Hey there, I’m Bret.

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I am currently a third year PhD student in the Educational Psychology & Educational Technology program at Michigan State University. My research focuses on how and why K-20 educators connect with each other through social media; I am especially interested in how these platforms can support social constructivist processes for teacher education and teacher professional development. This work is interdisciplinary and utilizes a variety of methods—both human and computational—including qualitative content analysis, social network analysis, and machine learning. I also hold a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology and a Graduate Certificate in Serious Game Design and Research from Michigan State University, and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and sociology from Bucknell University. I teach each of the Master’s courses in MSU’s Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning, as well as a course to help undergraduate pre-service teachers think critically about using technology for teaching and learning. I still consider my strongest credential to be my ongoing connection with my first online friend, who I met in an AOL chatroom in the early 1990s.

Professional Affiliations

Association for Educational Communications & Technology AECT
Research & Theory Division

American Educational Research Association AERA
Division K – Teaching and Teacher Education
Computer and Internet Applications in Education (CIAE) SIG
Technology as an Agent of Change in Teaching & Learning (TACTL) SIG
Nominated for Best Paper Award, 2019

Association of Internet Researchers AoIR
Doctoral Colloquium, 2018

Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education SITE
Social Media SIG
Outstanding Paper Award, 2017

As a graduate assistant, I am a teaching instructor for the following courses at Michigan State University:

• CEP416: Teaching and Learning with Technology (Undergraduate) - Uses of multimedia technology and social media in teaching and learning. Developing plans for integrating technology in classroom. Designing digital online portfolio as tool for professional development. Teaching school subject matter with technology.

• CEP 813: Electronic Assessment for Teaching and Learning (Master’s) - Foundational theories of assessment. Critical examination of methods (e.g., portfolios, rubrics, surveys, tests, self-evaluations), and digital tools that allow educators to gather information, analyze it, and make informed pedagogical choices. Design of assessments for learning, as learning and of learning, especially in digital contexts.

• CEP 817: Learning Technology through Design (Master’s) - Design of educational tools and software. Designing for learners. Human computer interaction. Art and aesthetics of design. Iterative design. Collaboration in design.

• CEP 820: Teaching Students Online (Master’s) - Strategies for constructing and implementing online curricula aimed at students across the lifespan.