About+Us

=**The Project**=

This wiki was created in the fall of 2011 for EPSY 556: Analysis of Advanced Instructional Technologies under the guidance of Professor Karen Hamilton. The authors are all students in the Curriculum, Technology and Education (CTER) program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

We have been charged with creating a vision that is supported by research for the classroom of 2025. Our findings regarding Curriculum & Pedagogy, Learning Spaces, and Sustaining the Vision will be shared with the U.S. Department of Education for their considerations. Our mentor has challenged us to not only educate ourselves but to be the change agents we seek to support in reforming education.



=The Team=

Global Connections 2025 is a diverse consulting firm comprised of Katy Foster, Brishundra McGrier, and Matthew Sheets.

 * Katharine Foster (Katy)** is Assistant Principal at Sir Francis Drake High School in San Anselmo, California, ten miles north of San Francisco. Prior to going to Drake, she was a social studies teacher, reform coordinator and Assistant Principal in the San Francisco Unified School District. She earned her [[image:katy.jpg width="80" height="80" align="left"]]'s degree in International Relations from the University of Virginia and is currently working toward a master's degree at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign in Curriculum, Technology and Education Reform. She believes in public education as a means for social justice, and looks forward to continuing to learn new ways that technology can help connect students to school as she works on becoming a connected administrator. You can follow her blog at [|http://ifyoucantbeatem.wordpress.com] and her Twitter feed at kfostertweet.

Grants, MATHMOVESU Grant/Scholarship, and Center of Excellence in Middle-level Interdisciplinary Strategies (CE-MIST). She graduated from the University of South Carolina-Aiken with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education-Mathematics. Since moving to Illinois, she has incorporated her passion for teaching math with her novel technology skills from CTER in order to start her own tutoring business, MATH Tutoring on the Go!
 * Brishundra McGrier** is currently a fulltime student studying at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. Since being out of the classroom for the first time in her teaching career, she has found a great passion for learning how to integrate more advanced technology into the 21st century classrooms. Since 2007, Brishundra empowered all students to excel in and outside of the classroom by relating math to their lives. She taught 8th grade Pre-Algebra and Algebra I/GT at a Title I middle school in Graniteville, South Carolina. Brishundra takes great pride in enabling underprivileged children to excel through writing and receiving grants, e.g., Lowe's Toolbox for Teachers, SRNS Innovative Teacher Mini[[image:Ms._Berry.jpg width="51" height="107" align="left"]]


 * Matthew Sheets** is currently teaching at The American School in Kinshasa. Before teaching in Kinshasa he taught in Egypt, Turkey, and California. Matt received his BA in History, minor in Political Science, and Social Secondary Teaching Credential from California State University San Marcos**.** He is currently working towards his master's degree in Curriculum, Technology, and Education Reform at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. Matt believes the education should be student centered and believes strongly in a pedagogical approach centered around the principles of social constructivism and connectivism. He is also a strong believer that education should teach social justice, diversity, and citizenship in today's global world. You can reach Matt at sheets.matthew@gmail.com



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//"Sometimes teachers just need a pick-me up to remind us why we do this. Inspirational quotations about teaching are presented with the hope of sustaining our passion and vision for teaching and learning."//