This site was created to meet the requirements of the Region XI Technology Applications Teacher Certification (TATC) program.  It contains a collection of  works that I have produced from August 2002 to June 2003. 

The major components and navigation of my portfolio are presented on the top left of this page 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

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Personal Background

I was born in Canyon, Texas, (Randall County) which is located in the Panhandle of Texas. We lived there until I had finished the 8^th grade when we then moved to Wildorado, Texas, west of Amarillo. I then attended Vega High School in Vega, Texas, and graduated in 1974.

Shortly after high school graduation I married Billy Warrick. He was a student at West Texas State University which is now known as West Texas A&M. Billy graduated a year after we were married and I graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor in Business Education.

My first teaching position was for one year at McLean High School.  We were living in Bushland, Texas, at the time, which was 95 miles from McLean. I would drive over early Monday morning and stay all week, coming home on Friday evenings. What we won’t do to take a teaching job! The following year we moved to Plainview where I taught business at Plainview High School for four years.

I am currently teaching at Water Valley High School, in Water Valley, Texas, and it is my 13^th year. We are located approximately 25 miles northwest of San Angelo. It is a small 1-A school with 82 students enrolled. I have served as yearbook advisor for six years and cheerleader sponsor for six years. I have taught a variety of business and computer related courses over the years which have included: Keyboarding, Computer Literacy, BCIS I and II, BIMM, Accounting I and II, Desktop Publishing, Record Keeping, and Shorthand.

My husband Billy is a crop specialist for the Texas Cooperative Extension affiliated with The Texas A&M University System. Billy and I have two children, one foreign exchange daughter, and two West Highland Terriers (Westies). Brock is 21 and lives in New Mexico. He now  works for the prison system.  He and Stacey presented us with our first granchild, Alyson Raye in January. Our daughter, Kristi, is 19 and is the proudest member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of 2005.  Our foreign exchange daughter, Selina, was here a couple of years ago and is from England.

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Significant Personal and Technology Events in My Life

When I first started school at West Texas State University, I planned to just go into secretarial studies.  My parents encouraged me to finish up and graduate.  I decided to go with a Business Education degree because  everything I had already taken would go toward that degree and I wouldn't have to backtrack.  As soon as I did my student teaching, I realized that teaching was really what I wanted to do.  

While at WTSU I took one basic computer course and hated it! It was definitely the basics and used the old punch cards.  Thank goodness I didn't quit there.  While teaching at Plainview we didn't have computers to use in the classroom, but I would go down to the math lab and use one of their three computers to do my grades on a spreadsheet.  

Our first home computer was a Tandy in the late 1980s.  I quickly got hooked on the word processor.  

When I started teaching at Water Valley we had a dozen Apple IIe computers.  With a little convincing, I talked the principal and superintendent into purchasing some PCs.  in 1991.  We had 40 megs of memory and just knew that that would be all we would ever need!  Little did we know!  

Another significant event was working on the yearbook at Water Valley.  The first couple of years was all done by hand.  The third year we started doing the layouts on computer.  Learning to use the programs was a challenge but so much fun. This was also my first experience at using PageMaker.

I've spent a great deal of time on my own learning to use different application programs and also taking some workshops at Region 15 in San Angelo.  There's nothing like the challenge of learning a new program!

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Reasons for Wanting to be a Technology Applications Teacher

The most important reason for wanting to obtain my Technology Applications certification is to become a good TA teacher, and I also think it would help me as well in my business classes.  

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Preparing to Teach

I remember my first year of teaching and being scared!  I wasn't that much older than they were.  I was hoping I would do the right things and not make too many mistakes. I quickly got used to making at least one mistake a day.  When I first started teaching with computers it was like starting all over again.  There were days I would be one or two days ahead of them.  I would go home and learn the next lesson or two trying to stay ahead.  I find now that there are some students who definitely know more than I do, and I absolutely love it.  I get them up and have them show all of us. 

I hope that as I continue teaching over the next few years, I never become too close to retirement to try to learn something new.  With technology there is always something new to learn and you must always be willing to tackle it!

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