Meet The Instructors

Meet The Instructors

Rena Clark

Rena Clark is a National Board Certified Teacher who is a Digital Learning Coach in the Renton School District where she is continuing to build on the great work she's done around incorporating principles of computer science (CS) into elementary classrooms, expanding opportunities for cross-curricular learning, and engaging students in exploring and creating as modes for deepening learning. Rena is also a Code.org CS Fundamentals Facilitator and works as a STEM and Digital Learning consultant for AVID. Prior to becoming a Digital Learning Coach, Rena spent 10 years teaching elementary students in the Bellevue and Kent School Districts. She is the mother of three amazing children and a lover of all things Star Wars. Follow her @RenaPClark

Kelly Faber

Kelly Faber is the Middle School Innovation & Technology Lab associate teacher at Open Window School in Bellevue, WA. By day she teaches middle schoolers about things like coding, robotics, 3D design, and soldering. By night she writes poems, draws comics, and knits clothes. She has been classroom teaching for 7 years: first teaching 4th grade and then middle school Technology. She also has a M. Ed. In Environmental Education. Kelly can be found on Twitter @nature_geekery

Douglas Ferguson

I have been a teacher for 14 years, with 10 of those years in the classroom and 4 years as a STEM specialist/coach at Martin Sortun Elementary. I’ve previously taught introductory robotics courses for the Kent School District, and was certified through a robotics training course at the Puget Sound ESD as well as LEGO Education. I started the Martin Sortun robotics program in 2011 and have coached a total of 15 FIRST LEGO League teams since then. Additionally, Martin Sortun currently uses EV3 robotics systems as part of their integrated STEM curriculum. In 2013, I was selected as the AIAA PNW STEM Teacher of the Year for my work in promoting STEM education via robotics. Overall, I love introducing new people to the potential of robotics in education!

Jennifer Fox

FoxBot Industries is a one-woman army of STEAM-based projects, tutorials, and workshops lead by the inimitable Jennifer Fox. Jennifer's educational background is in Physics (B.S., Occidental College) and Mechanical Engineering (M.S., UCLA). Her work has been prominently featured at the Living Computers: Museum + Labs, SparkFun Electronics, and the Pacific Science Center among many others.

To learn more about Jennifer's projects, tutorials, and workshops, visit www.FoxBotIndustries.com or search for @jenfoxbot on Instagram, Twitter, and Instructables!

Sandy Gady, NBCT

I am in my 27th year of teaching, and currently teach Design and Engineering to 7th and 8th graders at Pacific Middle School in the Highline School District. I received my National Board Certification in EA Science in 2006 and renewed my certification. Nine years ago when I began designing and implementing the curriculum for the Design and Engineering, DE, program at Pacific, my goal was to build a legacy program where students could explore, create, build and discover something about themselves as a learner. In DE, students experience a variety of CTE/STEM opportunities, including participating in Future City, an international competition. We just completed our tenth year of competition, and represented Washington State at the National Future City Competition in Washington, DC, twice.

Two years ago I received a grant from the Highline Schools Foundation for a $10,000 Impact Grant, “When I grow up, I want to be …” This grant was written specifically to bring the “Maker Movement” to my district, initially to girls 5th through 8th grade. The girls spent several hours using wood, hand and power tools to build something that moved. Through the implementation of this grant and the help of a lot of really good friends, our build events were a success. Girls lost their fear of STEM/CTE classes and signed up in record numbers. Recently our girls participated in a five week partnership with the Museum of Flight STEM/ZERO Robotics Camp. The 24 girls wrote code to maneuver a SPHERE in the International Space Station, placing 2nd in the state.

Morten Hagen

Morten is a true STEAM-head with a passion for education. Having studied a Masters in Mechanical Engineering at University College London, he spend several years traveling around the world working for a big multinational, before jumping ship and joining SAM Labs. At the ed-tech startup, he found his true calling of inspiring children to get involved in STEM, the same way he had been inspired by crocodile clips and miniature lightbulbs when he was young. New to the Pacific NorthWest, Morten is on a personal mission to turn the region into a STEM-hub and is looking for people to join his cause!

Angela Heath

Angela Heath is the Educational Technology Director at Annie Wright Schools in Tacoma. She was an elementary classroom teacher for 11 years before transitioning into educational technology in 2007 to help students and teachers integrate technology into the curriculum. As Educational Technology Director, it has been one of her primary responsibilities and passions to find meaningful ways in which students can use technology in order to enhance and stretch their own learning and inquiry process. Her school is an IB school (International Baccalaureate) so her interest started in the Maker Movement as her school has transitioned to an inquiry-driven curriculum.

Heather Johnston-Robinson

Heather Johnston-Robinson is a vibrant, accessible maker-educator for Foxbot Industries and MyOpen3D driven to help people of all ages find and foster their spark of ingenuity. She has a Masters in Education and has worked as a high school and college level educator since 2004. She’s also taught after school LEGO robotics in South Seattle public elementary schools and worked with the Bush School librarians to organize their Lower School Maker Night. As a kid, Heather was lead to believe she couldn’t understand math, and the discovery, as an adult, that she could not only “get,” but come to love the subject is a major inspiration for her visual, kinesthetic approach. She’s particularly interested in merging her passion for comics with her mission to create portals into STEM for the frustrated and discouraged.

Brian Lund

I am currently the MakerSpace specialist at Selah Intermediate STEM school in Selah, WA and am blessed to have 900+ students each week. I have previously enjoyed being the STEAM specialist, a district science coach, and have been a lead kit trainer for the STC and STC/MS science curriculum. I have also taught elementary and middle school math and science in California and Washington for the 16 years.
My focus in the MakerSpace classroom is to get tools and technology into the young hands of my students including power tools, 3D printers, 3D pens, Makey Makey, Snap Circuits, Little Bits, design challenge stations, and community projects.
I am the father of two awesome boys, the husband of an amazing science teacher, and enjoy being outdoors with my family biking, hiking, and golfing.

Caitlin McQuinn

Caitlin is currently the director of Raven's Call Press and a consultant with McQuinnable! Caitlin graduated from the University of Washington and is currently pursuing a Masters Of Education: Learning and Technology. She worked for Apple for 6 years, both as a Creative trainer and in tech support working behind the Genius Bar. She has worked or volunteered for many technology and maker events with NCCE and the Puget Sound ESD and was lucky enough to grow up in a tech and science savvy family (and yes there is a relation!).

Conn McQuinn

Conn McQuinn is a consultant who has spent forty years working in both informal and formal educational settings. He has had the privilege of working for two great institutions, starting his career at Pacific Science Center in Seattle for fifteen years, and then twenty-five years at Puget Sound Educational Service District in Renton. Over this time, he has consulted and taught workshops on a broad range of topics, including science education, educational technology, robotics, project-based learning, digital photography/video, personalized learning, makerspaces, and neuroscience in learning. He was worked with thousands of teachers and administrators from districts throughout Washington State and beyond. He is also the author of sixteen children's activity books, covering a range of seemingly random topics.

Phill Schmitt

Phill Schmitt is a STEM and interdisciplinary instructor at Gray Middle School in Tacoma, WA. In addition to instruction, he is the chair and co-creator of the DreamFactory (MakerSpace for intervention), department chair of science, chemical hygiene officer, facilitator of the Gray-TIS initiative (technology, innovation, and STEM), and leads Gray’s continued growth as a Microsoft Showcase School.

Phill is Microsoft Innovative Education Expert (MIEE), K-12 Engineering Fellow, and was the 2017-18 Washington State MESA teacher of the year.

Melissa Wrenchey

Melissa teaches AP Computer Science Principles at Tesla STEM High School. Students learn computational thinking and apply the work to many problem based learning opportunities. Students work with microcontrollers including Makey Makeys, micro:bits and Arduinos. Ask her about the most recent problem based learning project with ninth graders and teaching Sustainable Development Goals. Melissa also enjoys collaborative professional development with WABS, Microsoft Innovative Educators and her own staff creating and deploying integrated projects.

Deborah Wrobel

My name is Deborah Wrobel and I'm proud to say I’m the new makerspace/library media specialist in Lake Stevens. For 16 years I was in the Everett School District, as a technology/CTE specialist, and LOVED teaching technology to both elementary and middle school students. What inspires me? Watching the energy that students have when you give them relevant, exciting and engaging opportunities. My goal is for every student to push themselves and "surprise me" with facts and ideas I would never have thought to use. From Minecraft to Laser engraving/printing and even coloring, students are yearning to learn “with their hands”. If you are reading this, you have an idea that students like to use technology, but I promise you that you'll find a class of inspired students once you give them an opportunity to learn with anything this Maker Camp provides. Enjoy and keep those student minds thriving.