Welcome to our course blog! Please tell the team a little bit about yourself - the name you'd like us to use, where you live, what you do for a living (if you are working right now), why you are in the Digital Media program, and what is your favorite technology tool right now.
I'll go ahead and share here - please call me Jaci. I live in the South Park neighborhood in Morgantown (which means I live in a "This Old House" kind of house and am always painting, plastering, or renovating) with my husband and our two Scottish Terriers - Ladybug and Ramsey. This will be another busy semester since I am teaching four courses (this is the only one with less than 30 or so students), finishing the final details of our NCATE accreditation process, working to finish the installation of our unit assessment system... and that brings me to my favorite technology tool right now: TaskStream! I love the userfriendly assessment development and reporting tools in TaskStream. In the report from the NCATE visiting team we were awarded an "area of strength" (which is like a commendation) for the assessment standard (meaning we went above and beyond what was expected on this standard) and I attribute much of that to our use of TaskStream to document our assessment of student learning and our plans for program improvement based on assessment results. I bet that I am the only one who will claim TaskStream as my favorite technology tool!
Hi, I am Lisa, I live in Cowen which is in Webster County with my husband, daughter and a house full of critters. I also have a son in college finishing his junior year right now. I am a business education teacher currently looking for permanent work, I am subbing. I also have a degree in Information Technology, however I have been out of the loop for so long I feel lost with some of the new technology.
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa - it is difficult to keep up with all the new tools that are available now, and just when you think you've figured out the best way to use one... it is "improved"! Where does your son go to school? If he is like my youngest daughter, it is almost like they were born with a digital device in hand and they can learn all the new functions so much faster than me. I am a little more deliberate in my approach :) I look forward to working with you this semester.
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DeleteHi Jaci- My son is at Marshall University. He is a big gamer loves his computer, but he is not that into his phone or other devices. He knows how to use them but could live with out it if he had to. Hes has the android, I still have an old flip phone with out internet I can't afford to keep up with the tech. I am really looking forward to this class hope it can help me get an edge in the school system.
DeleteHi, I'm Heather. I live in Morgantown, as well. My husband and I live in a townhouse with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law. It's a little crowded for newly weds, but what can you do? I am currently a math teacher at North Marion High School. I am in the Digital Media program, so that I can broaden my perspective jobs (I may want to teach a course or two online sometime). I'm also pursuing a masters degree in Pure Mathematics. The technology I most enjoy is my Google Nexus. It's a tablet and I can do everything on it that I could do on a laptop. It's easier and more efficient than a laptop for me.
ReplyDeleteHeather, I am in awe of anyone who takes on the hard work of teaching math; particularly at the secondary level. By the time students get to you, they must often have significant gaps in their math skills and knowledge. Creating online, mastery-based learning experiences to help them build a stronger foundation for upper level math would make a huge difference. I use my iPad for so much of what I used to do on my laptop, but I still like the larger screen and keyboard for word processing (which is something I do all the time). When I slow down a little I would like to get wireless components that would let me go completely iPad, but for now I am bound to the desktop and the laptop. Welcome to the class.
DeleteHi,Lyndall Everley. I live in Clarksburg. I am not currently working. I am a new mother of a three month old daughter. I am married with one son and two other daughters. I am seeking my Masters in Education with a specialization in Special Education. This class is an elective for me. I am not big on technology, if I would have to chose one it would have to be either a Ipad or computer.
ReplyDeleteLyndall - welcome to the class. This class isn't going to force you to use any particular technology (other than this blog) but it is going to make you think (I hope) about how technology change can be an opportunity for teachers and educators in other organizations to become leaders in their contexts; which, in turn, creates additional opportunities for professional growth. It sounds like you have your hands full with your children! I look forward to working with you this semester.
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ReplyDeleteHi everyone - I'm Jane and I currently live in the Belleview area of Fairmont. I work on campus at the Frank & Jane Gabor WV Folklife Center (the stone building on Squibb Wilson Blvd right below the hospital). I love the history and heritage of West Virginia and am involved in a variety of pursuits towards promoting and preserving this heritage.
ReplyDeleteThis semester I am carrying 12 credit hours, and will graduate in December of 2013 with my masters. It has only taken me 30 years since my high school graduation to accomplish this goal.
In my free time I weave and spin yarn. I love traditional fiber arts. I do some teaching of these traditional arts as requested as well as tell stories to children and adults about West Virginia.
I do not have a favorite technology item, although I am currently enjoying the exploration of various apps for digital storytelling. There is such an amazing potential out there for the utilization of the technology in history and heritage.
Jane - I imagine graduation can't come soon enough for you! You are a testament to the power of persistence. Apps for digital storytelling are technologies and I agree, they can be fun, but they can also be powerful vehicles for really meaningful reflection on personal experiences and connections with the experiences of others. I am really looking forward to working with you this semester. While it really isn't on the same par with fiber arts, I am interested in learning how to knit and was wondering if the Folklife Center still offers classes?
DeleteJaci -
DeleteThere will be knitting classes during the month of Feb. Visit http://pierpont.augusoft.net//index.cfm?method=ClassListing.ClassListingDisplay for registration. Debbie Tropea is teaching the class.
Ironically enough, once graduation comes in December, I will begin work on my Masters in Library Science. That will only be 1 course a semester however.
Hello! My name is Anita and after a very stressful fall, I'm looking forward to starting a new year. I work at Braxton County High and Middle Schools as the Financial Secretary. I have a degree in Business Education and hope to find a teaching job eventually.
ReplyDeleteAs for my "spare" time, I have an eight year old daughter and an 11-month old son (who has decided it's time to walk). I'm a Cadette Girl Scout leader. That's about it as far as spare time goes.
I chose the Digital Media program because I believe that it is important to keep abreast of the latest technology - especially as a Business Education teacher. My favorite technology tool would have to be my iPhone. Honestly, how did we even function before smartphones?
Anita - I am so glad to see that you survived the winter break given how disruptive your fall was. I can't believe your son is already 11 months old! The transition to walking is always challenging... and then once they have it down, they can run from you! I agree about the iPhone. I never understood my daughters' fascination with their phones until I recently got an iPhone. I am still learning how to maximize the capacity of both of my "i" technologies. Good to have you back in class!
DeleteHi Anita- We are in about the same area, I'm in Webster Co. I have been looking for a Business Ed job since 2009 it seems every time someone retires in this area they cut the job instead of replacing them. Hope you find something soon.
DeleteHello everyone, my name is Enjoli Bell and I am from Kingwood, WV. Currently I am living in Virginia Beach, VA with my husband who is serving on the USS Enterprise. I moved here in 2011 to live with him after his first deployment. I have been trying to get a job as an art teacher here but the market is tough so I am currently working as a Distance Learning Teacher’s Assistant. This is my first semester as a graduate student and this class was a recommendation from Diana Dunn. I am looking forward to learning about new technologies and would have to agree that my favorite technology item is my iPhone. I really have no clue what I did before this phone came into my possession. I also use to reside in South Park in Morgantown on Maryland street, and I miss Morgantown frequently.
ReplyDeleteEnjoli,
DeleteI often ask myself the same question, "What would I do without my iphone?" The ability to connect with family, friends and colleagues through facetime, texting, or actual phone conversations :) has provided a type of closeness that's hard to achieve without technology.
Yes, Facetime was the absoulte best thing while my husband was depolyed for 8 months of 2012. And I do not know how I would have survived driving around in Virginia Beach as a brand new resident without the google map app.
DeleteEnjoli - first, I love your name. I have friends who have family members deployed overseas and they all talk about how wonderful Facetime is. My youngest daughter forces me to use it every now and then when she has too much to share in a text (she is the queen of stream of consciousness texting so this is a good thing). That you are in Virginia Beach and in class at FSU is a great example of the capacity of digital media to support lifelong learning. The challenge is to use it appropriately, ethically, and productively!
DeleteThanks for the compliment, my name is certainly unique. I have to agree Facetime was such a wonderful luxury to have when my husband was deployed and would hit a port. I am also very happy that through technology I can continue my education with FSU without having to be in WV. Living this military lifestyle definitely takes a lot of adjusting and thankfully I can take online masters courses all while being moved around. In fact, my husband just got new orders two days ago and it looks like we will be moving to Upstate NY by the beginning of May. More big changes are coming my way, time to get a new teaching license and hope that the job market there is better than the one in VA Beach.
DeleteDr.Webb-Dempsey,
ReplyDeleteAlthough I did not list TaskStream as my favorite, I really can't imagine not having this program to assess, provide feedback and communicate with clinical students and liaisons. I suppose it's the transparency of this program that I feel is beneficial.
Mary Jo - I agree about the power of the transparency of the program. It is the only secure platform we have access to that enables us to involve everyone (students, host teachers, professors) in the assessent process and it creates an archive of the whole assessment process for us. Having the host teachers from the public schools in TaskStream as evaluators giving students feedback was a BIG deal to the NCATE examiners.
DeleteHello! My name is Vanessa Clay, I live in Pocahontas County, WV. I have two kids, an 8 year old son, and a 4 year old daughter. I am working as an Adult Basic Education Instructor, although I am only on an 8 month contract, so right now I'm off until March. I really love teaching youth media workshops, and hope to do more in the future. In the meantime, I too am fixing up a "This Old House" project. I actually just took a break sanding drywall in my dining room to write this! My favorite piece of technology is my Macbook Pro - I love video editing and occasionally get free-lance editing gigs, so this thing is handy - I use it for school work too ;)! I love Final Cut - which is my favorite program because it allows me to be creative and express myself in a way that suits me.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Vanessa - It sounds like you will have lots of great ideas about multimedia tools to share. My next door neighbor does free-lance videos (she has an Emmy for her work with a major broadcast station sitting on her mantle), I'll have to ask her which program she uses. I have a PC and a Mac and have to say if you want to work with images or video the Mac is the ticket. Good luck with that drywall!
DeleteHello Everyone,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Macy Jackson and this is my first semester starting my Masters in Education in Digital Media. I have a BS in Business Education from Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, WV (2009) and have an AA in Liberal Studies from Fairmont State (2006). I'm excited to see there are several Business Ed teachers who also have chosen this program!
I have lived in Elkins, WV for 11 years but grew up in Daytona Beach, FL. I have been subbing on and off for the past 3 years and have really enjoyed learning about different schools, learning various content areas and getting to know a variety of students & teachers. The Randolph Technical Center (aka Vo-Tech) is where I sub the most and where I use my Business Ed background in several business and computer related classes.
I am happily married with 3 children (daughters ages, 8 & 6, and son age, 2), am very involved in my community, enjoy sports & fitness (running marathons, softball, skiing, etc.) and reading.
I have to admit my favorite technology tool has to be my iPhone. I use it as a calendar, to read my books, track my runs, my alarm clock... and the list goes on and on. Although, I am a proud new owner of a MacBook Pro so I am looking forward to it becoming a great tool for me to finish this Masters program!
Macy - I am happy to welcome you to the course and the program. I think others who are further along in the program would agree that it is an exciting opportunity to explore the potential of digital media. I am interested to see how many folks have a background in Business Education, but I can see how this Masters would be a good fit. I read on my iPad rather than my iPhone (older eyes!) and I love the ability to access iBooks and my Kindle account and the clarity of graphics and illustrations. I just saw the other day that Amazon is developing a new Kindle division for children - this could be a great resource for schools. I am sure your MacBook is going to get a good workout!
DeleteHello , my name is Jodee Nelson. I am an assistant professor for Respiratory care at Pierpont Community and Tech College. I live in Fairmont with my favorite 4 legged friend named Rocky. My adult children and family live in Cleveland, Ohio from which I hale. I have been here for 4 years. I can see the end of my Master's tunnel. I sure hope to graduate in Dec. I am not a fan of Task stream, sorry, I don't find it very user friendly. Maybe because our program has an accrediting process that is not compatible. So we are always double entering data. I am slowly but surely entering the 21st century's tech age, it's been painful. I just received my first droid notebook and figuring out the apps. Call me old fashioned,but I cannot attach myself to social media like most people are today. I do , however, learn a lot each semester regarding technology and the classroom. I am looking forward to this semester as well.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Jodee - I have been a reluctant user of social media, too. I have a Facebook account that I never access (don't have time, don't feel like I have a real need to use it) but I have recently begun using Pinterest - which is a social media with a twist - and am really enjoying it. I didn't really see the potential until a friend asked me to help her plan her daughter's wedding and we started using Pinterest to share ideas, then my book club created a collaborative board to post ideas about books to read and reviews of books we've read (along with lots of other things reading-related) and all of a sudden it became a habit to check it every day. With technology I think the key is having a real reason to use it - which is also the challenge for teachers who are trying to make technology integration meaningful. In terms of TaskStream, my guess is that you've been using the AMS to document course and program assessment and may not have been able to use the tools in the LAT to actually build and assign assessments. From my perspective, that's the powerful "side" of TaskStream for educators. If you haven't been using the LAT and would like a preview of what it can do for you (such as no more entering data, you just link to published reports you've run in the LAT) just let me know.
DeleteIntro :)
ReplyDeleteHello! My name is Kristian Swisher I am currently an aide at MHS for the rest of the year. I work between the Severe Profound, and Autistic classrooms there. It has been a great experience so far. I try to stay up with technology but I do not know a lot of the technical lingo and such that goes along with it. If I get a new gadget it takes me a few months to get used to it and be able to navigate it as my own. I am currently getting my Masters is special education. I am hoping to end up at the high school level and I feel that having some technology under my belt will help me to keep up with the students and keep them interested.
Hy my name is Ernest Yeager. I am currently working on my Masters in Professional Studies. I graduated last May with a Math Ed. degree. I currently have a 1-year contract as a 7th and 8th grade Math Teacher at Barrackville and I also manage at a restuarant on the Weekends. Life stays pretty busy on my end. I have some experience with technology. The only course I had was Instructional Technology for my undergrad.
ReplyDeleteHello to all! My name is Erin S. Fultineer. I am currently working on my MAT degree. I graduated from Shepherd University in 1997 with a BS in Biology and Chemistry and I just recently graduated from Glenville State College in December with a BA in Chemistry and Physics. I have two sons, Liam age 10 and Kellan age 9. I also work part time in a cardiologists office. I stay very busy with my sons' various sporting activities. I do not have a favorite technology, as my experience is limited. I look forward to a wonderful semester!
ReplyDeleteHey! I'm getting a late start to this---I know. At first when I checked out the blog, I was a little confused, and then I ended up with the flu which totally kicked my butt! Wow, now I am hoping to catch up fast. This class is not what I expected. I'm slightly overwhelmed---I hope I'm not the only one. Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting to know you all.
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