SIDAROUS

I'M MARK

EDUCATOR / TECHNOLOGY COACH & COORDINATOR

a Chicago-based high school teacher of Computer Science, Biology, and Chemistry, specializing in equity in STEM and technology professional development for teachers

My Portfolio Download CV

ABOUT ME

I am award winning professional educator, digital learning consultant, and technology coordinator. As a National Board Certified biology, chemistry and computer science teacher, I love teaching learners of all ages about invisibilia of the natural world and the technologies we use to learn more about it. As a technology coordinator and digital learning consultant, I love to support teachers improve their practice and learn about useful tools that make teaching more effective & fun. I have led professional learning to groups at several Chicagoland schools & districts. I am available to provide onsite or virtual professional learning for new & experienced teachers in small or large groups. I also offer consulting for schools or districts.

..... AGE: 40ish
..... EMAIL: myfirstname DOT mylastname AT gmail DOT com
..... ADDRESS: Chicago, Illinois

Google Apps for Education

100%

Biology and Chemistry

100%

Technology Pedagogy

100%

Science Pedagogy

95%

Professional Development

85%

Computer Science Pedagogy

75%

Educational Leadership

70%

Computer Networking

65%

Java

55%

TIMELINE

2020-Present

Computer Science Teacher at Lindblom Math and Science Academy, Chicago

Taught Exploring Computer Science to 8-12 grade students
Administered technology training sessions to faculty on remote learning

2019-2020

PK-8 STEM and Computer Science Teacher at Lenart RGC, Chicago

As technology coordinator, administrated user accounts, managed all school computers, and supported teachers
Taught STEM and Computer Science classes to students from Pre-kindergarten to 8th grade
Piloted the Scratch Encore course in partnership with the University of Chicago and CMU Computer Science Academy curriculum in partnership with Carnegie Mellon
Created science and engineering projects to engage students in multidisciplinary learning in collaboration with science, math and language teachers at the school
Supported remote learning for the faculty with daily trainings on technology tools
Created several district wide documents on the use of technology such as Google Meet
Hosted an after-school Video Game Design club using Twine and Construct3 and piloted a Minecraft after-school club for a new district initiative
Coached learners in the Chicago Student Invention Convention - Lenart students earned 2nd place in the K-3 category
Led a workshop series on technology in education for Lenart faculty

2017-Present

Professional Development Facilitator at the Quest Center, Chicago Teachers Union Foundation

Designed a four-part PD to introduce novice and experienced teachers to Google Apps
Facilitated PD in person to demonstrate effective use of technology in the classroom
Received positive reviews and feedback then revised PD to better meet teacher needs
Created promotional materials for all Professional Development at the Quest Center
Administrated the online Learning Management System (Instructure Canvas) and the webstore (Instructure Catalog)

2016-2018

Educational Game Consultant and Reviewer at Legends of Learning

Wrote informational text and designed art for educational games aligned to NGSS
Edited educational games for grammar and content errors as well as gameplay bugs

2006-2019

High School Biology, Chemistry and Computer Science Teacher at Community Links High School (CLHS), Chicago

As science department head, mentored new science teachers at our school and other neighborhood schools in standards based instruction and classroom environment
As technology coordinator, designed and administrated school’s website at http:///www.comlinkshs.org, collected, analyzed and distributed student data to teachers, administrated user accounts and managed all school computers
As a member of the Instructional Leadership Team, collaborated to craft school wide instructional mission, vision and policy, including the school’s Continuous Improvement Work Plan (CIWP) and Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) plan
Developed three performance tasks in Chemistry for the district-wide REACH (Recognizing Educators Advancing Chicago) evaluation system for teachers
Transitioned our school to G Suite for Education during pilot program in 2008
Acquired external funding from multiple sources to transition our school from a single computer lab to a one device per student (1:1) computing environment in 3 years
Collaborated on several grants to fund the construction of two science laboratories at our school to support student learning in science
Created and led a weekly workshop series on technology in education at our school
Presented to hundreds of teachers at science meetings at the district level

2005-2006

Instructor with the Office for Math, Science, and Technology Education (MSTE) at UIUC

Gave summer seminars to teachers on technology use in the classroom
Provided general support with a focus on biology education

2008

Chicago Science Teacher Research Fellow at UIC

Conducted research under Dr. Kenneth Brezinsky, Professor of Chemical Engineering
Wrote paper on Plasma-Assisted Synthesis of Molybdenum Carbide Catalyst

2002-2005

Resident Specialist in Agriculture in Crop Sciences, UIUC

Published scholarly paper in BMC Genomics on the production of microarrays
Administrative lab manager duties: ordering, computer and equipment maintenance
Wet lab procedures: microarray hybridization, electrophoresis gels
Undergraduate class (Crop Sciences 205) administration and assistance
SQL and Perl programming for bioinformatics applications
Production of soybean DNA microarrays

SERVICES

Professional Development (PD)

PD sessions for your school or district on Next Generation Science Standards, Google Apps for Education, Google Apps for Admins, Khan Academy, Microsoft apps, Adobe apps, or 3D Printing and Makerspaces. Contact me to talk about how I can meet your teachers' needs!

One-on-One Tutoring

Biology, Chemistry and Computer Science tutoring available. Need a boost on your AP Biology exam? Want help with a difficult chemistry lab write-up? Having trouble with a complex concept in computer science? Send me an email and we'll set up a time for a tutoring session.

IT Services and Technology Support

Technology Support for schools, businesses and individuals available. Need help setting up a home network or multimedia setup? Have a PC in need of a refresh? Want a hand with an app on your mobile device? Give me a call and I'll provide timely and excellent assistance.

Web Development (Front End - HTML, CSS, JavaScript)

Web development services available for schools, businesses and individuals. Want a new site for your school or district? Need to set up a store for a new business? Have a website in need of an update? Send me an email and I'll develop a quote.