Hi, I’m Alan Walker. Thanks for visiting my site!
Although I spent most of my life as a classroom teacher, I have always been interested in the latest tools, gadgets, and gizmos. From a young age, I roamed the aisles of my dad’s True Value Hardware store playing with the tools and gadgets. I would bring home the defective power tools, tear them apart, try to figure out how they worked, and attempt getting them working again. (I ended up buying the hardware store after my dad retired.)
Besides being a classroom teacher and a district technology director, I owned and operated a website designed to help kids learn the multiplication facts. (www.multiplication.com) After retiring from education and selling my website, I decided to revert back to my childhood and play with power tools.
I inherited the house my great grandfather built and have been having a ball renovating it! It has given me the opportunity to try out some REALLY COOL TOOLS.
On this site, I plan on sharing some of the COOLEST DIY TOOLS I can find. And… let you know what I think of them.
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I’m pretty sure nobody is reading this far down the page… but here is a bit more about me
- I’ve written two books. My book, Memorize in Minutes: The Times Tables, was based on a method I developed in his classroom many years ago. Using pictures and stories, I was able to teach ALL my students the times tables in a few weeks spending just 10 to 15 minutes a day. My other book, Multiplication in a Flash, uses “quick tricks” (mnemonic devices) to teach the twos, fives, and nines, and uses pictures, stories, and activities to teach the remaining facts. Believe it or not, I’ve sold over 50,000 books.
- I was lucky enough to have received a few awards over the years:
Technology Educator of the Year awarded by NCCE (2006- Washington State Teacher of the Year nominee from Educational Service District #123 (2001)
- Washington State Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Education (2000)
- Selected by former students for inclusion in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers (1996–2003)
- One of twelve teachers in the United States chosen for the PRISM Program. Worked with scientists throughout the country, developing a guide for bringing scientists into the classroom. (1992 -1995)
- Outstanding Educator of the Year in the State of Washington nominee. Awarded by the Washington Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. (1981)
- I have also spoken at many regional and national conferences. One of most popular presentations was “Gizmos, Gadgets, and High Tech Toys.
- One of my most rewarding endeavors was working with a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation program called the “Teacher Leadership Program” or TLP. I started as an instructor. Later I became a regional coordinator and curriculum developer.
- The Teacher Leadership Program led to being a lead instructor for Intel’s Teach to the Future Program.
- I’ve got to mention NCCE. They put on an amazing technology conference each year and have oodles of amazing technology professional learning endeavors. I was fortunate to be a speaker at many of their conferences and served on the Board of Directors for almost ten years.