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 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

I was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, November 24, 1964. My mom said that since I came so close to Thanksgiving that she was thankful not to have to help with the big family Thanksgoiving dinner. I was the first child born to Reginald Wayne and Jennie Page. Yes, I am a junior. My dad was in the Air Force stationed at Barksdale Air Base and my mom worked at Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant outside of Minden, LA. When I was a year and a half old we bought a house and some acreage in the very small town of Heflin, LA. I grew up on that mini-farm around all types of animals, including the one that was born when I was three and a half years old. That would be my little brother. I started school in kindergarten at age four in the adjoining parish (yes we Louisianians have parishes instead of counties) because it wasn't offered where we lived. I attended that school for three years and was moved to a school in Minden, LA for third grade because my dad bought a grocery store and butcher shop there. He stayed in the military in reserves, but decided that he wanted something more out of life. After four more moves and seven more schools I finally ended up at Minden High School in 1979. This is where I would finish my lower education. I played football and lifted weights for the school until the end of my junior year. At that time I realized that my body had taken enough punishment and that I didn't like feeling the constant pain. I did, however realize the dream of winning a state football championship in 1980 and being the best power squat lifter in 1981. After graduation in May of 1982, number 62 out of a class of 260, I really had no idea what I wanted to do. I couldn't follow my dad's footsteps into the Air Force because of injuries from football and I had not had the pleasure of attending a school that was on the technological cutting edge (in those years a school was lucky to have one computer in the library). I finally decided on Vocational school taking an Industrial Instrumentations course that dealt with electronics and instruments for chemical and water plants. This is where I got my first taste of technology and computers.

One year later I had found out that Instrumentation was not my gig. I dropped out of school and worked as a radio station DJ for a short time, I had also done that during high school. I also started my own DJ business playing at private parties and at a teen hangout that the VFW had set up for the kids in town. Of course these jobs didn't pay all of my bills so I worked at various other jobs for the next year. In 1984, I decided to go back to school and enrolled in Bossier Parish Community College in Bossier City, LA. I had decided that I really wanted to work with computers and enrolled in the Associate Degree program of Computer Progamming and Operations/ Data Processing. I really enjoyed the coursework and eventually graduated in the Spring of 1987. I learned a lot about programming in classes like; Pascal, Basic, COBOL, and Lotus 123. The bad thing about my degree was that by the time I graduated, the programming and data processing job market was saturated. So I didn't immediately go to work in that field. I did do some freelance work upgrading systems for individuals and some minor programming in Lotus for a small company, but nothing that was going to pay the bills.

Next chapter in my life. Novemember 13,1987 (Friday the 13th) I finally met my future wife. We had been talking on the phone for two or three weeks and she finally talked me into meeting her. At the time she was 17 and a senior in high school and I was 22 living on my own. I know I probably never should have gone to meet her, but she was so persuasive. One year to the day later we were married and have now been together for 15 years. Our son Kenneth was born the next year almost a month premature. This was a major struggle in our life, but we were able to overcome and keep plodding on.

After a significant work injury that required back surgery, I worked as a substitute teacher at Minden High (my alma mater) for a couple of years. I enjoyed the education setting so I decided to return to college for my Bachelors degree in Education. In March of 1993 I entered Louisiana Tech in Ruston, LA as a 28 year old freshman. I was able to transfer only 15 of my course hours from Bossier Community College so that meant that I would be almost stating fresh. In May of 1996, after three years of grueling 12 - 15 hour quarters summers included, I graduated Magna cum Laude with a degree in Elementary Education. I went to work in a neighboring parish, Bossier Parish, the beginning of the 1996-97 school year at Princeton Middle School, as a Louisiana History teacher and a football/ track coach. In 1999 we built a brand new facility and renamed the school Haughton Middle School after the town in which we were located. I stayed with Bossier Parish schools until moving to Texas in 2001. I became the technology contact at the school in 1998 after I took over the computer literacy classes. The district sent me to many classes including certification in all of the Microsoft Office Suite, Marco Polo teacher trainer program, and various other technology related subjects.

After almost starving on a Louisiana teacher's salary, we decided to move to Texas where the pay was much better. I interviewed with about 15 school districts and finally decided upon Cedar Hill because of the salary and the small town atmosphere. Wow, was I surprised when I realized those kids didn't think small town at all. I had been hoodwinked into believing that there were minimal problems in the schools and that there was plenty of support from the higher-ups. In the Spring I began looking for another position. I should have known that we were not meant to stay in Cedar Hill when we were unable to buy a house near there when we moved to Texas. In May of 2002 I interviewed with Mansfield ISD and accepted a position as the Industrial Technology education instructor at the new Wester Middle School (Go Wildcats). So far I am loving it in Mansfield. My supervisors have given me the chance to improve myself with the TATC course and everyone is very supportive.

Significant Personal and Technology Events in My Life That are Reasons for My Wanting to be a Technology Applications Teacher

The most important factor in my decision to become a teacher came about after a significant work injury that led to me having to have back surgery. After the surgery the doctor told me that I probably would not be able to return to the work that I had been doing. During the time I waited on my job to process my workmans compensation claim I was able to work part time as a substitute teacher. Being around the school and the kids and seeing their faces light up with that "I finally got this" look played the major role in my decision to return to school for my degree in education. It didn't hurt much that when I finally received a settlement from my job I was able to pay off my house, cars, and other bills and that there was a retraining settlement attached to it. I lived better the three years that I was in school than I did the first three years of teaching.

One other factor in my decision to become a technology teacher was that I really had no desire to sit behind a desk in a cubby hole all day writing programs. I am not the type of person to sit at a computer for long periods of time (I guess this class is teaching me to do that). I also don't like being alone very much. So I felt that by teaching in a classroom, at least I would be able to move around and be around people (if you can call some of our students people) all of the time.

The main person that I can think of that led me down the path to choose education was my ninth grade algebra teacher, Mr. Riggs. He always told me that I could do IT no matter what IT was. I had the fortune of substituting for his classes for an extended period of time even though the circumstances for his being out were not great. (His wife, also a teacher in the same school, commited suicide because she had terminal cancer). Others that helped me through the process were a couple that I have been close to since I was eight years old and he was my Cub Scout leader. Jack Holman, Captain Jack, and his wife Miekie always did everything they could to help out. Jack helped me through scouting all the way to my earning Eagle Scout and even helped me get a job with the Boy Scouts of America for a short period. Miekie was a school teacher and principal at a school for children with physical and emotional impairments. She taught me the joy of working with kids can be very rewarding.

Preparing to Teach

I guess I had an advantage over some first year teachers in that I had already spent a good portion of my life working in other careers dealing with the public. I had also worked in the school setting as a long term substitute for two years prior to getting my degree in education. I really wasn't worried the first year that I taught and the only thing that worries me now is the fact that I am teaching a course that is an elective and the students really do not think it counts. I have to get them motivated to do the work by getting them to understand the long-term effects and most of them don't think past tomorrow.

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