Heather Wolpert-Gawron is an award-winning middle school teacher who also writes a popular education blog as Tweenteacher. She has authored workbooks on teaching Internet Literacy for grades 3-8, workbooks on Project Based Writing, grades 3-8, as well as the upcoming Nonfiction Reading Strategies for the Common Core, grades 1-6. She is also the author of ˜Tween Crayons and Curfews: Tips for Middle School Teachers, a book written for EyeOnEducation Publishing, and she is currently working on her second book, Uncommon Writing Assessments for a Common Core World: Writing Across the Disciplines, for the same publisher.
Heather blogs for The George Lucas Educational Foundation's Edutopia.org and moderates their middle school discussion group. Additionally, she has joined the educational blogger staff at The Huffington Post. She is a member of the Center for Teaching Quality's Teacher Leaders Network, a Fellow of the National Writing Project, and is devoted to helping teachers regain control of their profession through elevating their practice and educating themselves on policy. She is passionate about educational technology and blended learning, and she works to help tech tentative teachers become more savvy online and off.
She is a professional speaker, keynoting at many educational conferences. She also has designed and presented webinars for multiple educational organizations, websites, and publishing companies. She has designed and implemented a 6-week online course for the Center for Teaching Quality, training teachers in becoming online moderators. She has also designed and implemented another 6-week ecourse for the Powerful Learning Practice website on Project Based Writing.
Heather is dedicated to a new educative movement, one that incorporates the most innovative and differentiated 21st Century classroom of today with the online learning strategies students will need for their tomorrows. She believes teachers have a vital role to play in K12 instructional design. As Designers, Communicators, and Subject Matter Experts, teachers can enter this new chapter of education with a deeper knowledge of the skills students will need to prepare for a future world. Online training, learning, and teaching is the next pathway for education, and Heather wants her footprint to be more deeply based in the instructional design of ecourses and workshops for both students and teachers alike.
She is wife to Royce, whom she met in 2nd grade, after karate-chopping him at recess. Additionally, she is mom to 6 year-old Benjamin and 20 month-old Samwise (yes, like the Hobbit) whom they call Sam. She lives with all her boys and their boxer/corgy mix, their laughter and chaos, in Los Angeles, CA.
Heather Wolpert-Gawron * 2124 S. Seventh Ave. * Arcadia, CA 91006 * 818-331-9739 * heatherwolpertgawron@gmail.com
Objective: To design, develop, and implement technology-based lessons and online courses to support student acheivement and teacher professional development in both blended and virtual environments.
Teaching Experience
2004-present San Gabriel Unified School District, CA
Jefferson Middle School
Language Arts Department Chair
Speech & Debate Coach
2002-2004 Dublin Unified School District, CA
Wells Middle School
Grade 7 CORE, Grades 6-8 Drama
2001-2002 Berkeley Unified School District, Berkeley, CA
2000-2001 The Carey School, San Mateo, CA
1998-2000 The Willows Community School, Los Angeles, CA
Instructional Design Experience
Instructional Designer for Walden University project
"Distance Learning Orientation" - Designed and Developed a one month orientation for secondary students who are experiencing online learning for the first time
Instructional Designer for San Gabriel Unified School District
"Differentiation 101" - Designed, Developed and Implemented a 2 hour workshop for secondary teachers in the strategies and application of differentiating instruction
Instructional Designer and Instructor for Powerful Learning Practice
"Project Based Writing" - Designed, Developed, and Implemented a 6-week ecourse for teachers
Instructional Designer and Online Moderator for The Center of Teaching Quality
Designed, Developed, and Implemented a 6-week "VOICE" training module to guide teachers in becoming online moderators of educational policy and curriculum design
Instructional Designer for San Gabriel Unified School District
Designed, Developed, and Implemented a 2 hour workshop to guide teachers in online collaboration strategies
Speaking Experience
Webinars
Designed, Developed, and Presented for the following organizations:
MiddleWeb - "Differentiation in Middle School Classrooms"
EyeOnEducation - "Uncommon Assessments in a Common Core World"
EyeOnEducation - "Using Academic Language in a Mixed Ability Classroom"
Coppell Independent School District - "Problem Based Assessments"
Face-to-Face Presentations/Conferences
Designed, Developed, and Presented at the following conferences:
Orange County Office of Education - Keynote Speaker - "Breaking Down the Walls Between The School World and the Real World"
UCIWP (National Writing Project) - "Digital Literacy," "Internet Literacy,"Informational Writing in a Common Core World"
CUE (Computer Using Educators) - "Podcasting with 70 Middle Schoolers," "Internet Literacy"
CATE (California Association of Teachers of English) - "Evidence vs. Commentary"
CAIS (California Association of Independent Schools) - "Willowsburg: A Living Colonial Unit"
California League of Middle Schools - "Internet Literacy with Middle Schoolers"
PUBLICATIONS
Author: 'Tween Crayons and Curfews: Tips for Middle School Teachers. Eye On Education Publishing. 2010.
Author: Uncommon Writing Assessments for a Common Core World: Interdisciplinary Writing for Teachers who Don't Teach Writing. Eye On Education Publishing. (TBD)
Author: Internet Literacy, grades 3-8. Teacher Created Resources. 2010.
Author: Project Based Writing: Using Performance Based Assessments, grades 3-6. Teacher Created Resources. 2013.
Author: Nonfiction Reading Comprehension, grades 1-6. Teacher Created Resources. (TBD)
Personal Blog: http://www.tweenteacher.com
Staff Blogger: The George Lucas Educational Foundation's www.edutopia.org
Education Blogger: The Huffington Post
Walden University Blog: http://waldenhwg.wordpress.com/
Other magazines in which articles or posts have appeared: Imagine Magazine, Edweek, MiddleWeb, Teacher Magazine, etc...
AWARDS
California Regional Teacher of the Year, 2004.
San Gabriel Valley Outstanding Computer Using Educator, 2009.
Walden University MS, Instructional Design and Technology with an emphasis on online learning
Cal State Northridge Clear Multiple Subject Teaching Credential K-8, CLAD, Single Subject Clear Credential- English, grades 6-12
Connecticut College B.A. 1993
Majors: Creative Writing & Renaissance Literature
Honors/Awards: S. Abrams Award in Creative Non-Fiction
Independent Studies: Shakespeare in Film, The Art of Children’s Book Illustrations,
Curator of art exhibit featuring illustrators of Peter Pan
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