, raw capabilities, and flexibility of Moodle. I am proud to be one small part of advancing this movement that so robustly supports student learning.
Exclusive Instructor for ESD 105 Database Classes
I have for the last 1 1/2 Years served at Educational Service District 105 as the instructor for their Introduction to MS Access and Introduction to File Maker Pro classes. In addition I co-authored and instruct an Intermediate Database Course. This course covers Database Design and Normalization Theories, and how to implement these theories in MS Access, File Maker Pro, and MySQL.
Authored Toppenish High 2006-2007 School Improvement Technology Goals
Upon the request of my building principal I collected and analyzed the School Improvement Goals for each individual department. I then took the difficulties identified by these goals and drafted technology goals specifically targeted to help facilitate the departmental goals and overcome these common difficulties.
Created TSD Technology Pilot Classroom Program
A strategically implemented classroom environment where key instructors explore current and emerging technologies in order to evaluate their effect on the educational goals and vision of Toppenish School District as well as the skills, competencies, and standardized test scores of Toppenish students
Established THS Technology Morning Training’s
I have spent the last few years watching good, talented, and intelligent teachers frustrated by "the things they don't know" about technology, it's use, and benefits in education. I also work in a district where there is little to no financial capacity for effective technology training for teachers. To that end, I established voluntary morning technology training’s once a week to do whatever I could to alleviate my staff's frustration with technology in education.
Authored Toppenish High 2005-2006 School Improvement Technology Goals
Upon the request of my building principal I collected and analyzed the School Improvement Goals for each individual department. I then took the difficulties identified by these goals and drafted technology goals specifically targeted to help facilitate the departmental goals and overcome these common difficulties.
Served as exclusive Macintosh technical support for THS
As a Certificated Apple Computers Professional Sales associate and an avid Macintosh user, I have served for the last two years as the exclusive technology support and consultant for the Macintosh computers in our high school, especially those used in the T.V. News and Audio Visual departments.
Writing Improvement Through Technology Project
Educational research illustrates student writing skills and the writing component of Standardized Test Scores show statistically significant improvement when technology is used “... throughout the writing process ...” and that “Using computers to simply type in final drafts of essays, however, [has] no effect on students’ test performance .” To this end many schools have moved to 1-to-1 Laptop Programs. While these programs have shown significant gains, beginning a 1-to-1 program is a massive undertaking which takes several years and must be vigorously supported by numerous stakeholders to be successful. In many rural districts the understanding of the need for and benefits of such a program is simply not widespread enough to ensure success. This proposal was created as a stepping stone implementation to not only increase student writing skills and achievement on state standardized writing exams, but to educate and provide a vision for administrators, instructors, and parents to understand the improvement to student education that a robust, research based, systematically planned and implemented technology advancement program could have on the Toppenish School District.
Authored Toppenish High School Science Team Technology Proposal
Educating students to be prepared for life in the 21st Century is an ever-growing task. Over the last year and a half, the Toppenish High School Science Department has systematically designed an Inquiry Based, EALR aligned, integrated science curriculum which will prepare Toppenish School District students for the 10th Grade science WASL and possible futures in science related fields. The THS Science Department is sincerely grateful for the support it has received to date, and asked Toppenish School District to support the next logical and critically important step in this process; the purchase and installation of the necessary technology and execution of technology training to successfully complete the creation and implementation of a successful high school science curriculum.
