Blog
All opinions are solely my own. Feedback and comments are welcome.
Posts
-
Why Summer Camp Still Shapes Character: What I Learned Visiting Camp Wolfeboro
This July, I drove to Camp Wolfeboro to visit my son, Noah, who’s working on staff this summer. What I witnessed was a community of young people who genuinely care for each other—staff members who return year after year, even during college summers, not primarily for the modest pay, but for the belonging and friendships they’ve built. Watching these teenagers take responsibility for younger scouts, solve problems together, and support each other through challenges reminded me why scouting creates such lasting bonds—few other activities offer the same opportunity for kids to grow together in one community over so many years.
-
What Bootstrap Taught Me About the Hidden Math Gap in Computer Science Education
For a few years, I’ve made a fundamental error in my computer science teaching: assuming students arrive with certain mathematical concepts. I did learn to teach middle schoolers which axis is x and which is y, but I never taught about order of operations, what a function is, what f(x) means, etc.
-
2024-25 Robotics Program Annual Report: Growth, Community, and Second Place Finish
Our second year of underwater robotics at San Lorenzo Valley has wrapped up, and I’m reflecting on a season that was both more complex and more rewarding than our inaugural year. Nineteen students across three teams, a second-place regional finish, and countless hours of learning, building, and growing together.
-
What We Learned Together: A Letter to My ROV Students
After our ROV competition wrapped up, I wanted to share with my students what I’d witnessed over the course of our season - not just their technical achievements, but their growth as people. Here’s the letter I sent them:
-
Gratitude in Action: Students Present to Valley Women's Club
Last week, our ROV students had the opportunity to present at the Valley Women’s Club annual meeting - not to ask for something, but to report back and say thank you. It was one of those moments that reminded me why authentic community partnerships matter so much in education.
-
A Service Project with My Son: A Guatemala Water Project
Last month, I joined ten other Rotarians from Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary on a self-funded trip to Guatemala. Our mission: install two water purification systems capable of producing 10,000 gallons of clean water daily and distribute 500 pairs of reading glasses to people who needed them. For me, this trip also offered something equally valuable - the chance to do meaningful service work alongside my 17-year-old son.
-
Beyond the Classroom: Presenting at the CA STEAM Symposium
Last week I had the opportunity to present at the California STEAM Symposium alongside Stephanie Sumarna from the Santa Cruz County Office of Education. Our session, “Cultivating Educator and Student Leadership through Computer Science and ROVs,” let us share how our underwater robotics program creates opportunities for both student and teacher growth.
-
Building More Than Robots: Community and Character at the Christmas Tree Lot
When our ROV students partnered with Santa Cruz Host Lions Club to help at their Christmas tree lot, we thought we were just fundraising for underwater robots. What we discovered was something much more valuable - a lesson in how hard work, community partnership, and shared purpose can transform both students and the adults around them.
-
When High Schoolers Teach Elementary: SLE Science Night Success
Last Friday, my high school Computer Science Honor Society and ROV teams spent their afternoon transforming my classroom, makerspace, and our pool into hands-on science stations for Family Science Night. What started as a service project became a powerful reminder of how learning happens when students teach students.
-
212 Pounds of Trash: Our Beach Cleanup Story
Last Saturday, our SLV ROV team joined Save Our Shores for a beach cleanup at New Brighton State Beach. The numbers tell part of the story: 212 pounds of trash collected, 26 hours of student community service, 14 students and 12 adults working together. But the real impact was in the conversations and connections that happened between picking up cigarette butts and plastic bottles.
-
From Silicon Valley to Middle School: Three Hard-Won Teaching Lessons
Moving from four decades in tech to a middle school and high school classroom taught me more than I expected. Here are three key insights from my first year at SLV.
-
13 Students, 30 Pizzas, and a Third-Place Finish: Our First ROV Season
We just wrapped up our inaugural underwater robotics season at San Lorenzo Valley, and I’m still processing everything we accomplished together. Thirteen middle school students spent 150 hours building, programming, and piloting remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for the MATE competition - and came away with so much more than a 3rd place regional finish.
-
Preparing Students for the Real World: Mock Tech Interviews in the Classroom
After my AP Computer Science students finished their exam, I wanted to give them something practical and valuable. So we did something different: 30-minute mock job interviews that simulated real tech industry hiring practices.
-
My Teaching Compass: Principles and Goals That Guide Every Decision
layout: post title: “My Teaching Compass: Principles and Goals” date: 2023-07-15 categories: teaching —
-
A Teaching Decision Record/Recommendation (TDR)
Just like the world of engineering (or the rollercoaster ride of parenting 🎢), there are many decisions to make. Teachers, like captains at the helm, make choices about classroom management, procedures, assessments, grading, incentives, and discipline, all varying based on their unique school environment. Sometimes these decisions are intricate puzzles, and at other times, they call for collaboration. 🧩🤝
-
Embracing a New Chapter: From Industry to Classroom
I’m pleased to share that I’ve accepted a teaching position with SLVUSD for the 2023-24 academic year, where I’ll guide Middle School and High School students through the fascinating world of Computer Science. This isn’t just a career change; it’s a heartfelt commitment to our community’s future. 💖
-
Empowering Voices: The Journey of 2023 Youth Speech Contests
This year, I set out to reintroduce the Lions speech contest to the schools I support. I firmly believe in the power of rhetoric as a tool for fostering youth leadership, and with a potential $20k scholarship up for grabs, what better incentive could there be? It’s crucial to amplify the voices of our youth. 📣
-
Python: The Future of K12 Coding Education
For tech veterans, the choice is clear. Python, often considered a “teaching language”, is hugely popular and the go-to solution for a vast array of modern software engineering problems. However, it’s not the default choice for K12 education. Why?
-
Building Classroom Community Through Rituals: Reflections on the Pledge and Rotary's Four-Way Test
-
Deciding to become a teacher
For four decades, I’ve been fortunate enough to turn my passion into a paycheck. Yes, you heard it right! I’ve been paid to play with computers, to solve problems, and to immerse myself in the fascinating world of electronics and computer science 🖥️⚡.
-
Screenagers Next Chapter & Youth Anxiety
-
Running Mile by Mile: Reflections on a New Years Resolution
578 days and 780 miles.
-
Reflecting on Accomplishments: Nurturing Growth in Education and Community
Wrapping up my time with a school is always bittersweet, a time to spend some social capital, and give back. This year, my son and daughter completed their middle school journey at Nature Academy and SLVMS.
-
Unveiling the Virtual Classroom: A Parent's Perspective on Remote Learning and Teaching Python to 7th/8th Graders
It has been a year of remote school and remote work, where I’ve had the unique opportunity to occasionally eavesdrop on my children’s 7th-grade classes. Either I’ve forgotten a lot in the last 40 years or they teach students so much more these days.
-
Cultivating Digital Citizenship: Empowering Our Children in a Connected World
-
SLV CoderDojo
Most Tuesday nights of the 2018-19 school year were SLV CoderDojo nights. In the SLVE MU room, a few dedicated parents and two dozen engaged students ate pizza, had fun and learned together.
-
From Mini Mermaids to Young Tritons: A Journey of Empowerment and Wrestling Adventures
-
Friday Coding for 4th and 5th graders
Friday Coding was an after-school program that ran from September 29 to December 15, 2017, spanning a period of 10 weeks. It provided a valuable opportunity for twenty enthusiastic 4th and 5th graders to dive into the world of coding. The program kicked off and concluded at the SLE playground.
subscribe via RSS