VisualCV

Project managed the research, design, and development of educational products for preK-12 educational and community group programs, homeschool and afterschool educators. Redesigned and reverse engineered hands-on math, science, and art based Activity Kit products for purchase via RAFT’s inaugural online store. See http://www.raftstore.net/ . Conceptualized, re-engineered, commissioned, wrote, edited, and illustrated Kit materials and online Idea Sheets and Tip Sheets. Conceived new and revised text and graphics. Specified new materials. Enlisted, inspired, delegated and integrated team member contributions. Managed photo and video production and review processes. Validated product changes and upgrades by testing and evaluating with users prior to product introduction.

RAFT is a non-profit organization that believes hands-on teaching is the best way for teachers to teach and students to learn. RAFT provides creative hands-on activities, educational resources, workshops and inexpensive materials, (many donated by local businesses), to enrich pre K-12 education. The goal is to assist by providing materials and ideas for day-to-day teaching and for supporting professional growth.

As a credentialed teacher, I signed on with two different companies -- XCEL Educational Services, and TutorWorks -- to instruct on a very part time basis in after school tutoring programs providing No Child Left Behind Supplemental Educational Services in math and English language arts.
These services are free to low-income students attending Title 1 schools.

Returned for 10 weeks during the summer to teach / tutor children.

Implemented clients' treatment plans. Worked one-on-one with children and adults to improve reading, spelling, math, visual-motor skills, language comprehension, writing, and critical thinking. Used a variety of methods, including symbol and concept imagery, number imagery and number sense, cognitive coaching, and Visualization and Verbalization. Taught individuals with learning difficulties ranging from mild to severe, including dyslexia, autism, and other spectrum disorders.

In my instructional career, I have been motivated by first hand personal experience with urban, low-income California students; individuals with learning differences such as dyslexia, autism, and other spectrum and processing disorders; individuals with mental illness and traumatic brain injury; the LGBT community; and multicultural and multilingual populations.

• Researched and wrote content for Countries in Perspective chapters on a South East European country as a freelance writer.
  http://fieldsupport.dliflc.edu/products/cip/croatia/default.html

Defense Language Institute - Foreign Language Center; Technology Integration Division

Web Content Writer / Researcher / Editor / Course Writer SME

Member of the DLIFLC Field Support product team.

This team produces country and area studies, and cultural orientation and language familiarization materials for US service members and worldwide.

• Created online modules and developed E-learning objectives for 5 online courses of 75+ pages in length covering regional studies and cultural orientation topics for global audience. Researched, cross-referenced, organized, and wrote content and data for chapters on Croatia, Malaysia, and other countries.
• Identified, cataloged, and maintained detailed documentation of all sources, using proprietary style guide and adhering to quality and formatting standards. Functioned as subject matter expert on chapter contents.
• Edited, updated, and rewrote others’ products cooperatively as part of a team of writers and editors.

Senior Instructional Designer

Member of the DLIFLC Headstart product team. When the instructional design work for the second version of Headstart was completed, I was transferred to a Field Support team to work as a Writer.

• Creatively and systematically designed objectives, lessons, activities, and assessments for the next product version of Headstart: SCORM-compliant foreign language e-learning for beginners (level 0+). Linked objectives to soldiers’ learning needs.
• Evaluated and improved existing outlines, documents, activities; leveraged knowledge assets.
• Designed consistently detailed user interaction PowerPoint storyboard documentation for Flex-based lessons and activities. Functioning as team lead on this aspect of the project, managed the review and revision iterations of the storyboards and served as point of contact for software engineers, thereby getting this key product upgrade back on track in 40 days. Worked extensively with design team to ensure training curriculum would meet client needs.
• Reverse engineered the instructional design of the original Headstart product. Designed and scripted new templates with end user in mind, based on sound methodology in foreign language teaching / language acquisition, cognitive learning, and cultural understanding theory and techniques. Designed and implemented updates according to E-learning theories such as Elaboration, ARC, and Merrill’s approach. Benchmarked against Rosetta Stone.
• Revised and adapted the scope of training, delivering to specified customer stakeholder time-scales and requests. 
• Captured and defined requirements in specifications documentation.

Instructional Designer / Community Outreach Program Volunteer

• Participated in ASTD – Golden Gate Community Outreach Program. Performed Needs Analysis for Instructional Design and Development of proposed training for adult learners for a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco with an office in Silicon Valley. Interviewed nonprofit organization representatives. Communicated analysis and summary of findings in written and oral formats. (March 2009)

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Member, ASTD - Golden Gate Chapter
Participant in the following workshops:

• 2009 Foundation Series, ASTD-Golden Gate, October 2009. Information about this series of workshops introducing the Workplace Learning and Performance profession is available at this link.

• Adult Training Design and Development Workshop (Community Outreach Program), ASTD-Golden Gate, March 2009. Instructional Design and Development of training for adult learners. Also participated in the COP volunteer program.

• High Performance Training Multimedia Workshop, ASTD-Golden Gate, October 2008. Instructional Design and Development of E-learning. 

I also participated in an online Ning event:

• Work Literacy -- Web 2.0 for Learning Professionals, online (non-ASTD), October – November 2008. Social media, wikis, blogs for learning.

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Education and Enablement Consultant | Training Document Writer

Geometry Instructor; Credentialed Mathematics Tutor; Clinician.

Taught geometry at a charter high school to students from East Palo Alto; also tutored children and adults one-on-one to improve algebra, geometry, English literacy and comprehension, and critical thinking skills.

• Credentialed Mathematics Tutor at KnowledgeQuest, Los Gatos, California. 

• Clinician at Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes, Saratoga, California. Implemented clients' treatment plans. Worked one-on-one with children and adults to improve reading, spelling, math, visual-motor skills, language comprehension, writing, and critical thinking. Used a variety of methods, including symbol and concept imagery, number imagery and number sense, cognitive coaching, and Visualization and Verbalization. Taught individuals with learning difficulties ranging from mild to severe, including dyslexia, autism, and other spectrum disorders. Administered and scored client assessments.

Interviewed learning technology vendors, evaluating Learning Management System (LMS) products for usability.

• Wrote three LMS reviews for publication: Gyrus Aim, Websoft KnowledgeBridge, and Meridian KSI 6.0. (contract)

Successfully taught pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, and science to urban, low-income middle and high school students, including English language learners and mainstreamed special needs students. 

• Researched, developed, wrote internal summary on brain development, early childhood education, preschool policy.

• Coordinated the formation, tax exemption, and dissolution of California nonprofit corporations: charities and foundations under tax law.
• Responsible for maintaining direct client contact and identifying issues for attorneys on a daily basis.
• Discussed strategies and scenarios with attorneys and other paralegals.
• Analyzed questionnaires, drafted corporate documents, tax exemption applications, narratives, and budgets.
• Compared applications, narratives, budgets, and other documents to exemplars. Wrote and maintained correspondence and records.

• Liaised with individuals and groups, coordinating activities of 1999 Fall Forum conference in Atlanta.

• Supported all activities of two faculty committees: Courses of Instruction (COCI) and University Extension.
• Liaised between the COCI, academic departments, and relevant individuals.
• Analyzed incoming requests for course approval for content and format and assigned requests to curricular subcommittees.  Tracked course approvals through the committee.
• Advised and counseled committee members on procedures and actions to be taken regarding courses.  Provided one-on-one training to committee members. Developed and presented job aids and other instructional materials regarding COCI procedures to departments. Compiled COCI staff reference manual. Wrote job description; trained successor.
• Scheduled meetings, prepared agendas, wrote minutes, drafted and distributed correspondence and reports. Managed action items. Responded to inquiries regarding COCI matters on a daily basis. Developed FAQ and answers.
• Oversaw on-line COURSE database. Collaborated with database programmer on revisions to the database. Revised COURSE system users manual to correspond with both database and procedural revisions.