Welcome to EDC 533...summer 2013!

A little bit about me...

I have had three fantastic years since my "retirement" in August 2010 from a 25-year career as professor of middle level education at the University of Maine.  We prefer the term "refocus" in our house.

This year I continued my work with schools on digital citizenship. With colleagues, produced an online, multi-part series on Digital Footprint and Web Presence for middle and high school students (and their parents and teachers); currently developing a six-hour, online, professional development course for educational leaders on parent/community partnerships. My other area of interest is Student Technology Teams. I assisted Warsaw Middle School this year as they started their own student technology team thanks to a grant from Maine Community Foundation. Presented at several conferences on both digital citizenship and student technology teams. Just completed an article about starting student technology teams.

Before UMaine, I taught high school English and middle school language arts in Rochester, NY and Greeley, CO for 12 years. Began my career as a high school teacher but really found my niche with middle school. (My wife says my affinity for middle school occurred because my own development was arrested about 7th grade. Hmmm...I thought that was a compliment!) I loved teaching middle school...the hardest job I ever had and the most rewarding in many ways! But those of you in the classroom already know that.

Connie (my wife) is the founder and director of Operation Breaking Stereotypes, a non-profit that brings together students from Maine and NYC high schools to learn about each others' worlds. We have four adult "children"...one high school English/musical theater teacher in Maine, a high school technology integrator in Minnesota, an urban planner in Boston, and a historic preservationist in NYC.

I run, swim, play tennis, ski, sail...and spend July and August at camp...enjoying Maine.