Location

Nacogdoches, TX

Birthday:

January 8

School / Work Affiliation:

Stephen F. Austin State University

About Me:

Erik is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Elementary Education at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX. Erik completed his Ph.D. work in the Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy Program at Michigan State University (MSU). His fields of specialization include educational technology, curriculum foundations, global education, and elementary social studies. His primary research surrounds the meanings and uses of educational technology among elementary school teachers and students. He is particularly interested in how this discourse unfolds in developing nations like India. Over the 2010-2011 academic year, Erik lived in Bangalore, India, and collected dissertation data on how an economic cross-section of Bangalore's elementary schools were using computer technology in their schools. Other research interests include: cognition and technology, digital storytelling, global competencies, global education, girls education in developing nations, increasing teacher professionalism via web-based tools, motivation, Social Construction of Technology Theory (SCOT), and Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge Theory (TPACK). At Stephen F. Austin State University, Erik teaches online and face to face courses about adolescent development, middle school concept and pedagogies, and social studies methods. Erik also served as both an online course instructor and face to face an online course instructor and face to face course instructor for the Teacher Education Department in the College of Education at MSU. He taught graduate level online course about action research, educational technology, global education, and the foundations and social context of the United States curriculum. Erik primarily uses wikispaces.com as the content management system for all the courses he teaches. Erik's additional work and service for Michigan State University included technology consulting. He worked with a team called Innovation with Technology in Education Consultants, or iTECs. As an iTEC, Erik supported faculty and course instructors in integrating educational technology in pedagogically effective ways. He has helped to maintain the popular and extensive iTEC wiki for the College of Education. Erik has international teaching and research experience. This includes a summer teaching stint in a TESOL program for South Korean elementary school teachers in Pohang, Korea. Additionally, Erik conducted case study research in England on elementary school technology integration. This research is currently being prepared for publishing.