Ms. Cool has been teaching Chemistry and AP Chemistry for thirteen years in Merced, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Seattle. Occasionally, she teaches Biology, AP Environmental Science, and CAHSEE Math Prep. She's also taught college level chemistry as well as accelerated chemistry to all age levels.
For the last seven years she has been teaching in a 1:1 classroom with either netbooks or Chromebooks. She has been running a flipped-hybrid environment for the same amount of time. Lately, she has been immersed in the world of Google and loves working students and teachers in GAFE. This has led her to present at many conferences and earn her Google for Education Certified Trainer Status. Additionally, she is a Leading Edge Certified Digital Educator.
Prior to teaching, she was a Peace Corps Volunteer living in The Gambia, West Africa for two years working in the field of agroforestry. There she worked with the village school and their environmental club, attempted beekeeping, created natural fencing, and worked with women gardeners.
Before Peace Corps she worked in private industry for Union Carbide (now Dow Chemical) as a paint formulator where she would create paint from raw chemical components and then test it. Some days that testing involved watching paint dry.
Hobbies include travel (20 countries and 26 states so far), reading (fiction, sci-fi, sci-fact, pop-culture, whatever the students are reading), photography and running (1 marathon and 8 half marathons).
Education
Certifications, Awards and Honors
Professional Presentations & Workshops
Keynote Address, Planada Elementary School District March 2016
Title: The Importance of Being a Failure
CUE Rock Star Teacher Tech Camp, Tulare, CA June 2015
Topics: Surviving the Digital Classroom, Interactive Digital Activities, Workflow, Multimedia
ETC! 2015 Educational Technology Conference, Turlock, CA February 2015
Topic: Annihilating Classroom Constraints Using Interactive Digital Activities
Fall CUE (Computer-Using Educators) Conference, Napa, CA October 2014
Topics: How to Teach in a Digital Classroom Without Imploding: Managing Your Workflow; Annihilating Classroom Constraints Using Interactive Digital Activities
CUE Rock Star Teacher Tech Camp, Monterey, CA June 2014
Topics: Digital, Interactive Guided Inquiry Activities; Web-based Multimedia Tools for Student Projects; Using Digital Annotations and Google Research Tools to take Students Into-Through & Beyond Complex Texts
Central California Math Project, California State University, Stanislaus April 2014
Topics: Getting Googley With It; Infographics: The How and the Why
Merced County Office of Education, Merced, CA November 2013
Topics: Google Forms and Scripts
Fall CUE (Computer-Using Educators) Conference, Napa, CA October 2013
Topic: Get Your Students to BLab: Blog Lab
CUE Rock Star Teacher Tech Camp, USS Hornet, Alameda, CA July 2013
Topics: Creating 21st Century Lab Reports and Take Your Work Flow and Make Fun Flow
Central California Math Project, California State University, Stanislaus March 2013
Topic: Teaching with Technology
California Science Teacher Association Annual Conference, San Jose, CA October 2012
Topics: Teaching with Technology and Stoichiometry in 60 Minutes or Less
For the last seven years she has been teaching in a 1:1 classroom with either netbooks or Chromebooks. She has been running a flipped-hybrid environment for the same amount of time. Lately, she has been immersed in the world of Google and loves working students and teachers in GAFE. This has led her to present at many conferences and earn her Google for Education Certified Trainer Status. Additionally, she is a Leading Edge Certified Digital Educator.
Prior to teaching, she was a Peace Corps Volunteer living in The Gambia, West Africa for two years working in the field of agroforestry. There she worked with the village school and their environmental club, attempted beekeeping, created natural fencing, and worked with women gardeners.
Before Peace Corps she worked in private industry for Union Carbide (now Dow Chemical) as a paint formulator where she would create paint from raw chemical components and then test it. Some days that testing involved watching paint dry.
Hobbies include travel (20 countries and 26 states so far), reading (fiction, sci-fi, sci-fact, pop-culture, whatever the students are reading), photography and running (1 marathon and 8 half marathons).
Education
- Montana State University, Bozeman - MS Science Education, emphasis on Chemistry and Microbiology
- Azusa Pacific University - MA Education, Teaching Credential in Chemistry and Biology
- Humboldt State University - BS Environmental Science, Minors in Physical Science and Environmental Ethics
- Chaffey College - AA Liberal Arts and Sciences
Certifications, Awards and Honors
- Leading Edge Certification, Digital Educator, effective September 2015
- Google for Education Certified Trainer, effective May 2014
- MUHSD Superintendent's Award - February 2014
- MUHSD Superintendent's Award - March 2013
- Outstanding Presenter California Science Education Conference 2012
- Adjunct Science Professor of the Year Award, Merced College 2010
Professional Presentations & Workshops
Keynote Address, Planada Elementary School District March 2016
Title: The Importance of Being a Failure
CUE Rock Star Teacher Tech Camp, Tulare, CA June 2015
Topics: Surviving the Digital Classroom, Interactive Digital Activities, Workflow, Multimedia
ETC! 2015 Educational Technology Conference, Turlock, CA February 2015
Topic: Annihilating Classroom Constraints Using Interactive Digital Activities
Fall CUE (Computer-Using Educators) Conference, Napa, CA October 2014
Topics: How to Teach in a Digital Classroom Without Imploding: Managing Your Workflow; Annihilating Classroom Constraints Using Interactive Digital Activities
CUE Rock Star Teacher Tech Camp, Monterey, CA June 2014
Topics: Digital, Interactive Guided Inquiry Activities; Web-based Multimedia Tools for Student Projects; Using Digital Annotations and Google Research Tools to take Students Into-Through & Beyond Complex Texts
Central California Math Project, California State University, Stanislaus April 2014
Topics: Getting Googley With It; Infographics: The How and the Why
Merced County Office of Education, Merced, CA November 2013
Topics: Google Forms and Scripts
Fall CUE (Computer-Using Educators) Conference, Napa, CA October 2013
Topic: Get Your Students to BLab: Blog Lab
CUE Rock Star Teacher Tech Camp, USS Hornet, Alameda, CA July 2013
Topics: Creating 21st Century Lab Reports and Take Your Work Flow and Make Fun Flow
Central California Math Project, California State University, Stanislaus March 2013
Topic: Teaching with Technology
California Science Teacher Association Annual Conference, San Jose, CA October 2012
Topics: Teaching with Technology and Stoichiometry in 60 Minutes or Less
