Getting from Canada to iPads
Phase I: Canada
I began my career in education as a teacher, in the province of Ontario, Canada. Before that, I pursued an Engineering Degree with the Royal Military College of Canada, shifting from an Engineering Physics major to a Computer Programming major. Never quite finding my place after 3 years, I changed direction, attaining an Honors BA in English from McMaster University. This dual background in the Arts and Sciences prompted me to complete a BEd at Brock University, in the specialties of English and Physics. My first teaching job was at a boys' correctional school, followed by a job in adult education, and a few short contracts with high schools in the Catholic School board and the Public School board. But the winters were getting to me. . .
Phase II: California
I took a chance on a private school in Northern California where I taught for 9 years, filling a variety of roles, teaching Physics, Chemistry, AP English Literature, AP English Language, Math, and Physical Education. During this time I was able to create UC approved course curriculum, become a department chair in both Science and English, serve as an Accreditation chair, coach a Robotics team start-up, start a film club, a writer's club, coach basketball, and so much more. It was a time rich with opportunity and experience that prepared me for what was next: iPads.
Phase III: Monte Vista Christian School
Monte Vista Christian school, under the brave direction of its Head of School, Stephen Sharp, was the first school in the world to implement iPads in the classroom, on April 13th, 2010. Shortly thereafter, the school's head of IT moved on to another job, prompting the need to hire someone who could manage the iPad project. I was that someone, and I started working at Monte Vista Christian School as the iPad Integration Coordinator. It was my job to create a plan for integration, and then implement it, and so the whirlwind began. Being the first to try a thing, and being very public about it, can result in a great deal of attention, at least, in Monte Vista's case it did. I found myself hosting visitors from out of state, and out of country, and then being invited to speak at other schools, in state, out of state, and even out of the country. We've already hosted 10 very successful iPad conferences, for which I was usually the keynote speaker. I look back at it in wonder--we came so far, so fast, and had to learn so many lessons. It is those lessons that I would like to share with others, hoping that they might learn from our mistakes and our successes.
Phase IV: Taking it on the Road
In the latest chapter of this adventure, Monte Vista has been invited to speak at other conferences about some of our experiences. In April of 2013, Steve Sharp, and two teachers were invited to speak at an iPad conference hosted in Hawaii. In June, I was again invited to speak in China. One week later, I met with our headmaster, and 3 teachers in Australia, where we presented at a Public School in New South Wales (Carlingford West), and then were treated to a visit to a progressive school called Northern Beaches that specializes in Open Shared Learning Spaces. Later that week, the team was in a Public School in Auckland (Lynfield College), New Zealand, presenting iPad pedagogy to a group of teachers from both the northern and southern islands. We then continued on to a private school, Elim Christian School, where we were able to share and collaborate with their great staff. In July, I presented at Alan November's summer conference, and then at Monte Vista's own ECW 13 conference in August. It was a busy summer, but the next summer would outdo it!
In June of 2014, the crew from the previous summer, with the addition of a new member, returned to Carlingford West in Sydney, for a second installment of their "i On The Future" conference, and then immediately following, we toured New Zealand, first stopping in Queenstown, then Dunedin, Christchurch and finally Auckland, speaking at one or two conferences at each stop. If we hadn't all fallen in love with that part of the world during our first summer, then surely after this summer we had. After returning home, I flew out to Boston to speak once again at Alan November's conference, and upon returning to CA, traveled south to CA Poly Pomona to do a Project Lead The Way training. After completing the two week course, I was back at Monte Vista starting up our new school year.
That was 2014. 2015 and 2016 would prove to be busy years, with an Accreditation visit, and a few more trips abroad, as well as the completion of a Masters degree in Educational Technology from Boise State University, but 2017 has been the biggest year, with the retirement of Steve Sharp, and the start of our new Head of School at Monte Vista, Dr. Mitch Salerno. Dr. Salerno will be continuing the cutting edge practices Steve started, and the future at Monte Vista looks very bright indeed!
Epilogue: Post-iPad
As iPads have become a common sight in American schools, my position at Monte Vista was eliminated, and I had to find new work. That brought me to Tyler, TX for a short stay with Grace Community School, where I met some very nice people, but the job was a not a good fit, and after two years, I found myself looking for a new job--this was at the same time Covid hit. By some amazing grace, I was able to find a position at Wichita Collegiate School, in Wichita, KS, where I continue to work toady as the Director of Technology.
I began my career in education as a teacher, in the province of Ontario, Canada. Before that, I pursued an Engineering Degree with the Royal Military College of Canada, shifting from an Engineering Physics major to a Computer Programming major. Never quite finding my place after 3 years, I changed direction, attaining an Honors BA in English from McMaster University. This dual background in the Arts and Sciences prompted me to complete a BEd at Brock University, in the specialties of English and Physics. My first teaching job was at a boys' correctional school, followed by a job in adult education, and a few short contracts with high schools in the Catholic School board and the Public School board. But the winters were getting to me. . .
Phase II: California
I took a chance on a private school in Northern California where I taught for 9 years, filling a variety of roles, teaching Physics, Chemistry, AP English Literature, AP English Language, Math, and Physical Education. During this time I was able to create UC approved course curriculum, become a department chair in both Science and English, serve as an Accreditation chair, coach a Robotics team start-up, start a film club, a writer's club, coach basketball, and so much more. It was a time rich with opportunity and experience that prepared me for what was next: iPads.
Phase III: Monte Vista Christian School
Monte Vista Christian school, under the brave direction of its Head of School, Stephen Sharp, was the first school in the world to implement iPads in the classroom, on April 13th, 2010. Shortly thereafter, the school's head of IT moved on to another job, prompting the need to hire someone who could manage the iPad project. I was that someone, and I started working at Monte Vista Christian School as the iPad Integration Coordinator. It was my job to create a plan for integration, and then implement it, and so the whirlwind began. Being the first to try a thing, and being very public about it, can result in a great deal of attention, at least, in Monte Vista's case it did. I found myself hosting visitors from out of state, and out of country, and then being invited to speak at other schools, in state, out of state, and even out of the country. We've already hosted 10 very successful iPad conferences, for which I was usually the keynote speaker. I look back at it in wonder--we came so far, so fast, and had to learn so many lessons. It is those lessons that I would like to share with others, hoping that they might learn from our mistakes and our successes.
Phase IV: Taking it on the Road
In the latest chapter of this adventure, Monte Vista has been invited to speak at other conferences about some of our experiences. In April of 2013, Steve Sharp, and two teachers were invited to speak at an iPad conference hosted in Hawaii. In June, I was again invited to speak in China. One week later, I met with our headmaster, and 3 teachers in Australia, where we presented at a Public School in New South Wales (Carlingford West), and then were treated to a visit to a progressive school called Northern Beaches that specializes in Open Shared Learning Spaces. Later that week, the team was in a Public School in Auckland (Lynfield College), New Zealand, presenting iPad pedagogy to a group of teachers from both the northern and southern islands. We then continued on to a private school, Elim Christian School, where we were able to share and collaborate with their great staff. In July, I presented at Alan November's summer conference, and then at Monte Vista's own ECW 13 conference in August. It was a busy summer, but the next summer would outdo it!
In June of 2014, the crew from the previous summer, with the addition of a new member, returned to Carlingford West in Sydney, for a second installment of their "i On The Future" conference, and then immediately following, we toured New Zealand, first stopping in Queenstown, then Dunedin, Christchurch and finally Auckland, speaking at one or two conferences at each stop. If we hadn't all fallen in love with that part of the world during our first summer, then surely after this summer we had. After returning home, I flew out to Boston to speak once again at Alan November's conference, and upon returning to CA, traveled south to CA Poly Pomona to do a Project Lead The Way training. After completing the two week course, I was back at Monte Vista starting up our new school year.
That was 2014. 2015 and 2016 would prove to be busy years, with an Accreditation visit, and a few more trips abroad, as well as the completion of a Masters degree in Educational Technology from Boise State University, but 2017 has been the biggest year, with the retirement of Steve Sharp, and the start of our new Head of School at Monte Vista, Dr. Mitch Salerno. Dr. Salerno will be continuing the cutting edge practices Steve started, and the future at Monte Vista looks very bright indeed!
Epilogue: Post-iPad
As iPads have become a common sight in American schools, my position at Monte Vista was eliminated, and I had to find new work. That brought me to Tyler, TX for a short stay with Grace Community School, where I met some very nice people, but the job was a not a good fit, and after two years, I found myself looking for a new job--this was at the same time Covid hit. By some amazing grace, I was able to find a position at Wichita Collegiate School, in Wichita, KS, where I continue to work toady as the Director of Technology.