Barbara Ann Bray
Barbara Bray is a writer, speaker, instructional designer and creative learning strategist who enjoys connecting people and ideas around transforming education. She has focused on creating learner-centered environments for over 25 years and coined the term “Making Learning Personal” in 2000 because she believed that education really needed to be all about our learners and learning first. Not only is Barbara focusing on personalizing learning, she posts on Rethinking Learning (barbarabray.net) and is the Founder/Owner of My eCoach (my-ecoach.com) My eCoach is based on a coaching platform for teachers because they are learners too and need ongoing support as they change teaching practice. She wrote the professional development column for CUE for 17 years and received the CUE Gold and Platinum disks for her contributions to educational technology for the advancement of teaching and learning.
Barbara is passionate about writing, sharing stories of transforming learning, and facilitating change. She is encouraged when she sees teachers and administrators immersing themselves in challenges that stretch their minds and imagination. She loves combining the neuroscience of learning with the design-thinking process and project-based learning in a learner-centered environment. Barbara helps schools and organizations develop sustainable coaching programs, design professional learning to transform teaching practice and guide the redesign of flexible learning spaces. She enjoys working with leadership teams in guiding change so all stakeholders are committed to a shared vision around teaching and learning.
Barbara lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her best friend and husband Tom, who she has been married to for forty-six years. She is grateful for her sisters Sandy Ritz, Terry Leach, and Janet Ritz for their ongoing support over the years. Barbara feels so lucky to watch how her two creative children are passionate about what they do and how they live, Sara Zimmerman and Andrew Bray, and for her amazing granddaughter, Cali who constantly shares what she has learned and creates on her own. Barbara wants to thank her friends and family who inspire her to follow her purpose to make learning personal for all learners.