I grew up in Midcoast Maine and once again call this little piece of heaven my home. My first career was as a classical trombonist, but I soon discovered my love of teaching, especially working with adults. After teaching music at the high school level, I earned my Master of Education in Instructional Technology and worked with instructors to use technology to transform their educational practice.
I then spent ten years in adult education teaching, coordinating, and administering basic literacy, high school completion, workforce development, college transitions, and general enrichment programs. This is when I really developed a deep affection for the state of Maine and the hearty people who make this a year-round home. I am concerned about the opportunities for personal growth, economic development, cultural diversity, and educational access for all Maine people, so I continue to look for ways to do my part to make this corner of the earth a little bit better for everyone.
I worked with faculty around the state as an instructional designer for five years before leaving my job to return to school full-time. I am studying higher education leadership, with a particular focus on applying the learning sciences to instructional design in distance education to meet the unique needs of adult learners. My love of learning and the brain, technology expertise, concern for equity for nontraditional learners, and collaborative and innovative problem solving abilities all converge to focus on this important need where there is limited available research.
I am an educator and involved citizen, but I am a mother, wife, sister, and daughter first. My special children have taught me more about neurodiversity and meeting the unique needs of each learner than I have learned in all my years of training and professional experience. I am an autism advocate and I share in the challenges of surviving and thriving with ADHD.
If you love to learn, love the brain, love equity, love special people, and geek out about educational technology, let’s connect!
You can reach me at anne@fensie.com or find me on LinkedIn and Twitter.