James A. Cole
109 West 105th Street #5C
New York, NY 10025
(212) 663-7501
JimboCole@aol.com


Education

9/00 - present Masters Degree in Educational Administration (in progress),
School of Public Affairs, Baruch College, New York City, NY.

5/00 Awarded a Masters Degree in Developmental Psychology, Teachers
College, Columbia University, New York City, NY.
Participated in research on cognitive development, specifically related to scientific
inquiry, in early adolescents.

1989 BA in Human Ecology, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, ME.
Active on Academic Affairs Committee and as Outing Club Director.

Employment

8/93 - present Teacher of Math and Science, Crossroads Middle School, New
York, NY. Crossroads is a public, alternative school and a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools.
In addition to my role as a teacher, I have served as Dean of Students for three years and am a member of the school’s Administration Council as well as coordinator of the Science Department.

7/99, 7/00, 7/01, Lead Instructor, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation,
Environmental Science Institute, Princeton, New Jersey and San Jose, Costa Rica.

12/95 -11/96 Facilitator, Math - Science Fellows Program, Coalition of Essential Schools, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
Trainer/Facilitator in a national teacher training project focused on Math/Science curriculum development and school reform.

10/90-8/94 Lead Instructor/Assistant Coordinator of Alumni Programs, New York City Outward Bound Center, New York, NY.

5/90-6/91 Field Supervisor, City Volunteer Corp, New York, NY. Supervised groups of 17-21 year olds engaged in a year of service and educational development in a program similar to AmeriCorp.

Previous to 1990 Worked for a variety of educational programs with an emphasis on environmental studies and group development including Voyageur Outward Bound School/Minnesota, Interlocken/New Hampshire, Arlington Outdoor Education/Massachussetts and Mount Desert Island Public Schools/Maine.

Fellowships and Awards

2002 Columbia University School of Engineering/Teachers College GK12 Teaching Fellows
Project. A National Science Foundation funded project which pairs public school teachers and
graduate students in the sciences. Over a 2 year period, these teams will develop technology-enhanced content modules in math and science and upgrade the science content knowledge of the teacher participants.

2000 Aspiring Leaders Program. A program supported by Community School
District 3 providing resources toward my completing certification in school administration at the School of Public Affairs, Baruch College.

1999 Woodrow Wilson Foundation Fellowship. This fellowship offered me the opportunity to study science education issues within the context of environmental science, specifically, biodiversity and environmental change in Costa Rica.

1997-98 Science Outreach Fellowship, Rockefeller University. A two year fellowship, funded by the National Institutes of Health, which provides science teachers the opportunity to participate in biomedical research at Rockefeller University. In my second year, I also worked with the program director to plan and facilitate teacher meetings.

1998 Outstanding Teacher Award, presented by West Side Chamber of Commerce.

1994-96 Math/Science Fellow, Coalition of Essential Schools/National Science Foundation. A two year fellowship, based at Hampshire College and Brown University in curriculum development, team management, school reform, and math and science content.

Related experience (conferences, institutes)

New York State Audubon/West Harlem Environmental Action Spring 2002 workshop series for teachers focused on local environmental issues, sustainability, and curriculum development.

District 3 Science Advisory Committee member

American Geological Institute, Alexandria, VA. 1999 middle school curriculum project pilot test teacher.

“Standards and Alternative Assessment in the Middle School” workshop presenter, fall 1998.

“Education for Thinking: goals and methods for the middle school years” I participated in this two-day institute at Teachers College, spring 1998.

Environmental Sustainability in High School Curriculum Workshop participant, presented by the American Forum for Global Education, spring 1998.

North Dakota Study Group participant and presenter, winters 1998 and 1999.

Kappa Delta Phi member. KDP is an international education honors society with a chapter based at Teachers College, Columbia University. Members are admitted based on academic excellence and commitment to the field of education.

98, 99, 2000 Teacher Incentive Grant awardee.

Teachers for Tomorrow, Mentor Teacher. September 1994 - June 1996. Also, I have worked with several student teachers from Teachers College.

Urban Ecology Workshop Series, Central Park Conservancy, NY. Spring 1996. Series of four teacher trainings focused on ecology and curriculum development.

Integrating Science, Math and Architecture, Salvadori Center, City College, NY. Summer 1994/95. An institute for middle school teachers with ongoing networking meetings.

Institute on Geography and Mapping, Bankstreet College, NY. Fall 1994.

“Alternative Schools: Networking for Change” Conference Coordinator, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, ME. March 1993.