About the instructor
I was born in 1953 at the Presidio in San Francisco, California. The second child of Maj. John and Bette Jane Young, I was enthusiastically welcomed by my only sibling - brother Dana, six years my senior. After my dad retired from the Army he still had a touch of the wanderlust so we spent the next few years exploring Wyoming and Colorado. In 1963 we settled in Durango where Dana and I spent our days climbing trees, skipping stones across the Animas River, and exploring the La Plata mountains, which were our backyard.
In the late 1960s my parents moved back to the Bay area of California where I finished high school then went off to college, enrolling at California State University in Fresno. I majored in Mass Communications - a combination of English, Theater Arts and the technical aspects of radio, television and film production. I had those typical, youthful aspirations of becoming a ‘rich and famous’ script writer and filmmaker. Upon graduation I partnered with a local film production company and spent the next several years writing, producing and filming documentaries and television commercials.
A combination of the reality of parenthood and a souring economy in the early ‘80’s guided my decision to return to school to obtain my teaching credential. The birth of my daughter, Dana (named for my late brother) in 1983 cemented my decision to opt for the stability of teaching over the uncertain world of the arts. I began as a classroom teacher at the same time computers were first being introduced to the public, in general, and schools. I have always had an affinity for machines and gadgets so I soon transitioned from ‘traditional’ teaching to working with technology in education; the best decision ever!
Within a year I was the Technology Teacher/Coordinator for a small high school; teaching programming in a lab and setting up local area networks. As technology evolved and became more affordable, the District purchased classroom computers and I, seeing the need, began writing record-keeping and database programs for teachers. By the early ‘90’s I was assisting with technology District-wide and speaking at regional and state conferences. It was at this time I began teaching summer and weekend seminars at Fresno Pacific University (then Fresno Pacific College) on integrating technology in to the classroom. Through membership in CTAP (California Technology Assistance Project) I also provided professional development, planning, and implementation assistance to help schools utilize technology to support teaching and learning.
Now entering my 30th year of teaching, I am still in the classroom working with students and teachers every day, using technology to provide the best experiences and learning opportunities possible. My wife, Becky, and I enjoy interacting with teachers from all over the country. We recently began traveling across the US on Amtrak and have already logged over 10,000 miles riding the rails, making whistle stops at many of your hometowns!
