About
Bio
The Neoliteracy Academy is a training and library consulting business owned and operated by Nathaniel Heyer, an educator, writer, homeschooling parent, and coach who lives and works in upstate New York. Nate has worked as a librarian in both academic and public libraries, where he has honed a passion for making technology, research, and lifelong learning fun, enriching, and approachable for college students, adults, and seniors. He has operated his business since 2008.
For a complete look at Nate’s experience, projects, presentations, and awards, visit his LinkedIn profile.
Philosophy & Approach
"Working in libraries and unschooling my daughter, I have developed a skillset as a facilitative educator. That is, a teacher with a collaborative coaching style, rather than a hierarchical, top down approach. I am not interested in telling other what they 'need' to know, but rather in using active listening to discover what is important to those I serve, and helping them find the answers and approaches they seek. This means that my classes are feedback-driven - I incorporate student priorities into everything I do, answer questions on the fly, and allow every instructional session to take its own course.
My approach is also trauma-informed. Many people feel left behind, disenfranchised, isolated, and overwhelmed by toxic stress as a result of the rapid pace of technological change and troubling experiences with trying to learn neoliteracy skills in the past. Nothing gets in the way of learning as much as fear and shame! I thus make it my mission to create a warm, safe space in my classroom where all questions and skill levels are welcome."