Originally from North Dakota, Amanda Dvorak Jasper was raised by an extended family who welcomed her as a young child to explore automotive mechanics and bodywork, carpentry, and wood crafts. Curiosity was permitted and encouraged, leading her to explore many disciplines in post secondary school, including mechanical engineering, biosciences, and studio arts. Having earned a bachelor’s of fine arts degree specializing in graphic design from Florida Atlantic University, she brings with her a skillset that values the technical precision of mathematics and engineering alongside the rule-bending tendencies of an artist. She utilizes the cross-curricular reach of computer science with the goal of guiding students to embrace their natural aptitudes in technology while developing their unique specialties and passions.
Amanda started her teaching career when she took a position supporting the growth and development of a school’s computer science program. Building a robust computer science curriculum for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade ignited an unexpected passion for education and curriculum creation. Amanda received a scholarship to attend the NASA MEI MUREP Educator Institute via Texas State University at Kennedy Space Center which provided her with direct exposure to NASA’s cutting-edge research and training in instructional techniques to make STEM accessible and exciting to underrepresented student populations.
Amanda believes in creating an environment where every student feels valuable, contributory, and empowered. She believes fostering creativity, visual literacy, and digital literacy provides an extreme advantage to our students in the twenty-first century. She favors cross-curricular planning and interdisciplinary learning as much as possible to reinforce core material, helping students practice conscious application and make connections between content areas. Her goal is to inspire students to be aware of what it means to be contemporary, conceptual, and critical-minded in their explorations as they continue to find their unique passions and learn beyond the classroom.
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