I'm extremely new to the inner-sanctum of technology. Probably will feel like a curious on-looker at times when we all get together, so forgive me if I ask naive questions.

My background lies in having been a classroom English teacher, coach, and experiential program leader for more than 10 years. I began to explore the connection between design and education, looking to start my own high school one day. This led me to get a Masters in Education with a focus on 'school design' before entering the field officially, working with K-12/university-focused architects, and now leading DesignShare.

In terms of why I am headed out to join all of you, that was a no-brainer. Besides being surrounded by good people that have a lot of intellectual fire power and creativity, and wanting to see Montana (and break from the Texas heat) for a few days in order to rekindle my old 'outdoor' roots, my interest in coming is 2-fold:

1. I am deeply fixated on where the 'future of learning' is headed. Perhaps there is someone in the group who can help me sharpen my compass needle. My blog -- "think:lab" -- helps me explore a few of these ideas on a more casual level than my company blog: http://thinklab.typepad.com/
2. two I am extremely interested in how the web can truly be 'collaborative' in nature. I've been blogging for nearly a year now and just was asked to take over an entirely virtual company. Thus, a very steep learning curve as of late!

My wife, Karla, is a middle school principal and in her final weeks of her first pregnancy. This will be my last trip before our child arrives around Labor Day weekend. Needless to say, I'm feeling a bit guilty for coming out to relax in such majestic territory while she's fighting the Texas heat as she approaches the final weeks of her pregnancy. Wish you all could meet her!

Looking forward to meeting everyone and checking out Yellowstone!