Jessica Bauer
Hello from the West coast where I work at the University of California, Berkeley in online
education. Specifically I manage a portfolio of online courses in the areas of writing, editing, humanities, social sciences, and education. I graduated from the University of California, Davis with a BA in English and a double minor in Human Development and Psychology. While an undergrad, I studied abroad in Birmingham, England for a year and subsequently worked as a peer/advisor and intern at UCD's Education Abroad Center. I went on to obtain my secondary teaching credential in English from San Francisco State University and taught for three years before returning to higher education. I am now pursuing graduate studies in educational policy and global studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. This site is particularly exciting to me because it focuses on two of my passions—learning and music—and shows the powerful cultural connections that can be made when we merge the two.
education. Specifically I manage a portfolio of online courses in the areas of writing, editing, humanities, social sciences, and education. I graduated from the University of California, Davis with a BA in English and a double minor in Human Development and Psychology. While an undergrad, I studied abroad in Birmingham, England for a year and subsequently worked as a peer/advisor and intern at UCD's Education Abroad Center. I went on to obtain my secondary teaching credential in English from San Francisco State University and taught for three years before returning to higher education. I am now pursuing graduate studies in educational policy and global studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. This site is particularly exciting to me because it focuses on two of my passions—learning and music—and shows the powerful cultural connections that can be made when we merge the two.
Alicia Chipman
I currently teach Law in American Society and AP United States History to tenth, eleventh and twelfth graders at Lincoln Park High School in Chicago, IL. I try to incorporate music throughout my curriculum, especially in US history where music is such an integral part of who we are as a nation. In addition to being a teacher, I am a learner: I am a graduate student studying Globalization and Educational Policy at the University of Illinois. In my time outside of the classroom, I like to explore. I have traveled extensively in North America and Europe, as well as having spent time in Northern Africa and the Middle East. I studied abroad in Mali in West Africa, a country known for its rich and infectious music. I love traveling for the people I meet, the places I see, the food I eat, and the sounds I hear. You can learn so much about a culture and a person from the music they make and enjoy.
Brad Ertl
I am an 8th grade science teacher in the Fayetteville-Manlius School District which is a suburb of Syracuse, New York. I have just finished my 6th year teaching and spend a lot of time coaching lacrosse, basketball, and chaperoning the schools ski club. My undergraduate work was completed at the State University of New York at Cortland where I obtained a BS in Secondary Education- Earth Science. From there I completed a Master's Degree in Teaching and Curriculum at Syracuse University. While an undergrad I spent 4 months in Australia studying at the University of the Sunshine Coast and completed part of my student teaching at Maroochydore High School which is located in the Sunshine Coast. I believe you can never stop learning and nobody can ever take an education away from you so, like the rest of my group, I am currently working on another Master's Degree in educational policy and global studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Although I have not used too much music in the classroom, the idea intrigues me, and I enjoy working with technologies to develop useful tools for students and teachers.
Marian Irwin
I am a graduate student studying Global Studies in Education at the University of Illinois. I had a concentration of English and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Science from the College of Education at U of I in 2009. I have taught third grade as well as received my Enrichment Certification and worked as the Enrichment Specialist for students in grades 2-5 in Champaign, IL. I currently live in Baltimore, MD and will be moving to Bundang, South Korea in August to teach English for a minimum of one year. I enjoy traveling and outdoor activities as well as exotic cuisine. I have traveled across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Caribbean, and studied abroad in Jamaica. Also, I lived on the Lakota Indian Reservation for a summer after graduating. I hold a high value on experiencing and learning about new cultures and societies. Lastly, music has and always will be a major part of my life, my own learning, and my teaching.
Gaynor Lyseight Myers
Upon completing a Diploma in Primary Education from Shortwood Teachers’ College my life in the Early Childhood world began. I taught 4 year olds for one year, then I taught 3 year olds for two years. Thereafter I gave into my passion for Early Childhood Education and went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of the West Indies. Collectively I’ve taught in three private schools in Jamaica and I have just finished my seventh year of teaching 5 year olds at the American International School of Kingston. The global diversity and interconnectivity of the students in my class heightened my desire to pursue a Master's Degree in Educational Policy and Global Studies in Education which I am presently working on at the University of Illinois. Living in Jamaica’s musically rich climate, and being at such a culturally diverse institution has afforded me an appreciation and showed me beauty of teaching with and learning about music from around the world.