I have always been an avid reader. For most of my life, I read a book a day, often going without sleep in order to finish the book I had started that afternoon. Books were the gateway to the world outside my own. I did not have a computer in my home until I was in high school, so when I had a question or wanted to learn something new, I turned to the set of encyclopedias in my room. They taught me how to play poker, the rules of tennis, and how a standard transmission works. At the time, I thought the set of encyclopedias in my room were more useful than a computer. Boy was I wrong!
When I became a teacher, I wanted to share my love of literature and learning with my students. Early in my teaching career, I realized that students benefit when they are active participants in the learning. In my classroom, collaboration and small group instruction were utilized in all content areas to personalize instruction and develop the skills students would need to be life-long learners. We would take trips to the library often and utilize available technology as often as possible. Although books will always be my first love, technology has opened doors to learning that I couldn’t imagine as a kid. As a classroom teacher, I felt called to show my students how technology impacts learning, collaboration, and communication. This calling eventually led me to pursue a master’s degree in library science.
As a librarian, my knowledge of digital tools and literacy allowed me to bring new technologies, resources, and programming to my patrons based on campus needs and current research. While working as a school librarian, I managed the day to day technology and communication needs of the campus. In addition, I coached teachers and designed professional development sessions based on best practices for using technology to enhance instruction. My days were often filled more with my duties as the campus technology integration specialist than with those of being a librarian. I soon realized that coaching and design was where I was most effective as an educator, and I moved into a coaching role with the Department of Educational Technology.
For the last three years, I have worked in the Department of Educational Technology, first as a digital learning specialist and now as the district training specialist. These roles have allowed me to impact the use of educational technology across the entire district. There are many challenges to teaching in the 21st century, but I believe technology offers the opportunity to meet the needs of learners and provide success in and out of the school setting. Helping schools and teachers embrace the opportunities technology brings to take learning beyond the class brings me great satisfaction. However, I realized that although society has largely transitioned into the digital age, education has remained stuck in the industrial, factory model with very little change to curriculum and practices. This realization prompted me to pursue my Ph.D.
I started working on my Ph.D. because I wanted to make a difference in education. Although there is no quick fix for the problems facing the education system in the United States, I feel that research can positively impact the educational practices and policies in America. My commitment to changing the education system to better meet the needs of today’s students has motivated me to continue in the program despite challenges. I still have a lot to learn, but with every discussion, assignment, and paper submitted, I have developed the skills and knowledge to become a contributing scholar in the field of learning technologies.
This website serves as a digital portfolio of work I have done within the doctoral program. In addition to this professional overview and my curriculum vitae, you will find examples of my scholarly writing, presentations, and creative works. The artifacts found in my portfolio are a combination of coursework, research pursuits, and both personal and work-related projects. My experiences in the program have guided and influenced my thinking, research, and design practices in creating new training and courses for work. As I learned to think more like a researcher, I noticed that I am more selective about the information, resources, and practices I employ at work, at home, and in my coursework. When I applied to the Ph.D. program, I hoped to deepen my understanding of instructional design theory, digital learning environments, and the impact of technology on teaching and learning. I can say with certainty I achieved that goal and so much more.
In the future, I plan to pursue a career in higher-education and continue with research aimed at changing the education system within the United States. I hope to contribute to the field of learning technologies and education reform by identifying changes needed at the political, instructional, and individual level to support a system wide transformation of teaching and learning in the United States. Learning technologies will continue to evolve and impact education. I believe these changes require a new system for teaching and learning as well as highly qualified teachers that can provide students with the skills needed to thrive in the digital age and beyond. For my dissertation I will focus on new, sustainable models and strategies for developing the self-regulated learning skills of students in technology enhanced learning environments.