TAPPED IN - Perspectives

Member Perspectives
TAPPED IN Members who are leaders in the community share their perspectives on how they came to be involved, why they use TAPPED IN, and offer tips and suggestions to other members.

This month's featured perspective: Paul Sparks (May 2003)

Previous Perspectives

Jill Thomas (April 2003): Jill is the Technology Coordinator or Sesser-Valier School District in Sesser, Illinois.

George Warriner (March 2003): George is the Coordinator of Instructional Technology for the Sheboygan Area School District in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He has worked in education as a 7-12 math teacher, K-5 math specialist, math resource teacher, technology resource teacher and baseball coach. George is currently a doctoral student at Pepperdine University in the Educational Technology program.

Elizabeth Riddle (February 2003): Elizabeth is an Instructional Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT) in Alexandria, Va. and a doctoral candidate in Instructional Technology at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.

Paul Allison (January 2003): Paul is a technology teacher at East Side Community High School. He has worked in alternative schools in New York City for over 15 years.

Kathleen Fletcher Bacer (December 2002): Kathleen is an associate professor and the creator and director of Azusa Pacific University's new Master of Arts in Educational Technology Online degree program.

Aiden Yeh (November 2002): Aiden teaches EFL in Shih Chien University and National Kaoshiung First University of Science and Technology.

Jewel Reuter (October 2002): Jewel is a teacher of Biology and Environmental Science at the Louisiana Virtual School and is a professional development consultant for the Archdioceses of New Orleans.

Derrel Fincher (September 2002): Derrel is a Math and Technology teacher at the American School in Japan.

Ken Decroo (August 2002): Ken is a middle school science teacher and a professor in the Department of Education, Science, Technology and Math, at California State University, San Barnardino. Ken became a member of TAPPED IN in 1999 when he was introduced to it while participating in the Teach the Teacher Collaborative (TTTC).

Jan Friesen (July 2002): JaniceF is an Instructional Support Specialist for the eMINTS program in Missouri. She helps a group of teachers in Missouri with integration of technology.

Tim Smith (June 2002): TimSm is a technology coach/consulant with the Collaborative for Teaching and Learning in Louisville, Kentucky. He works for the Galef Institute's Different Ways of Knowing Project as well as other educational technology related initiatives.

David Weksler (May 2002): DavidW consults educators about educational technology and loves to help people learn more about computers and the Internet.

Vance Stevens (April 2002): VanceS is a media specialist living in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Shunichiro Ito (March 2002): ShunI teaches business communications and Internet English at Bunkyo Women's College, Tokyo, Japan.

Maria Avgerinou (February 2002): MariaAV is a Visiting Assistant Professor in Instructional Technology, at the Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment, College of Education, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois.

Kim Flack (January 2002): KimberlyRF is an Instructional Specialist Coordinator working at ASSET-KAET-ASU in Flagstaff, AZ, training teachers to integrate technology into their everyday activities and curriculums.

Kim Foley (December 2001): Kim (KimF) is a researcher working at the Field Trips site in Spokane, Washington.

Debra Sprague (November 2001): Debra (DebraRS) is a faculty member at the School of Education at George Mason University in Virginia.

Jan Naher-Snowden (October 2001): Jan (Jan_NS) is Part-Time Faculty in the College of Education at the University of Akron. She currently leads the K-8 Science Forum sessions that meet once a month at TAPPED IN.

Phil Benz (September 2001): Phil (PhilB) is an English teacher in France. He currently leads the Euro Language Teacher Forum sessions that meet each week at TAPPED IN.

Susanne Nyrop (August 2001):Susanne (SusanneN) is senior research student at the University of Education in Copenhagen, Denmark. She co-hosts the weekly Global Educators' Network ASO session to discuss distance online learning.

Lesley Farmer (May 2001): Lesley (LesleyF) coordinates the Library Media Teacher Services Credential Program at California State University Long Beach.

William Wilson (April 2001): Bill (WilliamCW) is a Technology Coordinator and Science teacher at Richmond Hill High School. He leads the Technonolgy Coordinator's confab on the 1st & 3rd Mondays of each month and the Science Teacher's confab the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month.

Donna Hendry (March 2001): Donna (DonnaMH) currently teaches English in a transitional school for students 5th-12th grades in Connecticut. She is also certified in elementary education. Donna leads the Tech in the Classroom After School Online discussion and is also a HelpDesk Volunteer for TAPPED IN.

Lynn Shafer (February 2001): Lynn (LynnNS) was an elementary/ESL teacher for 7 years, but now is on leave-of-absence while she attends George Mason University as a full-time student. She works for PBS TeacherLine.

Keiko Schneider (January 2001): Keiko (KeikoS) is an ex and future Japanese teacher currently working as a web designer/consultant in New Mexico. She just finished her UCLA Online Teaching Program and looks forward to teaching again soon.

Phil Harrison (October 2000): Phil (PhilH) is the Director of Educational Programs at Computer Master Institute of New Media and Internet Technology in Victoria, Canada. Phil is completing his MBA in Digital Technologies Management at Royal Roads University. His organizational consulting project is entitled, "A Virtual Learning Environment for New Media Studies." His membership in TAPPED IN has played a significant role in crystalizing the vision for this project.

David Fish (March 2000): David (DavidLF) is a high school teacher in Santa Ana, CA. He teaches independent study to high risk youth, in Alternative/Correctional Education. He has also been teaching University courses in a Master's degee program in Educational Technology, and David is also a HelpDesk volunteer at TAPPED IN.

John Rivera (August 1999) : John teaches kindergarten at Annandale Elementary School in Los Angeles, California. He is web site-master for his school as well as Los Angeles' Unified School District Eagle Rock/Franklin/Marshall Cluster.

Erik Wilson (June 1999) : Erik (ErikW) is a biochemist and a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology Education at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He studies ways to use the Internet to support K-12 science teachers and works with the Science and Health Education Partnership at UCSF.

Chuck Merritt (May 1999) : Chuck is a Technology Learning Coordinator and Digital High School Program Director in Palo Alto, California. He has been immersing himself in technology for the past six years since returning to the San Francisco Bay Area from five years of living and working in Spain. His primary objective with technology at Palo Alto High School is to encourage colleagues to integrate technology into their curricula in ways that benefit student learning. Currently Chuck is co-leading the Foreign Language Discussion group at TAPPED IN.

Kathleen O'Reilly Bogni (April 1999) : Kathleen (KathleenKO) is a corporate trainer at Rhythm & Hues, Inc. Kathleen represents a different kind of teacher than the majority of TAPPED IN members, but her diverse perspective brings much value to the community, and we are very glad she shares her knowledge and time with us. At Rhythm & Hues she is responsible for training newly hired computer graphic artists on propriety software. Rhythm & Hues is the company responsible for the special effects on "Babe" and "Babe2."

Linda Ullah (March 1999) : Linda (LindaU) is a GATE Teacher at Edenvale Elementary and a Technology Learning Coordinator for the Blossom Valley Learning Consortium and the Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Challenge 2000 Multimedia Project in Oak Grove School District. She has been involved in training her colleagues in how to use TAPPED IN since she became a member of TAPPED IN in January, 1998. She is also developing ways of using it with her and other teachers' students.

Nancy Haas (February 1999) : Nancy (NancyWH) is a technology resource teacher in San Juan Capistrano, California and teaches Technology and Career Exploration to 9th graders at Aliso Niguel High School. She has been a member of TAPPED IN since she joined in the summer of 1998 as a graduate student in Pepperdine University's Online Masters in Educational Technology.

Michael Hutchison (January 1999) : Michael (MichaelAH) is a social studies teacher at Vincennes High School. Michael keeps very busy online and offline. Online he's an active member in TAPPED IN, is part of Help Desk, and leads the weekly After School Online session, the Social Studies Forum.

BJ Berquist (December 1998) : BJ is an art teacher at the Loysville Youth Development Center, a residential male juvenile correctional facility in central Pennsylvania. She was involved in the planning of the Civil Rights Forum held in May, 1998. BJ is also on staff with TAPPED IN and leads many of our After School Online sessions and is often found in at the HelpDesk in the reception area of TAPPED IN.

©1995-2002 SRI International. TAPPED IN is a trademark of SRI International.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Numbers REC9725528 and REC0106926.

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