Author

Ms. Mac with her students

As a child, Ms. Mac (then known as Neenie Annie) walked over a mile to discover the wealth of books in the gold mine called the county library.

Rushing home she hid on the floor board of a parked farm vehicle where she devoured each and every borrowed book as if it was her first time at the banquet table.

One day, many books and many years later, when as a Pre-Med college student, her English teacher told Ms. Mac that she should become a writer (she had just received a good grade on her story). Surprised that she could write well enough to warrant a compliment, she briefly swelled with pride but decided to continue with her chemistry and biology degree.

The doors of life slammed shut on her journey to become a pediatrician, but opened-wide to conduct scientific research in the classroom. Founding her own learning lab and licensed school in Texas, Ms. Mac accepted any student who walked through the door with an interested in efficient and accelerated learning.

Led by the faith that God intended for her to help as many children as possible, she pursued what seemed so clear to her - that learning can be faster and easier if all the variables of the scientific equation were lined up.

Students, some who were rejected by other schools, were embraced and succeeded academically under her tutelage, completing work 2 to 4 years ahead of schedule. Her students’ works were shown at national and international conferences. As a result, Ms. Mac was recognized with multiple awards including A Top Texas Teacher, The Teacher Angel, as well as A Teacher With The Courage To Give.


Picture of Didactic Dorthy character

Books began to be created. Eight math books, entitled The Midget Digit Math Series (www.memorizemathfacts.com), were written during a rough time in her life. These books address all learning styles and incorporate success for all students within its pages. Pre-K and Kindergarten students were soon memorizing their multiplication and division facts. This result gave her a sense of assurance that things would soon get better. And they did.

Learning from what worked in the math series, Ms. Mac created The Yummies and Yuckies Writing Program and Vocabulary Development based on mnemonics (memory efficient habits). Pre-K to 6th graders were reading and using words like lugubrious, garrulous and supercilious; words usually found on college entrance tests. Next, Ms. Mac developed a collaborative writing series and together with her students named them The Silly SAT Stories.

Students began to soar.

Discovering that academic success alone does not complete a student; it was her emphasis on the statement “We improve ourselves to improve the world” that directed her to develop social responsibility projects for her students. Ms. Mac wrote and produced over one dozen original children’s plays; some raising money for charities. Dining with Dinosaurs, One Magnificent Meow, Stinky Feet, and Gone With The Rain are her favorites.

Angry that so many children with learning disadvantages were still being labeled and limited through standardized testing, Ms. Mac set out to empower students with little-known advantages discovered through her research. As a result, standardized testing placed her school’s ratings in the top 10% in the nation.

The Tales of Fort Word, Texas is one of the products created with that goal in mind. After five years of planning, researching and testing the materials, every aspect of the book is fashioned with a specific goal or purpose in mind. From the bordered pages and font size to the highlighted vocabulary and glossary on tinted pages, every learning problem Ms. Mac contacted in the classroom was addressed in the preparation of this funny story with a moral. (See the Research Tab for further information)

Ms. Mac intends to help as many children as possible with the gifts that God has given her. As many children as possible.......


Keynote Presentations and Workshops are available for students, teachers and parents. Ms. Mac’s Favorite Session Topics include:


Noggin Nuggets: Gold Mines in Our Minds

Super-Learning: The Potential For Greatness

Anonymous Acts of Kindness: The Real Power We Have

Yummies and Yuckies: Writing with Taste in Mind

Test Detectives -Solving the Mystery of Standardized Tests



For further information email her at msmac@multiplymemory.com


Illustrator

Picture of Dan Foote and Peanut

Dan Foote does not remember a time when he did not draw. His fondest childhood memories include being on the floor with his brother drawing on what seemed like endless paper. Dan's grandfather, a farmer, supplemented his income working for Kroeger foods. Bringing home remnants of freezer wrap paper on what were called the 'end rolls', he would roll out paper on the kitchen floor. Dan and his older brother, Dave would draw until the paper was covered. First Dan copied his brother's cartoon characters, but when Dave turned his interest to sports leaving drawing behind, Dan developed his own characters and has not stopped since.

A shy young man, Dan would 'break the ice' with new friends at school through his drawings. Other students were drawn to him through his humorous depictions, especially when he drew caricatures of the teachers.

Later Dan followed one of those childhood friends, Tom, to Milligan College where he discovered two important truths in his life. His wife-to-be, Amy, also attended Milligan College. And second, drawing could possibly be a serious career. He began doing editorial cartoons for the college newspaper and free-lanced as a T-Shirt designer.

Leaving school with his new wife, Dan began his first job designing ads for a newspaper in Ohio. He randomly created editorial cartoons for free. Another newspaper, aware of his work and obvious talent, hired him as an artist.

When the editor for the Dallas Times Herald offered Dan a job, he packed his bags and moved to Texas. Dan, his wife Amy, his two children Katie and Ben live north of Dallas along with 'the real character' of the family, their pet terrier, Peanut.

Winning awards from the Dallas Press Club and from Fischetti Cartoon Competition were almost as memorable as the time he received a hand written note from George W. Bush. It seems that Mr. Bush, then a co-owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team, was thinking about throwing his hat into the political race for Texas Governor. Dan drew an editorial cartoon depicting Mr. Bush on a pitcher's mound spitting tobacco. Rumor has it that Mr. Bush framed the original cartoon and hung it on his office wall.


Dedicated to his family and to his faith, Dan has written and illustrated the following books:


The Cobbler, The Princess and the Newborn King (1999 Cook)

A Knight in the Forest (2002 Cook)

God Smiles (2005 Cook)

I Know God (2005 Cook)

God is There (2005 Cook)

I Pray with the Prayer Circle Friends (2006 Family Christian)


Books illustrated by Dan Foote:


The Step-By-Step Bible (1999 Cook)

Jack Hayford's Acts Storybook (2004 CharismaKids)

Reluctant Prophets and Clueless Disciples (2006 Abingdon Press)

Picture of Stuporous Stan character

In the book The Tales of Fort Word, Texas, Dan drew himself as the character, Stuporous Stan. "Stan" was the nickname that his brother Dave gave him when they were young boys.....young boys passionate about drawing on the kitchen floor.

For information about school visits email Dan Foote at dfoote@dallas.net