Benjamin Ayres
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY COACH
ABOUT ME
A good teacher, like a good entertainer first must hold his audience's attention, then he can teach his lesson.
John Henrik Clarke
My name is Benjamin Ayres and I am passionate about Technology in Education. I have been teaching for 15 years. I have taught numerous courses including Read 180, computer science, and video communications. For the last 12 years I have been an Educational Technologist at Kadena Elementary School in Okinawa, Japan. I love to be creative in the field of education and I look forward to collaborating and problem solving with anyone that has similar interests.
I have learned a great deal about being a leader in the field of education technology and have presented at numerous faculty meetings, conferences, and team meetings promoting technology in our schools. I hope to inspire teachers to incorporate technology into their classrooms to in creative and impacting ways.
INTERESTS
Robotics/ Ai
I have been interested in programming since being introduced in college. I have been enjoying experimenting with NXT lego robots, Scratch, and Code.org. Finding new ways to incorporate Robotics and programming into education has been both fun and a learning experience on both sides of the classroom.
Gamification in Education
Motivation is key when it comes to learning. Why not learn and have fun while doing it? Gamification is a way to use gaming mechanics to inspire learning. badges, achievements, levels, and benchmarks are all excellent ways to encourage students.
Traveling
I grew up in Iowa for the first 14 years of my life. Then my family moved to Saipan and began a trek that would inspire me the rest of my life. Since Saipan, I have had the opportunity to live in Guam, Germany, Japan, and Korea. I have traveled to nearly 50 countries all over the globe.
Theater
One of my most creative outlets is theater. I have acted in numerous plays most notable Curly in "Oklahoma", The King in "King and I", and Seymour in "Little Shop of Horrors". I have also worked back stage by building, designing, and directing in numerous plays.