Lisa Nielsen

Lisa Nielsen

Director of Digital Literacy and Citizenship


New York Department of Education

New York, NY US


People told me I would finish college and everything would be so clear. I did all the things I was supposed to do, but what they promised wasn't there. It occurred to me that I should work in education so more people wouldn't graduate college without knowing what they care about.

Videos

By Roadtrip Nation

Lisa Nielsen

Milestones

My road in life has been direct.
Always felt bored in school and never really knew what she wanted to do with her life.
Thought that if she didn't stir the pot and stayed at the top of her class, there'd be a huge payoff on graduation day.
Got through college and realized she'd never developed any passions or interests, still had no idea of what she wanted to do.
She took a job in public relations; believed that you took a job to earn a living and the "good" part of your life happened on the weekends.
After five years, she started to rethink her path; realized if she went into education, she could prevent students from making her mistakes.
Believes one huge mistake that educators make is in telling kids they're too young to know what their passions are.
Says educators can prepare students for fulfilling careers by fostering passions and talents early on, rather than just focusing on coursework.
Her passion for her career has stayed consistent-most people think she's a new teacher because she's so optimistic about the future of education.
Keep following my journey

Career

Director of Digital Literacy and Citizenship

I'm a public school educator and administrator and share my ideas on The Innovative Educator blog.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Technology
Teaching / Mentoring