About Us
Each Three Canoes Consultant has an extensive background working within higher education and has had significant interaction with higher ed faculty, K-12 teachers, and administrators concerned with assessment. We are educators, not vendors. Because we have extensive experience working with a wide variety of educational institutions, we understand and can readily interpret your institutional culture and educational processes.
We work out of our homes and have no overhead, so our overall cost is low. You determine what services you require and will never pay more than the cost we estimate for you.
Three Canoes Consultants:
Sean Keesler
Sean Keesler has a M.S. in Information Management from the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University and a B.S. in Forest Biology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. He was the project manager for technology integration research projects at the School of Education at Syracuse University. During that time he managed the school’s pilot of Sakai and the Open Source Portfolio in support of NCATE accreditation efforts. Sean frequently plays a role as a bridge between teachers, learners and technical staff.
As a member of Three Canoes Consulting, Sean offers:
- Consultation on OSP implementation and technical requirements
- Customization of OSP data structures
- Technical and functional training on Sakai/OSP
- Development of Sakai/OSP materials and documentation
Janice A. Smith, Ph.D.
Janice A. Smith, Ph.D. has worked with the Open Source Portfolio since its inception at the University of Minnesota Duluth in the mid 1990s. After three decades in faculty and TA development at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, she served as a Senior Education Consultant for The rSmart Group, providing OSP services for a broad array of K-12 and higher education institutions. She has presented on OSP, assessment, and teaching and learning, at national and international conferences including numerous Sakai Conferences, CIT and Innovations (League for Innovation), NLII (Educause), the Professional Organizational Development Network (POD), the AAHE Assessment Conference, the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis, Syllabus (Campus Technology), and Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).
At the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Janice taught graduate courses to prepare future faculty, administered multiple programs to enhance teaching and learning, and was invited to speak and consult at numerous universities. Through her association with The rSmart Group, she conducted site assessments and project planning, customized ePortfolio software for specific institutional purposes, and offered train-the-trainer sessions for colleges and universities in the process of implementing the Open Source Portfolio.
As a member of Three Canoes Consulting, Janice offers:
- Consultation on the assessment of learning
- Documentation of OSP functional requirements
- Customization of OSP data structures
- Sakai/OSP functional training
- Development of Sakai/OSP materials and documentation
Michael Heroux
Michael Heroux has worked as an information architect and usability engineer for the past eight years. His involvement in internet-based services and web design began twelve years ago as a student of English and Secondary Education at Syracuse University. While teaching and finishing his Master's in Instructional Design, Development & Evaluation, Michael began his career at the Living SchoolBook (LSB) where he was encouraged to creatively integrate technology and digital media into educational methods and the learning experience. Upon completing a Master of Fine Arts in Computer Art from Syracuse University, Michael moved to Washington, DC, where he has focused on transforming complex government and health care content into clear and efficient web interaction. Working with organizations such as the Postal Regulatory Commission, the National Quality Forum, SACWIS (State Automated Child Welfare Information System), Medicare.gov, and Revolution Health, Michael is tasked with making content organized, useful, and accessible for all its users. Currently, Michael acts as the CEO of Datum Eleven, an information architecture and design collaborative focusing in health care and education web sites and applications. Michael’s varied experience and education background provide an interdisciplinary approach to the practice.
As a member of Three Canoes Consulting, Michael offers:
- Design of OSP data structures
- Content organization and management
- Interaction and information design