My Journey Through Blossoming Fields of Learning

Welcome to my portfolio! The major components and navigation of my portfolio are presented on the left, at the top under the banner 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: 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.

My Journey Begins / Significant Events / Reasons / Preparing / Resume

My Journey Begins

I was born in New York City, New York. My parents are from Kansas and were attending Columbia University in New York City. My father and mother taught me many things through their example and words of wisdom that have shaped my life-long goals and how I feel about my profession.

My father taught me through his example to follow my dreams. He received his Ph.D. in Student Personnel and accepted a job at Drake University in Iowa. After being an educator for two years, he decided to become a dentist. To support our family, my mother taught at Texas Wesleyan University so my father could attend Baylor Dental School in Dallas. He has enjoyed practicing dentistry for 33 years in Arlington, Texas.

My mother grew up on a farm in Central Southern Kansas. As you can imagine, her work ethic is incredible. Her parents sacrificed a lot to send her to college and graduate school which was not common in the 1950s. My mother taught me that I could do anything I wanted to do with determination and hard work. She also encouraged me to be a life-long learner and value education. She just retired from Texas Wesleyan University after 39 years as a professor.

I grew up in Arlington, Texas, and graduated from Arlington High School in 1978. At that time Arlington was a much smaller city. Since then, the Dallas/Fort Worth cities have grown together to become one huge metroplex.

I attended Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth my freshman year then transferred to Southwestern University in Georgetown and graduated in 1982. I received a master's degree from Texas Wesleyan University in 1984 and a mid-management degree from Texas Woman's University (Denton) in 1994.

I have a wonderful husband and two precious boys who are 4 and 6 years old. The boys are the joy of our lives and will hopefully keep us young since we started the parenting process late. We enjoy outdoor activities with our boys and Golden Retriever and Sheltie, including camping, biking, swimming and going to the park.

Significant Personal and Technology Events in My Life

I knew I wanted to teach technology related courses when I taught in a summer computer camp for disadvantaged students at Texas Wesleyan University. The camp was part of a graduate degree in education focusing on technology. This was such a wonderful experience that I decided to go full time to graduate school to receive a master's degree. It was amazing to see students excel at the camp who did not do well in a traditional school setting. I think these camps changed not only my life but also the lives of many of the students. Even after receiving a teaching job, I participated in the camps for three additional summers.

Reasons for Wanting to be a Technology Applications Teacher

The most influential person in my education was Dr. Mark Wasicsko, a professor at Texas Wesleyan University, who hired me to be his graduate assistant. As his graduate assistant, he gave me the opportunity to teach technology skills to K-12 students, college students and professors; manage a computer lab; and coordinate a computer camp. I was impressed with his human relations skills, knowledge, administrative skills and his ability to inspire others. He set high expectations and allowed students to individualize projects depending on their talents and interests. I was amazed at his ability to see the hidden talents and abilities in others and tap into these resources. I knew I wanted to be a technology teacher after working with Dr. Wasicsko and seeing how he empowered students to attain their dreams.

Preparing to Teach

I have a new job this year teaching Web Mastering and Multimedia in the Arlington ISD at Martin High School. Because I work one-on-one with students as well as in groups, I have the opportunity to build on their strengths and to assist them in overcoming their weaknesses. I have had to review and learn most of what I teach so this is one of my most challenging years to teach.

I plan to spend time this year increasing my comfort level in the different software packages used in the TA courses. I will do this by going through tutorials, reading manuals and working with my fellow teachers and friends.

My hope for my students is that they understand that their dreams can come true by setting goals and working hard to obtain these goals. I will try to help them achieve their dreams by believing in my students' abilities and potential growth. If I believe in them, it will be easier for them to believe in themselves.

The image in the banner was personally taken with a digital camera. The field of bluebonnets is located at Division and Loch N' Green in Arlington, Texas.