Since graduation from AHS I have lived in Ames during most of this time including attending Iowa State University (ISU) receiving degrees in elementary education and later a PhD in Curriculum and Instructional Technology. I have primarily been an elementary grade 3 classroom teacher at Sawyer and Edwards School and then coordinated and taught the Extended Learning Program (ELP) for grade 6 at Ames Middle School. During my ELP teaching tenure I developed math curriculum titled The Survey Toolkit published in 2009 at Key Curriculum – McGraw Hill. In 2013, based on dissertation research, published Exploring Computer Science Using MicroworldsEX published at Logo Computer Systems, Inc. (LCSI) for Middle School math teaching with ELP and regular education students.

I have had the opportunity to take sabbatical leaves teaching conversational English at a preparatory to grade 11 trilingual Japanese school in Costa Rica and adults at a private school in Chile. The conversational English experience provided experience in developing a staff development program Strategies to Promote English Language Conversation in Tanzania, Africa, which was has been used for teaching at Tanzania Pare dioceses schools in 2006, 2008, 2011, and 2014. The training program primarily involved teaching secondary teachers representing Islam, Maasai, and Christian faiths with support from the Bethesda Tanzania Ministry Organization.

After 34 years teaching I decided to leave (retire) from the Ames Schools in 2013. I have transitioned to independent consulting working on projects including my uncle’s 20-year research on his genealogy book The Walsh Trace. Other work has included a Rotary grant to return to Tanzania with a team of three trainers to teach conversational English and teaching strategies at four government and one Islamic school in January 2015. I have presented at conferences on published works (e.g., Dubai, UAE) and taught an OPPTAG short course at ISU on computer programming (Logo code) this summer.

Most important are my family relatives and friends who I enjoy spending time. Ecologist Dr. Milton Haar I look forward to visiting at the Badlands NP. Locally there is theater, ISU lectures, X-Skiing, biking, and ISU sporting events . . . including time with my parents who still reside in Ames. Look forward to seeing classmates at the AHS 40th reunion!