I  taught my first official lesson in 1987. It was based on increasing phonemic awareness with a student who had learning differences, specifically related to dyslexia.  Since that time, I have been teaching in multiple formats and institutions in Colorado, New Jersey, Florida, New Hampshire, and parts of California.  In 2014, I started teaching at California State University in Monterey Bay.  I specialize in topics related to education including Latinx students, culturally diverse children’s literature, technology in education, and reading and writing.

I live in the lands of the Popeloutchom (Amah Mutsun), Ohlone, and Awaswas peoples, which is also known as the central coast in California. When I am not prepping and teaching, I enjoy spending time with my family and Great Dane, including walking at the beautiful beaches, apple orchards, and redwood forests that surround my home.  I also enjoy triathlons, reading, and watching television and movies.

Why I’m in MYFest: I participated in MyFest last year when I was burned out and exhausted and needed a community that nurtured and inspired me. The experience left such an impact that I’m back this year to continue the ongoing discussions and relationships.

MYFest involvement: I will be co-facilitating, with George Station, a critical conversation that we hope will begin to bridge the gap between the global reach of generative AI’s spread into higher education, and local challenges of edtech intrusion into our daily teacher-learner-staff interactions. This session is not meant to “solve” AI but to connect with each other, ally over common concerns, and create questions that may carry over to other related MYFest sessions.