Cindy's+Bio

I hold my undergraduate degree in Music Education and Spanish from the [|University of Michigan], a Masters of Arts in Spanish Language and Pedagogy and an Ed.S. in Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy from [|Michigan State University]. I hold current Michigan teacher and administrator certifications, including a central office endorsement.

I taught high school Spanish for 13 years before entering the doctoral program at Michigan State. I served as the Technology Media Coordinator for the Career Services and Technical Education division at [|Ingham Intermediate School District]in Mason, MI for six years, shifting the use of technology as an add-on to the curriculum to an integrated component used in the classroom. In 2009-2010 I was the Conference and Communications Coordinator for the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. In August 2010 I became an Instructional Technology Specialist at [|Ingham Intermediate School District]in Mason, MI. focusing on helping teachers, administrators and other members of our school communities integrate technology into teaching and learning. From 2012 until 2016 I worked as the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology Integration for the Office of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Grand Rapids, providing guidance and leadership for 30 schools.

Today I am a consultant, assisting organizations, school districts, educators, parents, and students with all aspects of technology and information literacy, using qualitative and quantitative data for decision making, design thinking, leadership, accreditation, social media strategy and management, strategic planning, and change initiatives. It is a privilege, honor, and blessing to work with the many gifted educators and colleagues every day!

I have designed and facilitated numerous institutes for the [|National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC),] served as an Advisory Board member and founding editor of the NFLRC's electronic newsletter. I am a frequent presenter at national, regional, and state conferences, and I provide custom professional development at the district level. In 2007 I served as Program Chair for the [|Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages] and am past President of the [|Michigan World Language Association].

I am a volunteer translator for [|Kiva.org], translating descriptions of micro-businesses from Spanish to English to facilitate loans to budding entrepreneurs in developing countries where Spanish is spoken. During 2009-2010 I served as a Volunteer Translator Coordinator, heading a team of 10-20 volunteer translators.

In my free time, I enjoy traveling with my husband, playing piano, exploring new technologies, and being a parent to two awesome young adults.