I am working toward my PhD in Cognitive Studies in Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, focusing on how technology can facilitate deep, meaningful learning. While my research interests are diverse, my overarching aim is to bridge the divide between research and reality in education. As a research fellow with the Institute for Learning Technologies and member of the Games for Change lab, I am interested in the potential for “learning by doing” to cultivate 21st century literacies and how game-like elements can increase engagement and motivation in academic settings.

Currently, I am beginning to investigate how programming software for children, specifically MIT Media Lab’s learning environment Scratch, exemplifies STEAM education by fostering creativity and integrating programming skills with content acquisition in a variety of subject areas. I am also in the process of analyzing data from the past year that I spent working in the after school program at TC Community School, where I taught 1st grade robotics and investigated the cognitive benefits of tangible technology in early education, specifically in terms of problem solving, resilience, and 21st century literacies.

Additionally, as a member of the rethinkED team at Riverdale Country School, I work with teachers to incorporate design thinking into pedagogy and to re-imagine teaching, curriculum, and the literal and figurative architecture of K-12 classrooms.

I learn, I teach, I tweet, I paint, I travel, and I’m passionate about using empirical research and the design process to create educational tools, games, and processes for the 21st century.