Get To Know Me

I have been fortunate enough to build a career doing what I love. My first experience with teaching came through church service while my first experience with training came through military service. I later decided to pursue a degree in K-12 science education, graduating with degree from Purdue University in Aug 2000 at the age of 33. 

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I have always been more interested in the application of teaching theories and best practices, which probably stems from my experience as a student who fell through the cracks. I have been honored to learned from so many trained professionals in my field, and while I still have so much to learn from others in the industry, I find myself being drawn to sharing my experiences and expertise with others in the hopes of making a positive contribution to the the field of education. My passion has always been science, and the consequences  science literacy has on society. 

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As a K-12 teacher, I loved assisting my students with lightbulb moments when they grasped that challenging topic. This is where I first became a ware of the power a well thought out instructional plan can have on improving student learning. I love the challenge of integrating technology and innovative, dynamic teaching methods to inspire students to be actively engaged in their education and to become lifelong learners.  I have found that my unique combination of educational experiences, married with  a background in farming, industrial manufacturing, military service, residential construction, and furniture making have assisted me in developing my expertise in teaching, instructional design, and research.

My transition to professional instructional designer came after a 17 year career as a public educator. This was a baptism by fire when I accepted the invitation to create instructional material for the Purdue evGrand Prix program with no formalized training in instructional design, instructional models, or instructional design theories. I was the sole instructional designer for the this program and the Hardware Store Science program from 2017 to 2021. It was during this time that I earned my masters degree in Instructional Design & Technology from Purdue Global. This experience reaffirmed to me the value of a solid science education, and how the perception of what it means to "teach" science has changed over the years. I also began feeling pulled to educational research related to how teachers use technology to engage learners, assist them to construct knowledge, and reignite their natural curiosity of the world in which they live.

I have considered myself someone who just goes to work every day and does his job the best he possibly can. I pride myself on learning how to improve my skills and abilities through training, reading, and observing those around me. I have been blessed with mentors along the way who have helped me improve in my communication skills, curriculum development, technology integration, and learner assessments. My current research interests lie in the use of 3D modeling within K-12 science classes. I am striving to close the gap between anxiety and confidence and improving science teacher self-efficacy and competence. I have worked with teachers from across the state of Indiana to implement Integrated STEM instructional material in their classrooms; assisting learners to be prepared to enter the 21st-Century workforce and STEM careers.