About Me
Who Am I?
- English as a Second Language (ESL), literature, and online learning specialist: 28 years of editing, proofreading, writing, teaching, and instructional design for online learning
- certified Alberta teacher: Bachelor of Education in Social Studies and English Language Arts (University of Lethbridge, double major); Diploma in Education specializing in ESL Curriculum and Instruction (University of Calgary)
- trained editor: Editing Certificate (Simon Fraser University)
- lifelong learner: several undergraduate courses (as an unclassified student) in archaeology, anthropology, psychology, and other humanities
- anthropology enthusiast: keen interest in other cultures; extensive work teaching people ages 14–80 from places all over the world such as Mexico, Colombia, South Korea, China, Russia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Sudan, Switzerland, and Quebec; temporary resident of Japan for 3 years as a young adult
- linguist: fluent in English; functional reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in Japanese and German
- perfectionist: an eye for detail; a love for challenge
- arts and outdoor enthusiast: additional interests include singing, snowshoeing, yoga, tap dancing, sewing, cooking, reading, travelling, attending concerts and theatre
Where Have I Been?
- 28 years of teaching, editing, and proofreading academic, personal, and technical writing (original fiction and non-fiction; critical, analytical, persuasive and expository essays; sentence, paragraph and essay structure; grammar; vocabulary; usage; reports; letter and resume writing; Cambridge First Certificate in English — FCE; Cambridge Advanced English — CAE; TOEFL; TOEIC)
- 27 countries: Canada, the U.S.A., Mexico, Cuba, Peru, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Chile (Easter Island/Rapa Nui), Bonaire, Australia, Saipan, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Estonia, Egypt
- 16 years of writing, designing, building, and editing online high school (English Language Arts, Social Studies) and online professional development courses
- 8 sessions of marking Grade 12 Alberta provincial diploma exams (English 30-1)
- 1.5 years as editor of a community newsletter (see the Publications page of my website)
- 2 policy manuals/staff handbooks at 2 different workplaces (wrote, edited, and designed both manuals)
- 2 years of managing social media accounts (Twitter and Facebook) to market and promote a community choir
(While in Florence, Italy in 2017, I took a 1-day cooking course which included making homemade pasta.)
Where am I Now?
- member of the Editors' Association of Canada
- member of the Editorial Freelancers Association
- member of the Okotoks Public Library Board of Trustees
- costume designer for local community theatre (volunteer)
- general volunteer for theatre: casino volunteer, ticket taker, usher, costume assistant
- student: continuing to take courses for interest (archaeology, anthropology, history, literature, linguistics, psychology)
Where am I Going?
- editing and proofreading for Canadian and international clients: post secondary students, businesses, community organizations, writers of fiction and non-fiction, etc.
- writing for community organizations, educational organizations, businesses, etc.
- ongoing professional development
- continuing to travel extensively (my upcoming travel plans include Iceland, Panama, Israel, and Jordan)
Check out the Publications page of my website for samples of my editing and writing credits.
Also check out my Blog!
(I took the photo while sitting on my mule, Burt, on a 2–day mule ride to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back up again. We started out from the top of the canyon early in the morning on January 1, 2018. What a great way to start a new year!)
