Presenter: Brian Crosby (Video)

Brian Crosby, an upper elementary teacher for 29 years, guides the learning in a model technology classroom in Sparks, Nevada. Coming from a background in outdoor education and educational technology, Brian fuses his “at risk” students’ use of technology with field trips, art, hands-on activities and a problem-based approach, to build their schema of the world while at once connecting them to it.

Brian’s students are acclaimed for the “community service” projects they accomplish and he espouses, believing that if children are seen as the valuable public resource they are, while they do important work and learning, society will be more willing to invest in them.

Building a wiki web site to leverage the learning at a local animal park, developing an advertising campaign for a non-profit that recycles bicycles, producing award winning public service announcements about diversity and bullying, including a classmate with leukemia utilizing video-conferencing and then producing an award winning videoteaching others how to follow their lead, are just some examples.

Keep up with Brian and his students on his aptly titled blog “Learning Is Messy.”

Category: Denver Updates, Presenters, Video