My name is Brent Coley, and the 2008/2009 school year marks my thirteenth year as a teacher.  It will be my seventh year at Tovashal, and before moving to Murrieta, I spent six years teaching grades four and five in the Fullerton School District in Orange County.  I was out of the classroom for the second half of last year serving as Tovashal’s Interim Assistant Principal.  While I enjoyed working in an administrative capacity, my heart is still in the classroom, and I’m very happy to be back!

I attended California State University Fullerton and earned a bachelor's degree in Child Development in 1995, my teaching credential a year later, and a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction in 2000.  I returned to school at California State University San Marcos and earned an administrative credential in 2007.

I have always loved computers (I wanted to be a computer programmer when I was growing up) and am passionate about educational technology.  Whether it's podcasting, blogging, or iPod flash cards, I'm always looking for new ways to incorporate technology into my teaching.  My philosophy regarding educational technology boils down to this -- a) technology has the "cool" factor for students, and b) kids are using things like the Web and iPods anyway, so I want to do everything I can to leverage this technology for educational purposes.

When I'm not working, I love spending time with my beautiful wife, Jill, my 8-year-old daughter, Meghan, and my 4-year-old son, Benjamin.  I also enjoy reading fantasy novels, playing golf, and working on the computer. 

Below are a few pictures of my family.  Click on an image to view a larger version.  Then use your browser's "Back" button to return to this page.

My family	Meghan	Ben	Jill and the kids
	The kids and me	My identical Lego twin

Here are some of my favorite things:

Color:  Blue
Food:  Mexican food
Sports:  Golf and Volleyball
Teams:  San Diego Padres and San Diego Chargers
Subject:  Social Studies
TV Show:  LOST
Authors:  Ted Dekker, Stephen Lawhead, and J.R.R. Tolkien
Books:  The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Movies:  The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

If you'd like to say hello or ask me a question, click here to send me an e-mail!