I have been teaching for 16 years & love it! I began writing "Edutunes" for my students during my first year teaching, after attending a professional development seminar. The speaker explained that children learn more, retain more, and love learning through songs. When California introduced its draft for the state standards 15 years ago, I wrote a song to teach each standard to my children. At that time, teachers at my school really wanted tools to teach these new standards. Some asked me to produce my songs professionally. I found some excellent musicians who worked with me to turn my ideas into quality music. After producing my first two programs, Phonics Time and Science Songs, I conducted a pilot study with 80 teachers (and over 1500 children) in San Diego, CA. I invited them into my classroom, told them about my ideas, and asked for their feedback. They used the songs in their classrooms and gave me suggestions for making the music truly user-friendly and effective with children. My next step was to align songs with standards throughout the United States. Recently, I have written additional music and aligned my work with the Common Core Standards, accepted by most states in the U.S. (see www.edutunes.com). Currently, I teach Kindergarten in Hawaii. I am honored to have the ability to make a difference for thousands of children world-wide as I work everyday to help my own students!
I love using children's interests to create quality lesson ideas. Through working with children, I have found that music is a way to accelerate the learning process. It all truly all starts with the kids...Their excitement fuels everything I do!
My musical programs have been recognized by many other publishers and professional organizations. Staff Development for Educators, the Institute for Educational Development, the Bureau of Education and Research, and independent school districts have hired me to give professional development seminars. Several companies, including NASA, Macmillan/McGraw-Hill and Pearson Learning, have licensed songs to enhance their programs.
I received my bachelor's degree in Biology, Chemistry, and Humane Studies from the University of Missouri-Columbia. I received my teaching credential with SDAIE (E.L.L.) emphasis and master's degree in Cross-Cultural Teaching from National University in San Diego, CA.
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