Meet The Virtual Explorers
Our Beginnings
Virtual Explorers begin in the summer of 1998 when we decided
to travel with the Oceanic Society to Peru to assist with research on fresh
water river dolphins. Being educators, it was readily apparent that information
about the expedition along with the actual research would be of interest
and tremendous educational value to teachers and students worldwide.
Working with Tamara McGuire, a wildlife biologist, we successfully planned
and executed two expeditions (1999 and 2001) to the Amazon region of Peru
to study the river dolphins. During this time a web site was built and donations
of equipment and supplies were sought to enable the team to transmit research
data and information to the web site daily. In 2002, we partnered with researcher
Lindsay Magnuson to study Roloway monkeys in Ghana, Africa. Data and other
information were transmitted to the web site during the expedition. In August
of 2002, we will be joining Caryn Self Sullivan and Katie LaCommare in Belize
to study manatees. We continue to solicit opportunities to work with both
wildlife and educational researchers worldwide.
About Us
I
am currently the Director, Educational Technology and Media Services for
San
Mateo County of Education in California. Prior to this, I divided my
time between Santa Clara University where I taught Technology and Learning,
a core technology class, served as the Education Manager for National Semiconductor's
Thin Client @ School Initiative, and acted as lead trainer for National
Semiconductor's Global Connections Program. I am a frequent speaker at technology
and education conferences and do teacher training on the integration of
the Internet into curriculum.
I formerly taught at the elementary level for six years where I specialized
in thematic curriculum development, student centered instruction, and special
education. I hold a Master of Arts in Special Education and two teaching
credentials with emphasis on multiple subjects and educating the learning
handicapped. Additionally, I am a member of the CUE, Council for Exceptional
Children, the Association of Curriculum and Development, and the Parents
Education Resource Center. I also sit on the board of everyschool.org..
Presently,
I am the Director of Professional Development for inResonance,
an educational technology consulting firm located in Northampton, MA. Formerly
I was the Director of Educational Technology for the Diocese of Oakland,
Oakland, California, I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Botswana, Africa,
and I was a technology coordinator and math and science teacher in San Francisco,
CA. I received a Master of Arts in Educational Technology in 1996.
I have had extensive experience training educators in how to integrate technology
into learning environments. Additionally I have presented at a variety of
national educational conferences, including Computer-Using Educators (CUE)
Conference, National Catholic Education Association (NCEA), National Educational
Computing Conference (NECC), Technology & Learning (T&L), Florida
Educators Technology Conference (FETC), and the International Society for
Technology in Education (ISTE) TelEd Multimedia Conference. Until very recently,
I was a member of the teaching staff at the College of Notre Dame in Belmont,
California.
Historically, Virtual Explorers has been funded by members of the team and selective corporate sponsorship. In 2001, Virtual Explorers became a nonprofit, tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in the state of California, USA.
Expeditions of this magnitude require the generosity of many people. We are grateful to those who believe in our dream of bringing faraway places and the beauty and diversity of the natural world into the classroom.
