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The Empathy Project Worden Home Learn More Inspiration About the Author |
About the Author
My story so far.
To some degree, my journey in education started a good three decades before I ever took my first education class. And if you’re looking for someone to blame, as my students likely are, you can point the finger squarely in Robin Williams’ direction. After watching Dead Poet’s Society, teenage me decided he wanted to be a teacher. The odd part was, even at that moment, he knew he wanted to be a teacher… as a second career. Despite having no idea what his first career would be.
It turns out that first career would be in creative advertising. Over the course of my first 20 professional years, I worked as a copywriter and, eventually, creative director in advertising agencies. I had the fortune of creating materials like television and radio commercials for a huge range of clients and industries, including iconic brands such as Disney, the state of California, various ski resorts, and more. I was afforded amazing opportunities such as spending 10 days traveling throughout the Fiji Islands on a photoshoot. I got to sit poolside (empty, of course) chatting casually with Tony Hawk. I had the chance to hear Danny Devito tell me that the joke I wrote for him stunk. Overall, my time in advertising was an incredible experience where I learned to deliver a broad range of messages in creative, engaging ways that would resonate with my audience. That last sentence has proven incredibly useful in my transition to education.
At 45 years old, the time came to actually make the leap into that second career planned so long ago. So I did. I did my credential work through the California State University system’s remote teacher education program, CalStateTEACH. During this program. I was fortunate enough to student teach under amazing mentors with an incredible passion for their children and their craft.
Immediately upon completion of my credential training, I enrolled in the Innovative Learning Master’s Program at Touro University, California. This path was driven partially by my growing understanding of the challenges faced by modern education, interest in the foundation philosophies that underpin our current approaches to those challenges, and innate desire to challenge entrenched narratives that are limiting our ability to solve them.
To some degree, my journey in education started a good three decades before I ever took my first education class. And if you’re looking for someone to blame, as my students likely are, you can point the finger squarely in Robin Williams’ direction. After watching Dead Poet’s Society, teenage me decided he wanted to be a teacher. The odd part was, even at that moment, he knew he wanted to be a teacher… as a second career. Despite having no idea what his first career would be.
It turns out that first career would be in creative advertising. Over the course of my first 20 professional years, I worked as a copywriter and, eventually, creative director in advertising agencies. I had the fortune of creating materials like television and radio commercials for a huge range of clients and industries, including iconic brands such as Disney, the state of California, various ski resorts, and more. I was afforded amazing opportunities such as spending 10 days traveling throughout the Fiji Islands on a photoshoot. I got to sit poolside (empty, of course) chatting casually with Tony Hawk. I had the chance to hear Danny Devito tell me that the joke I wrote for him stunk. Overall, my time in advertising was an incredible experience where I learned to deliver a broad range of messages in creative, engaging ways that would resonate with my audience. That last sentence has proven incredibly useful in my transition to education.
At 45 years old, the time came to actually make the leap into that second career planned so long ago. So I did. I did my credential work through the California State University system’s remote teacher education program, CalStateTEACH. During this program. I was fortunate enough to student teach under amazing mentors with an incredible passion for their children and their craft.
Immediately upon completion of my credential training, I enrolled in the Innovative Learning Master’s Program at Touro University, California. This path was driven partially by my growing understanding of the challenges faced by modern education, interest in the foundation philosophies that underpin our current approaches to those challenges, and innate desire to challenge entrenched narratives that are limiting our ability to solve them.
Reflections on My TPACK Journey
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I began my journey in education just a couple years ago. After 20 years in the advertising industry, I decided it was time to finally make a transition I had been planning since I was 15 years old: To become a teacher as a second career. By this time, things like virtual classrooms were already "a thing." Zoom already existed. NearPod, PearDeck, FlipGrid, Google Docs/Slides/Forms/etc., were well-established. Social media had already evolved through Friendster -> MySpace -> Facebook -> Twitter -> Tumblr -> Reddit and so on.
All this is to say that the idea of how to properly integrate and optimize technology in the classroom was embedded deeply into my credential program. We took a look at various different models. Dr. Royce Kimmons' PICRAT Matrix. Dr. Ruben R. Puentadura's SAMR Model. And, now, through the Touro University Innovative Learning Master's Program, the TPACK Model outlined by Punya Mishra and Matthew J. Koehler. Of course, each model and approach has its differences. While SAMR and PICRAT focus entirely on tech integration, TPACK expands the view to incorporate pedagogical and content knowledge since, without those, it doesn't really matter how you use your tech. But, ultimately, each asks a very similar question: WHY ARE YOU DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING? Each is designed to ensure hold teachers accountable to the big |
picture goals of educating our students. Each ask us, as educators, to be deliberate and purposeful in our methods.To ask ourselves a number of questions when planning our lessons that boil down to "of all the tools in my educator's tool belt, which is/are the best for this specific learning goal?"
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Lasting Learnings from the Innovative Learning Program
Lasting learnings? First, let's recognize that I can go on forever on the smallest, most insignificant subject. It's a gift. But not really a gift anyone wants. One that you definitely want to keep the receipt on. So, considering my tendency toward rambling, the amount of lasting learning from this program could fill multiple blogs. So let me try to bullet point it as best I can.
The State of Education
Getting into education later in my career has provided me some unique perspectives on people, learning, the world, etc. At the same time, I haven't had time to build the same type of perspective born of experience when it comes to the educational system. Throughout this program, through assigned reading like The Flat World and Education by Linda Darling-Hammond and simply listening, interacting, and absorbing from an amazing group of mentors, instructors, and cohort members, I feel like I've had the opportunity to accelerate the acquisition of that perspective.
Community of Practice
I've heard that term. Mostly academically. I haven't had a ton of experience with it (a theme in my educational journey) but I think this program has given me a good idea what it means to have a passionate, supportive community of colleagues committed to the success of our students. Honestly, this program was very challenging for me as I simultaneously tried to learn how to teach at all from the ground up AND think about how to be innovative in that teaching. Without the support, humor, and grace of the people around me, I'm not sure I would pull it off. I imagine that last sentence may very well apply to every aspect of my future teaching experience.
Mixed Emotions
Am I angry? Am I inspired? Am I touched? Am I discouraged? At any given moment in this process, any number of emotions could have applied. There are certainly times in reading when it looked like the barriers to the true paradigm-shifting change are just too big. Too entrenched. Too politicized. Heck, there are times when the barriers to completing my work for this program seem nearly insurmountable. Fortunately, those times were relatively short lived. As I tell my students, just take the first step. Just focus on the task immediately in front of you. When I remind myself of that, I know everything will come together. Eventually. It has to. Right?
The State of Education
Getting into education later in my career has provided me some unique perspectives on people, learning, the world, etc. At the same time, I haven't had time to build the same type of perspective born of experience when it comes to the educational system. Throughout this program, through assigned reading like The Flat World and Education by Linda Darling-Hammond and simply listening, interacting, and absorbing from an amazing group of mentors, instructors, and cohort members, I feel like I've had the opportunity to accelerate the acquisition of that perspective.
Community of Practice
I've heard that term. Mostly academically. I haven't had a ton of experience with it (a theme in my educational journey) but I think this program has given me a good idea what it means to have a passionate, supportive community of colleagues committed to the success of our students. Honestly, this program was very challenging for me as I simultaneously tried to learn how to teach at all from the ground up AND think about how to be innovative in that teaching. Without the support, humor, and grace of the people around me, I'm not sure I would pull it off. I imagine that last sentence may very well apply to every aspect of my future teaching experience.
Mixed Emotions
Am I angry? Am I inspired? Am I touched? Am I discouraged? At any given moment in this process, any number of emotions could have applied. There are certainly times in reading when it looked like the barriers to the true paradigm-shifting change are just too big. Too entrenched. Too politicized. Heck, there are times when the barriers to completing my work for this program seem nearly insurmountable. Fortunately, those times were relatively short lived. As I tell my students, just take the first step. Just focus on the task immediately in front of you. When I remind myself of that, I know everything will come together. Eventually. It has to. Right?