About Me

Hello, I'm Ally!

I live with my family in the small rural town of Newport, MI, next door to Lake Erie. Small town feels, cornfield views, pitch black night drives, old red barns, &

creeks - I love where I live.

I graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2012 with my

Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education

& am currently pursuing my

Master of Art in Educational Technology

from Michigan State University (MSU) (expected graduation May 2020).

My favorite color is purple.

My favorite number is 13.

I love taking pictures.

I dislike taking escalators (think Buddy the Elf).

Coffee is my best friend.

Wife & Mama

My husband Tim & I have been together since 2007.

We have two beautiful daughters:

Rylee (Dragon) & Piper (Spongebob).

We have a Great Dane (Jax) & two rescued kitties (Belle & Pavel).

We love taking family vacations all around Michigan.

We also love to play games, build fun things, color, & sing all genres of music together!

Homeschool Mama

In 2019, my daughter Rylee was to start kindergarten. After entering into the MAET program at MSU & experiencing meaningful learning through exploration & creativity, I had a change of heart for her & Piper's future education. I wanted them to experience learning & understanding how I experienced learning & understanding at MSU. So we took the leap & decided to homeschool!

I feel this was the best decision we have ever made! I do miss teaching in a classroom a lot! But being able to watch my children comfortably explore, learn, make mistakes, improvise, & connect content without some of the common public schools hindrances has been such a rewarding & meaningful opportunity!

Homeschool Project

Schoolin' at the Toledo Zoo

Homeschool Area

Homeschool Project

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S.T.E.M. Teacher

Prior homeschooling, I was a K-5 S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) Teacher. I LOVED everything about S.T.E.M. which is what lead me to pursuing my masters in an educational technology field.

I enjoyed seeing learning happening through hands-on activities, collaboration, trial-and-error approaches, by thinking outside-the-box & by having fun!

One of the most rewarding memories I had was of my after-school program my 5th graders & I had organized (The Helping Hands Project) where students came together to help out their community by creating sleeping mats for the homeless using recycled plastic grocery bags.