My name is Ian O'Byrne and I am a PhD candidate at the University of Connecticut and a Research Fellow at the New Literacies Research Lab. My research focuses on how individuals read and write as literacy changes while we move online. My dissertation will examine the critical evalution and critical thinking skills used by students as they read information online. Too many times students are "frequently fooled" as they read online. Hopefully I can help diagnose this problem as I also look at how students behave while they engage in online content creation (OCC).

Prior to my current work, I taught English Language Arts in the middle and high schools. During this period I served as department chair and Intel Teach to the Future Master Teacher. I have written curriculum, developed and facilitated professional development for educators. I have served as an adjunct professor atWNEC, teaching Technology Education and Integration into the Elementary Classroom. The focus of my work during my years teaching followed three veins. One included the general advancing and finetuning of colleagues teaching English in the districts I worked in. I believed in the Vertical Teams model espoused by the College Board and wanted ot provide opportunities for collegiality and collaboration. The second vein would be exploring the various ways in which technology could impact the students in my classrooms. I recognized the ways in which their lives were impacted by ICTs outside of school. The final vein would be School to Career initiaves that examined the skills and habits students would need in order to succeed in the future. The challenge became finding ways to build these skills in adolescents outside of the "normal" classroom environment.

I did my Master's Degree at the University of Massachusetts as a part of the 180 Days in Springfield project. As an undergraduate, I studied English at the University of Massachusetts.

Outside of my teaching and school work, I have worked at various odd jobs. I have played rugby off and on over the last couple of years. I served the rugby club as player, officer and helped build the Under-19 boys and girls clubs that currently are a part of the club. To help defray the costs of gas to get myself from Springfield to Storrs two to three times a week I work at a pizza shop every now and then.