Biography
I am the artist and proprietor of Solaz Designs metalwork creating customized ornamental and functional metal pieces for homes and businesses. Gates, railing, and fences; xeroscaping with metal flowers, cactus, agave and critters; eye-catching creative mailboxes, lighting and more. My career experience includes Library and Media Specialist, Technology Integration Specialist, Technology and Photography Teacher, Educational Technology Adjunct Professor at NAU, online course facilitator for ASU and Intel, swimming coach and mountain biking instructor.
I have a B.A. from Rice University in English and Spanish/Latin American Studies and a M.Ed from the University of Arizona. During my undergraduate years, I even got to spend a semester at La Universidad de Chile in Santiago and another working in Costa Rica. I continue my learning and professional pursuits by continuing to take courses in welding, language, arts, involvement in community projects and organizations, and avid reading. Some accomplishments of which I am very proud are, receiving the "Making IT Happen" from ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) and Arizona Technology in Education Association, the award of multiple grants for my classrooms, being chosen as Teacher of the Year for Tanque Verde School District and finishing in top five for my age group in the Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race which runs for 100 miles through elevations between 10,000 and 12,600 feet.
I have enjoyed all components of education and my perspective ranges from that of educator and parent liaison, to district consultant and trainer, online course facilitator, university adjunct professor, conference presenter, instructional coach and librarian. My varied positions have allowed me to travel training teachers in effective technology integration, developing 21st Century Skills, and preparing educators to bring project-based, technology-enhanced learning to their classrooms and schools. In that and consulting and peer coaching positions, educators and I explore and expand the possibilities that technology innovations bring to education by allowing even greater communication, creation, productivity, publication, and more.
Promoting, creating and producing for my own business, Solaz Designs, is a true dream. I work with individuals to help them design a story for their home, and a way to save on water with metal plants. Gates and sculptures, funky mailboxes and lighting are durable and often functional additions you homes and businesses
Currently, one of my favorite technology pursuits is in creating and globally digital stories and digital memories. I encourage teachers to make their students’ world more “Flat” by taking them to sites where they connect with classrooms in other countries in order to share their projects and collaborate on new ones. I was just qualified as an Elluminate moderator for AzTEA and hope to use that technology to create more virtual, geographically diverse learning and collaborative opportunities. I also love to follow fellow educator-bloggers and TED speakers and observe the social trends as people crowdsource and come together with colleagues around the planet to create something new.
My greatest interests, other than my husband, are in improving my craft, my home, and my fitness. Travel is of paramount importance and I just checked Dominican Republic off as the twenty-seventh country I've visited. I find listening to (mostly) professional podcasts as a great way to work on the house, get outside time and learn something new. My (long list of) favorites are: live.classroom20 archives, This American Life, RadioLab, Slate.com’s Gabfests, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, Will Short's Puzzles, TED Talks, The Bugle, Scientific American’s 60 Second Science, Earth and Mind. I also enjoy them when I am on my mountain bike in the desert or welding yard art creations.
