Zigzag Arts

Visual Art Teacher • Community School of Excellence, (Hmong-American Partnership) St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. Founding Faculty, Art Department Chair Vision International School Doha, Qatar Lecturer in Residence • Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Puerto Aziz, Colombia Visual Art Teacher • The Blake School Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Online Faculty • Asian Pacific Economic Corporation Visual Art Teacher • Friends School of Minnesota St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. Visual Art Teacher • St. Paul Academy & Summit School, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.

A Brief Philosophy of Teaching and Learning The “big-picture” that guides my teaching is framed in the knowledge that each student is an individual that will contribute to the future humanity of our planet. Truly, we are educating students for a future that we can scarcely imagine. Still, we know that all of our students will need the strong ability to think logically and creatively. They will need to work collaboratively and to be tolerant, to take wise and ethical action, to be both calculated and innovative, to be reflective, and to persist in moments of hardship. They will need to know how to skillfully work for social justice. Students learn most effectively when their teacher is distinguished in a variety of domains. These begin with knowing the content, pedagogy, and structure of the discipline. Students learn most effectively when expectations are high and the teacher takes into account the needs of individuals. Students learn most effectively when the material is “scaffolded” to prior learning, when course design is highly coherent, and learning outcomes align with objectives. Students learn most effectively when a teacher shows genuine respect and caring for students. In order to fully engage students in learning, it is essential to build trusting relationships, and to know them deeply as individuals. In this way I can connect curriculum to their interests, differentiate for multiple intelligences, and I can know precisely how to effectively support and challenge them. My role in facilitating inquiry-based learning is to plan and deliver curriculum in an imaginative, well-paced manner. As a teacher of visual art and design I teach art history, aesthetics, art production, and reflection/art criticism. I continually upgrade the integration of technology. I engage the interests and various learning styles of the students. I also act as a coach, motivating them, asking high quality questions, modeling risk-taking, inclusion, perseverance, reflection. As a teacher, I operate in a constellation of partnerships with students, administrators, parents, colleagues, and community contacts. I am always honored to have the opportunity to share experiences and to collaborate. It is my habit to offer an encouraging word or input that furthers progress toward a common goal. Given the pace change to our world, we must especially teach our students how to respect and cultivate their own curiosity. They must understand how they learn, how to effectively communicate their ideas, and how to listen with humility. These are the things I model and aspire to teach each day as I interact with students and present lessons.

Selected Awards and Published Works Purchase Award 2013 / Photograph, Alexander J. Campos, Barcelona, Spain Best of Show 2011 / Photograph, Elk River Arts Alliance, Elk River, Minnesota, U.S.A. Sabbatical Award 2009 / The Donaldson Faculty Development Program, The Blake School. Interview 2009 / Leadership and Culture, Radio 107, Putumayo, Colombia Interview 2008 / Blog: Red Ravine, Guest Artist, online Print Award 1998 / Textile, Nihon International, Tokyo, Japan

University of St. Thomas M.A. Learning Technology Minneapolis College of Art and Design B.F.A. Studio Arts, Creative Thinking Strategies Oxford Seminars TEFL Certification

Selected Art History Research Figural Sculpture of the Minoan Gournia Settlement. (1300-1200 B.C.E.) Crete, Greece. Summer 2015. The History, Construction, and Meaning of Biomorphic Patterns in Islamic Art from the Rumi Tradition. (Arabesque/Islimi design) Katara Art Studios in Doha, Qatar in consultation with Nooshin Shafiei from the Prince's School of Traditional Arts. Fall 2015. Ceramic Tile Designs of the Iznik Cini School (1600-1700 B.C.E.) in Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Summer 2013. Boddo; Earliest Known Depictions of the Buddha in India, Nepal, and Tibet. In consultation with Dr. Todd Lewis, College of the Holy Cross and Dr. Leonard van der Kuijp, Harvard University. National Endowment for the Humanities professional development award. Summer 2011. Origin Stories of the Kamsá Documented in Beadwork. In consultation with Taita Juan Jamioy, indigenous shaman. Sibundoy, Putumayo; Colombia. Summer 2009. 14th c. Mural Painting in Tempera, Monestir de Pedralbes. Barcelona, Spain. Summer 2007.