A computer science, game design, and entrepreneurship teacher for 11 years, Mark’s classroom is a hybrid of a mad-scientist’s laboratory and a traveling circus. Mistakes are encouraged, iteration is frequent, and expectations are high.

Mark is director of a student-run business (Grit9.com) that provides web design services for area businesses. Students learn what they need in a “just in time” manner rather than a “just in case” one. Real world consequences, both positive and negative, are a part of the everyday experience to provide relevance and urgency.

Other fun oddities: His students develop VR apps for the HTC Vive using Unity as part fo an “Intro to Programming” course. Students deploy games they designed to a full-size arcade machine made by students.

Mark won the 2018 District 1 Ohio Teacher of the Year Award, The 2015 Henry Ford Innovation Nation Innovative Teacher award, and is an Adobe Certified Associate Educator and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert.