e-Courses

Jennifer Klein: Project-based Learning for Global Citizenship

Jennifer D. Klein is the Professional Development and Outreach Coordinator for TakingITGlobal, an international online learning community for educators and students interested in global issues, where she designs and delivers accredited online e-courses for teachers across the world. She is also the Director of Educational Development for the Research Journalism Initiative (RJI), an educational non-profit that facilitates creative expression among Palestinian young people and the use of their media projects in American classrooms, and Global Partnerships Director for World Leadership School, building online curriculum and projects between American classrooms and schools outside the U.S.

Jennifer holds a BA from Bard College and an MA from the University of Colorado at Boulder, both in Literature and Creative Writing. She taught college and high school English for 19 years, including five years in Central America and 11 years in all-girls education. In 2010, Jennifer left teaching to begin PRINCIPLED Learning Strategies, a global educational consulting business dedicated to enriching global educational approaches through curriculum development, professional development, and the use of e-technologies.

Deanna Del Vecchio: Education for Environmental Stewardship

Deanna Del Vecchio is a Professional Development Instructor at TakingITGlobal (TIG), where she teaches "Education for Environmental Stewardship". She has also managed TIG's Tread Lightly program, an environmental education and engagement initiative that inspires educators and youth to take action on climate change. In this role, Deanna traveled throughout Europe to promote climate change education and establish partnerships with stakeholders through discussion forums. She also coordinated the translation of the program material into 8 languages and was responsible for outreach worldwide.

Prior to her involvement with TIG, Deanna spent ten years working on environmental and arts-based community projects around the world. She holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and Biology from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and a Master's degree in Art Education from Concordia University in Montreal. Deanna's teaching practice focuses on experiential education and critical pedagogy. She has diverse experience in both formal and community-based education, including teaching middle school science on a rural island in the Bahamas, and facilitating eco-art projects with marginalized children in Haiti.

Mandeep Atwal: Empowering Student Voice in Education

As TakingITGlobal's UK Programs Manager, Mandeep Atwal supports educators across Europe in engaging schools to participate in online educational collaborations. Currently, Mandeep is co-ordinating "Shout" a project developed and facilitated by Microsoft, TakingITGlobal and the Smithsonian Institutions. She is also the course instructor for TIGed's "Empowering Student Voice in Education" e-course for teachers across the world.

Mandeep is a teacher by nature and founded and developed "Young Voices" a school based project that won Microsoft's UK and European Innovative Teachers Award 2009. The project then went on to achieve first place at the Worldwide Innovative Education Forum Award (Brazil) in 2009 in the "Community" category. Mandeep earned her PGCE and B.A in Theology from the University of Birmingham.