Content & Storytelling Review

Score: 6/10 Potential: 9/10 Gap: 3 points

Executive Summary

Your content is technically accurate but emotionally flat. Project descriptions read like software documentation rather than problem-solving narratives. The educator’s journey is buried under feature lists.

The Core Problem: Technical Specs vs. Human Stories

What You’re Doing Now

From _data/ai_projects.yml (lines 38-44):

description: >-
  This originated as GUI tools I built before using Claude Code, which I used
  with tutors to practice describing images in Spanish. This version transforms
  those early tools into a fully functional and shareable web app.

What this tells me:

✅ What you built
❌ Why it matters
❌ What problem it solved
❌ What you learned
❌ How it changed your learning

What Makes a Compelling Story

Better version:

description: >-
  After months of Spanish tutoring, I kept falling back on simple descriptions:
  "hay un árbol, hay un perro." I was stuck. I built this tool to force myself
  beyond comfort—switching between poetic, academic, and conversational styles
  to expand my vocabulary naturally. The AI adapts the challenge based on my
  current level. What started as personal practice became my most effective
  learning method. My tutors now use it with other students.

Why this works:

✅ Opens with a relatable problem
✅ Shows emotional stakes (“I was stuck”)
✅ Explains the insight (“force myself beyond comfort”)
✅ Demonstrates impact (“tutors use it with other students”)
✅ Still includes technical details (AI adaptation)

Pattern Analysis: Repetitive Framing

The “This was an experiment/exercise” Problem

Frequency count in your project descriptions:

“This was an experiment” - 3 times
“This was an exercise” - 2 times
“This was a fun exercise” - 1 time
“This was an answer to the question” - 2 times
“This was a simple exercise” - 1 time

What this signals:

Projects feel like homework assignments
Lacks genuine problem-solving motivation
Undersells the value of your work
Makes everything sound tentative

Specific Examples

Letratos (lines 172-177)

Current:

“I wanted to see how easy it was to build something that could meaningfully host some of the creative work I do.”

Problems:

“wanted to see” = just testing, not solving
“how easy it was” = undersells effort
“meaningfully host” = vague value proposition

Better:

“I write poetry in English and Spanish, and take photos across Colombia. Instagram felt wrong for this work—too algorithmic, too temporary. I built Letratos as a permanent home for bilingual creative work, with the control and presentation that matters to artists. Simple, static, mine.”

Why better:

Personal investment clear
Specific problem identified (Instagram inadequacy)
Value proposition explicit (control + permanence)
Confident tone

Fancy Monkey (lines 195-202)

Current:

“This was a fun exercise in something I haven’t done a lot of building with: e-commerce. I experimented with keeping hosting costs at zero using GitHub Pages and Vercel serverless functions.”

Problems:

“fun exercise” = trivializes effort
Technical achievement (zero cost) buried
No business context

Better:

“Can you run a real e-commerce store with $0/month hosting? I proved you can. Fancy Monkey uses GitHub Pages for static hosting and a single Vercel serverless function for checkout—accepting real payments via Stripe. It’s operational, profitable, and costs nothing to maintain. This is how I prototype business ideas: validate demand before infrastructure investment.”

Why better:

Opens with intriguing question
Technical achievement front-loaded
Business acumen demonstrated
Scalable approach explained

Internet Infrastructure Map (lines 141-148)

Current:

“I had been working on building some content around how the internet works and wanted to see how I could work with geospatial data. I decided on building a visualization based on data about undersea internet cables.”

Problems:

Passive construction (“had been working”)
“wanted to see” again
No clear audience or purpose
Buries the cool factor (3D WebGL)

Better:

“Most people think the internet is wireless. It’s not—it’s 900,000 miles of cable on the ocean floor. I built this 3D WebGL globe to visualize the physical infrastructure connecting continents. Watch real-time data flow through submarine cables connecting New York to London. It’s an educational tool that makes the invisible internet tangible. (Yes, submarinecablemap.com exists, but theirs isn’t in 3D.)”

Why better:

Opens with misconception/surprise
Specific scale (900,000 miles) creates impact
Clear purpose (make invisible tangible)
Acknowledges competition, differentiates

The “Educator Identity” Problem

Where Your Expertise Hides

Your unique qualification appears once in the entire site:

From index.html (line 25):

<p class="hero-summary">Fourth-generation educator with MA-TESOL and 10 years in language education and edtech.</p>

This is your most valuable asset, yet it’s a single line in small text.

What’s Missing

No teaching philosophy page - Despite 10 years in education and an MA-TESOL, there’s no explanation of:

Your pedagogical approach
What you learned teaching that informs your tools
How AI changes your teaching practice
Why content-based learning matters (mentioned in Aves description)

Projects don’t connect to education expertise - Each project is standalone. No narrative explaining:

“After 10 years teaching languages, I identified 5 core problems with existing tools. Here’s what I built to solve them.”

Family teaching history unexplored - “Fourth-generation educator” is a hook. What did your great-grandparents teach? How did their methods differ from yours? This is a unique angle no other developer has.

Content Gap: The Meta-Narrative

What you need: A piece that ties everything together.

Suggested: /work/teaching-philosophy/ page that includes:

Section 1: Teaching Lineage

Brief family teaching history (grandfather → father → you)
How teaching methods evolved across generations
What traditions you kept, what you innovated

Section 2: The Spanish Immersion Journey

Why you learned Spanish to Advanced level
What frustrated you about existing learning tools
The insights that drove your project choices

Section 3: AI-Assisted Pedagogy

How AI changes what’s possible in language learning
Your 5 principles for effective AI learning tools:
1. Adaptive difficulty
2. Content-based learning
3. Immediate feedback
4. Authentic materials (Unsplash integration)
5. Practice variety (descriptive, conversational, academic)

Section 4: The Projects as Research

Frame your 5 Spanish tools as action research
What worked, what failed, what surprised you
Lessons for other educator-developers

Impact: This transforms your portfolio from “person who built things” to “educator innovating at the intersection of AI and language learning.”

Specific Content Improvements

Homepage Hero Section

Current (index.html, lines 15-20):

<h1 class="hero-title">Brandon JP Lambert</h1>
<p class="hero-tagline">Language Learning & Teaching</p>
<div class="hero-actions">
  <a href="/work/" class="btn btn-primary">Learn More</a>
  <a href="/contact/" class="btn btn-secondary">Contact Me</a>
</div>

Problems:

Generic name + tagline + buttons pattern
“Learn More” is the most generic CTA ever
No hook, no intrigue, no reason to explore

Improved:

<h1 class="hero-title">Brandon JP Lambert</h1>
<p class="hero-tagline">Fourth-generation educator building AI-powered tools for language learners.</p>
<p class="hero-detail">10 years teaching led to 15 projects. Here's what I learned about making AI actually useful for learning.</p>
<div class="hero-actions">
  <a href="/work/teaching-philosophy/" class="btn btn-primary">My Teaching Approach</a>
  <a href="/ai-projects/" class="btn btn-secondary">See the Tools</a>
</div>

Why better:

Clear positioning (educator + AI)
Quantified experience (10 years, 15 projects)
Intriguing value prop (“making AI actually useful”)
Specific CTAs aligned with strengths

AI Projects Page Introduction

Current: Jumps straight to filter buttons

Needed: 2-3 paragraph introduction:

## AI-Powered Language Learning Tools

Over 10 years of teaching, I identified patterns in what makes language learning stick:
adaptive difficulty, authentic content, and deliberate practice just beyond comfort level.

When I learned Spanish to Advanced level, I built tools to embody these principles.
Most apps either baby you or overwhelm you. These tools adapt—meeting you where you
are and pushing you where you need to go.

5 tools for Spanish practice. 3 for educational infrastructure. 2 for creative work.
All built to solve problems I actually faced. [Filter by category below]

Why this helps:

Establishes expertise
Explains the “why” before the “what”
Sets expectations for variety
Creates narrative continuity

Content Structure Recommendations

Create a “Learning in Public” Blog

Why: Right now, all content is static. A blog shows:

Active development and learning
Thought leadership in AI + education
Personality and voice
SEO value (fresh content)

Suggested first 3 posts:

Post 1: “What I Learned Building 5 Spanish Learning Tools with AI”

Topics:

The problem with Duolingo, Babbel, etc.
Why I built custom tools
3 things that worked, 2 that failed
Open questions I’m still exploring

SEO value: “AI Spanish learning tools,” “building language learning apps”

Post 2: “The Fourth-Generation Educator’s Guide to AI in Teaching”

Topics:

How teaching has changed across 4 generations in your family
What AI changes fundamentally vs. what stays the same
5 principles for effective AI-assisted learning
Common pitfalls in AI educational tools

SEO value: “AI in education,” “AI teaching tools”

Post 3: “Deploying an E-Commerce Store with $0/Month Hosting”

Topics:

Technical deep-dive on Fancy Monkey architecture
GitHub Pages + Vercel + Stripe integration
When this approach works vs. doesn’t
Cost comparison to Shopify/WooCommerce

SEO value: “zero cost e-commerce,” “GitHub Pages e-commerce”

Content Cadence

Realistic: 1 post per month (3-4 hours/post) Format: 800-1200 words, code examples, screenshots Promotion: Share on Twitter, LinkedIn, relevant subreddits

Before/After Examples: Project Descriptions

Project: Subjunctive Practice (lines 67-92)

Before

description: >-
  Another tool that originated as a Windows GUI I developed when studying
  intensely with tutors. I wanted something that allowed for dynamic and
  flexible LLM-enabled practice for this difficult and varied grammatical topic.
  The app adapts to your level and provides contextual explanations when you
  make mistakes.

Word count: 51 Emotional engagement: Low Memorable details: 0

After

description: >-
  The Spanish subjunctive broke me. After 6 months of tutoring, I still froze
  when choosing between "sea" and "es." Rote drills didn't work—I needed context,
  not conjugation tables. This tool generates scenarios where the subjunctive
  actually matters: "I hope she IS here" vs "I hope she BE here" changes meaning.
  When you get it wrong, the AI explains WHY the mood matters in that specific
  context. It's the tutor I wished I had in month 3.

Word count: 89 Emotional engagement: High (“broke me”) Memorable details: 3 (6 months, specific example, month 3)

Impact: Readers can relate to the struggle, understand the insight (context over conjugation), and see the value (AI contextual explanations).

Project: Aves (lines 117-140)

Before

description: >-
  This was a topic I used with my tutors and loved how much relevant and useful
  vocabulary comes out of very focused study like this. I wanted to build a tool
  that helps facilitate this kind of practice with birds while also learning more
  about the birds themselves - a very content-based learning experience.

Pedagogical insight: Buried Value proposition: Unclear Hook: None

After

description: >-
  Studying Colombian birds with my tutors unlocked something: "plumaje iridescente,"
  "migración altitudinal," "nido colgante"—rich vocabulary that never appears in
  textbooks. Content-based learning works because the content itself motivates
  you to engage. This tool combines Unsplash photos of actual birds with AI-generated
  descriptions at your level. You're not learning vocabulary lists—you're learning
  about something intrinsically interesting, and Spanish becomes the vehicle.
  This is how immersion works: meaning first, language follows.

Pedagogical insight: Front-loaded (content-based learning theory) Value proposition: Clear (interesting content → motivation) Hook: Specific Spanish vocabulary examples

Impact: Readers understand both the tool AND the learning philosophy behind it.

Project: GHD - GitHub Data Tool (lines 252-273)

Before

description: >-
  This was built as a personal tool, a solution to wanting more data out of my
  GitHub commits. I went through some cycles of overengineering beyond a simple
  CLI, but went back to basics. Learned about what info GitHub shows publicly
  and what data is available from Git/GitHub from an API perspective.

Honesty: Good (“overengineering”) Learning: Mentioned but vague Usefulness: Only for you?

After

description: >-
  I wanted to know: Am I actually getting better at coding, or just writing more?
  GitHub's contribution graph shows streaks, not skill. I built GHD to extract
  meaningful metrics: complexity trends, refactor frequency, code churn by project.
  First version was overengineered (web dashboard, database). Scaled back to a
  simple CLI that answers specific questions: "What files do I edit most?"
  "When am I most productive?" Useful for anyone tracking their development journey.

Motivation: Clear question (“am I improving?”) Learning: Specific (overengineering lesson) Usefulness: Expanded beyond personal use

Impact: Developers relate to the question and see immediate value.

Actionable Content Checklist

Use this checklist for every project description:

Story Structure

Opens with a problem or question
Includes personal emotional stake
Explains the key insight or approach
Shows impact or outcome
Mentions what you learned

Avoid These Phrases

“This was an experiment/exercise to…”
“I wanted to see how…”
“This was a fun project where…”
“I decided to build…”
Remove passive voice (“was built,” “has been developed”)

Include These Elements

Specific numbers/timeframes (6 months, 10 users, 3 iterations)
Concrete examples (actual vocabulary, real scenarios)
Honest failures or pivots
User impact (even if just you)
What makes this unique/different

Test Your Description

Can someone retell your project’s purpose after reading once?
Would you want to try this tool based on the description?
Does it show YOUR unique perspective/expertise?
Is there at least one memorable detail?

Priority Actions (Content)

This Week (4-6 hours total)

1. Rewrite 3 project descriptions (3 hours)

Pick: describe_it, subjunctive-practice, fancy_monkey
Use the before/after examples above as templates
Test on a friend: Can they retell the story?

2. Add homepage introduction paragraph (1 hour)

2-3 sentences that explain your unique angle
Place above or below current hero section
Make “fourth-generation educator” prominent

3. Create AI Projects page introduction (1 hour)

2-3 paragraphs explaining your teaching background
Connect projects to educational principles
Set context before showing the grid

This Month (12-15 hours total)

4. Write “Learning in Public” first post (4 hours)

Title: “What I Learned Building 5 Spanish Learning Tools”
800-1200 words
Include failures, surprises, user feedback
Link from homepage

5. Create Teaching Philosophy page (6 hours)

Family teaching lineage section
Your 5 principles for AI learning tools
How projects embody these principles
Photos/timeline if available

6. Rewrite ALL project descriptions (3 hours)

Apply story structure to remaining 12 projects
Remove all “this was an experiment” phrases
Add memorable details to each

This Quarter (30-40 hours)

7. Build blog infrastructure (8 hours)

Set up Jekyll blog functionality (already supported)
Create 3 post templates (technical, educational, reflection)
Design post layout with good typography
Add RSS prominent in navigation

8. Write 3 cornerstone posts (15 hours, 5 each)

Post 1: Spanish tools retrospective
Post 2: Fourth-generation educator on AI
Post 3: Technical deep-dive (Fancy Monkey or another)

9. Add case studies for top 3 projects (12 hours, 4 each)

Full development history
Design iterations
User feedback/metrics
Lessons learned
Process photos/screenshots

10. Create “About” page that tells your story (3 hours)

Career journey timeline
Why education → why tech → why both
What drives your project choices
Personal photo, make it human

Success Metrics

After implementing content improvements, you should be able to:

The 30-Second Test

Can someone explain what makes you unique after 30 seconds on your site?
Current: Probably not
Goal: “He’s a 4th-gen educator who builds AI language learning tools”

The Story Test

Can you tell each project’s story without looking at your notes?
Current: Maybe 5 out of 15
Goal: All 15, because each has a real problem → insight → solution story

The Voice Test

Does the site sound like how you talk?
Current: Too formal/generic
Goal: Clear personality comes through

The Differentiation Test

What makes this portfolio different from 100 others?
Current: Not much (clean Jekyll site with projects)
Goal: Clear educator identity, storytelling approach, authentic voice

Resources for Better Content

Books

“On Writing Well” by William Zinsser - Clarity in non-fiction
“Everybody Writes” by Ann Handley - Modern web content
“Building a StoryBrand” by Donald Miller - Clarifying your message

Articles

How to Tell Your Story - Josh Kaufman
The Narrative Essay - Purdue OWL
Developer portfolios that do storytelling well: Dan Abramov’s overreacted.io, Julia Evans’ blog

Templates

Story Structure Template:

THE PROBLEM: [What frustrated you]
WHY IT MATTERED: [The stakes]
THE INSIGHT: [Your unique realization]
THE SOLUTION: [What you built]
THE OUTCOME: [Impact + what you learned]

Project Description Template:

[HOOK: Surprising fact or relatable problem]
[CONTEXT: Why this mattered to you specifically]
[APPROACH: Your unique insight or method]
[IMPACT: Who uses it, what changed]
[LEARNING: Honest takeaway]

Technical details: [Brief tech stack]
Status: [Honest current state]

Final Thought on Content

Your current content is like a resume: accurate but not memorable.

Great portfolio content is like a conversation with a smart, honest person who has interesting stories and isn’t afraid to share what didn’t work.

You have the stories. You learned Spanish. You taught for 10 years. You built 15 projects. You come from a family of educators. You pivoted to tech.

Stop hiding behind technical specifications.

Tell the stories. The memorable, human, messy stories of learning and building. That’s what makes someone remember you—and hire you, follow you, or want to work with you.

Start with 3 projects this week. You’ll see the difference immediately.