WELCOME TO MY TATC PORTFOLIO

I would like to welcome you to my TATC Portfolio. Since August, 2002 I have been on a roller coaster ride of technology applications. Just as the roller coaster takes you up and down, so does this experience called Technology Application Teacher Certification. This portfolio represents months of late nights, frustration, and feelings of accomplishment. I have submitted projects for your review that have helped me develop the skills necessary to prepare young people for the world of work. The major components and navigation of my portfolio are presented on the left and at the bottom of the page. The following components comprise my navigation and portfolio framework:

• TATC Portfolio Home - An introduction of myself including my Resume and my technology life history.
• Goals - A brief statement of the goals I have set for myself concerning technology and teaching.
• Observation - A reflective statement concerning my overall thoughts about my Observation experiences.
• Reflection - A reflective statement concerning my thoughts about the overall program of study.
• Standards I-XI - All of the Technology Applications (8-12) Standards and their artifacts are listed on one page with a link provided to each individual standard. Each standard has one or more captioned artifacts linked to it. Note that when you view an artifact representing any standard, a separate window will open for the artifact. When you finish viewing the artifact you can close the window.
  • I, II, III, IV, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI - Links to direct access of each individual standard and its captioned artifacts.
• Standard's Matrix - A matrix diagramming the relationship between the TA Standards and each of the associated indicators with my portfolio artifacts.
  

Personal Background / Significant Events / Reasons / Preparing / Resume

Personal Background

I was born in Midland, Texas on February 27, my father's birthday. We moved to Fort Worth when I was eight months old and that is where I consider home. I graduated from Carter-Riverside High School in 1970. My degree in Business Administration is from Texas Wesleyan. Shortly after graduating from Wesleyan (what was then called TWC), I began working as a secretary at the Tarrant County Juvenvile Probation Department where I met my husband, Mike. After we married, I transferred to the District Attorney's office. We have two daughters, Stacie and Melissa. They are both graduates of Tarleton State University.

After finishing his Master's of Public Administration, my husband was offered a position in his home town of DeLeon as the Assistant Adminstrator of DeLeon Hospital. He now serves as Administrator. This move took place in 1983. I decided to return to college to obtain a teaching certificate in business education. I completed that certification in 1986 and have been teaching business education in DeLeon High School since the fall of that same year. I have taught various business education courses during my career such as Typing, Shorthand, Speedwriting, Accounting, Personal Business Management, and Recordkeeping. My current assignment is Business Computer Information Systems and Desktop Publishing.

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Significant Personal and Technology Events in My Life

My first introduction to technology was the keypunch machine. I learned data processing while in college. When I first began teaching, the word processing class enjoyed the luxury of Radio Shack TRS-80 computers which were networked together. By the time, all computers were loaded with the software that was opened on the server (did we call it a server back then?), there was about 20 minutes left in the class period. Each student had their own 5.25 inch floppy to store their documents. The sad thing is I have been teaching 17 years and the district has updated my lab twice in those years. I have never taken a computer course. I teach computer applications only because someone took the typewriters out of my classroom and replaced them wth computers.

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Reasons for Wanting to be a Technology Applications Teacher

I actually was not aware that I wanted to become a Technology Applications teacher until I was approached about the TATC program. It seemed logical for me to take this step since I have a classroom full of computers anyway. I realize now that students need to be given the opportunity to be exposed to this technology. Having two daughters in college has made me realize the value of providing this exposure to technology to high school students. Both daughters have had several opportunities to prepare assignments using a variety of the skills learned in the Technology Applications courses. I began this "adventure", as it is referred to many times, with a great deal of anxiety, feeling as though technology had passed me by and I would not be able to grasp the concepts. Basically, I was right! However, I find that this dog actually can learn new tricks.

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Preparing to Teach

It is not hard to imagine being a first year teacher. Each August as I prepare to make the transition of homemaker (which I would really love to do full time) to teacher, it is just like starting over. I walk into my classroom and think to myself "I have forgotten how to do this." I give myself a pep talk and decide that I am going to love these students just like God loves them. Sometimes that is an awesome task. Each year my goal is that my students leave my classroom with a marketable skill. I would also like to know that for at least the 50 minutes they are in my class, they feel like they are important and they have value. Unfortunately, that may not happen every day. What I have to force myself to remember is to place myself in their seat, hearing about something they never experienced before and being expected to remember it the next day. As a TATC student, I have been placed in that seat. I have become much more tolerant of students who ask the same questions over and over. I truly love to teach. I feel more confident and successful when I am well prepared and have activities that have meaning and relevance. The students in high school now have a "what's in it for me" attitude. I would like to have an answer for that. That is why what they do must be relevant.

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• Tarleton State University - Teacher certification, 1986.
• Texas Wesleyan College - Bachelor of Business Administration, 1975

• Assignment: High School Business Education. Courses taught: Typing, Shorthand, Speedwriting, Accounting, Recordkeeping, Personal Business Management, Microcomputer Applications, Business Computer Information Systems I and II, Desktop Publishing. Former Student Council sponsor. Sponsor of Future Teachers of America.

• Duties: Legal Secretary

• Duties: Legal Secretary

• Choir director, First United Methodist Church, DeLeon, Texas.
• Member of Breath of Life praise and worship team, First United Methodist Church.
• Served on several Walk to Emmaus teams.
• DeLeon Hospital Auxilary.