CURRICULUM
When writing curriculum, I place myself back in the role of classroom teacher. What are aspirational goals for my students? What are measurable learning objectives? How are these aligned to local and national learning standards? What instructional methods will engage my students? How can I best assess their learning outcomes? As a Teach for America alum with a Master of Science in Teaching from Fordham University and a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in Education Design from Teachers College, Columbia University, I am trained in the art of curriculum design and have expertise in creating educational resources for both formal and informal learning settings.
As the Education Specialist at Tinybop, I outlined the inquiry-based handbooks that accompany the first four Explorer’s Library apps: The Human Body, Plants, Homes, and Simple Machines. Designed to foster curiosity and conversation, the handbooks encourage parents and educators to play and learn alongside their kids. Prompts, discussion questions, and short explanations equip adults with tips and background knowledge for exploring the apps and discovering content embedded into the playful interactions. I also crafted additional activities on Tinybop’s blog, providing parents and educators with ideas to extend learning through hands-on science investigations and art-making projects at home and in the classroom.
The Presidio Trust
San Francisco, CA
Recognizing the power of informal learning venues to augment instruction in formal classrooms, I designed field trips at the Presidio that were aligned to the California State Standards. Additionally, I wrote pre- and post-visit lessons to prepare students for on-site experiences and reflect on their discoveries back at school. I also created educational guidebooks and worksheets to support after school programs and specialty workshops, including resources to introduce middle school girls to the field of archaeology at the annual Expanding Your Horizons conference.
Rustic Pathways
Udon Thani, Thailand
As Program Manager of Teaching the Children, I created an English language curriculum for American high school volunteers to teach at two local elementary schools in the village of Ban Chiang Yuen. Based on the success of the summer program, I was asked to coordinate English Camp 2006, a collaborative venture between Rustic Pathways and the Udon Thani municipal government that brought together one hundred fifty students and forty volunteers for a weekend of language and cultural activities.
PS 6X - The West Farms School
Bronx, NY
As a second grade teacher at West Farms School, one of my greatest challenges was convincing my students that they were writers with stories to tell. The majority were far below grade level, some had not yet even mastered the alphabet. They not only struggled with the mechanics of reading and writing, they also lacked confidence in their own voices. I worked closely with LEAP (Learning through an Expanded Arts Program) to create an interdisciplinary arts and literacy curriculum that incorporated drama, visual arts, music, creative movement, cooking, games, and storytelling. My morning literacy block transformed my struggling readers into bookworms and my reluctant writers into authors.
