Laurie is a certified K-12 Art Teacher who returned to her home state of Iowa from teaching in the UK to be closer to family due to COVID19. 2020-21 was a stellar teaching year, where she built onto her technical experience while teaching talented and gifted students in a Makerspace (AR/VR, green screen, robotics, circuitry). She presented an Escape Room lesson plan which used much of this tech at the Iowa Talented and Gifted (ITAG) 2021 conference. She was awarded a Rural Innovation grant through the Iowa Economic Development  Authority to pilot the first ever Augmented Reality Barn Quilt trails, which also allowed her students(and hopefully others) a creative way to contribute to society (especially as it encouraged COVID-safe-tourism around the state!).

Highlights of Laurie’s diverse teaching experiences can be seen in video clips in the Career Highlights section, but to name a few here, she has experience:

* taught art to online learners
* taught Design Technology (secondary level in the UK)
* taught specialty classes (Drawing, Art Fundamentals, Studio Art, Ceramics, Graphic Design, Murals, Animation, and multiple tech in a Makerspace).

* taught nearly 800 students at one time with fantastic multicultural exhibitions.

* invited local talent (artists, craftspeople and cultural liaisons) to present in my class to build local pride, such as: Native American artists, cosplay seamstress, chain mail jewelry-maker, ceramicist from the Philippines, a Ukrainian mom shared cultural food and dance to celebrate the portraits we gifted to students at an orphanage there

* organized field trips to:Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Fabric Workshop and Museum and Bonhoeffer gardens, and achieved grants to fund those trips

*Not to mention several, diverse community arts activities to creatively engage the community (Philadelphia’s Night market painting, Guest artist in London Ontario, and workshops as a resident artist in DC.

Laurie’s unique and diverse experiences teaching in the Arts, growth mindset and dedication to providing an excellent learning experience for students really sets her work apart from others. Laurie’s regional and international experiences (moved due to her husband’s work in academia), has really informed her work, adapting, thriving, and creating educational challenges for herself wherever she has gone. A recent example of this includes her StarAR: Augmented Reality Barn Quilt Trail projects, which was took two years start to finish; determined to figure out a way Art Teachers could use AR in the classroom, she educated herself (classes, research, exhibits, installations, experiences), wrote a grant to realize the project (was awarded), and then connected visual culture and heritage of barn quilts (of her beloved home state of Iowa) to AR! The map, QR codes and trigger images can be found at www.StarAR.us. She initiated interviews, lesson plan creation and testing of different approaches and had an official StarAR Launch Party with students, contributors, and a visit from the Mayor who gave the students accolates. Laurie’s dream of seeing StarAR to fruition gives students a unique opportunity to contribute to society, which is one of the National Arts Standards.

In total, Laurie is going on her 14th year of teaching Art in diverse settings and is a pro at challenging K-12, gifted and students with special needs, where they are at and motivating them to think critically, all while adhering to National Standards. Her colleagues say she is a joy to work with. She has a history of promoting school values and elevating her students’ arts presence in school and out in the community.