From 1998-2020, I called MT BLUE HIGH SCHOOL home. The public, regional, rural high school serves over ten communities in the foothills of western Maine and provided a remarkable place to learn my craft.
As an English teacher, I taught courses ranging from the most struggling ninth graders to the most capable AP seniors, founded electives in Pop Culture and team-taught Humanities, and piloted student self-paced courses. Most importantly, I adopted DESIGN THINKING as a PEDAGOGICAL LENS and developed my signature approach to teaching and learning: CRITICAL CREATIVITY.
In 2017, I was afforded the opportunity to co-found the SUCCESS & INNOVATION CENTER at MT BLUE CAMPUS, a problem solving studio open to all students and faculty supported by a research grant from GEAR UP MAINE.
In the Fall of 2020, I took on a new set of challenges, joining the exceptional team at COMMUNITY REGIONAL CHARTER SCHOOL in Skowhegan, Maine. As a design facilitator at CRCS OVERMAN, I work with learners ages 11 to 19 to develop the skills, understandings, and mindsets necessary to pursue any futures they might choose. We’re a community-centered public charter school in a historic, revitalized downtown with an unapologetic focus on learners’ access to opportunities.
Learners at CRCS Overman explore cabinet making and pottery alongside robotics and 3D fabrication, sustainable gardening and digital photography coupled with CNC-aided manufacturing and game design, all while growing into engaged citizens and effective communicators.
In addition to teaching in K-12 public education, I have served as an instructor at the UNIVERSITY OF MAINE at FARMINGTON, UNIVERSITY of MAINE ONLINE, and THOMAS COLLEGE undergraduate and graduate programs. I founded graduate courses in Design Thinking and Digital Storytelling, and taught numerous courses for pre-service educators including several semesters as the educational technology instructor for Secondary Education majors.
Dan Ryder 207 