Bria is an educator with experience working with students of all ages. After working in early childhood education for four years, Bria began working as an adjunct instructor for pre-service educators at Duquesne University. At the same time, she also began her present position as the K-4 technology facilitator at Rowan Elementary in the Seneca Valley School District.
In her role as technology facilitator, Bria has worked extensively to embed robotics into the curriculum and has introduced a variety of new technologies to her school. With a passion for robotics, she has designed a developmentally-appropriate and vertically-aligned program for students in grades K-4. She has taught students of all ages how to use tools like the SMALLab, Beebots, Sphero, Ozobots, littleBits, Osmo, and EV3 Robots. By working in a school district that values the implementation of technology, she has had the opportunity to use all of these tools frequently to enhance her students’ learning.
After noticing a need and interest for STEAM activities in the district, Bria created an ocean-themed summer camp for district students sponsored by the Seneca Valley Academy of Choice. This camp gave students the opportunity to not only learn basic programming, robotics, problem-solving, and design; they also had the opportunity to explore their creativity through art activities and hands-on science experiments.
Bria is currently a doctoral candidate in Instructional Technology and Educational Leadership through Duquesne University. Since completing her coursework and passing her comprehensive exams in 2018, she has been working on her dissertation to complete the requirements for her Ed.D. This coursework has provided her with experiences in grant writing, staff development, and research. Through this process, she has discovered strengths in design, problem-solving, and organization.