Introduction
Who Am I?
I am an educational technologist. That seems to be my passion after merging the two things I love together: technology and education. I have always experimented with technology products since I was four years old, and working in education has provided me with so many opportunities for which I am very grateful.
I am an educator. Regardless of whether it has been teaching a student how to work out mathematical problems, instructing a group of people on how to work with technology, teaching staff members on how to improve student achievement, or designing course resources and materials, I have been an educator. I will always have a passion for learning new things and educating people on various topics.
I am a technophile. In both my personal and professional life I have embraced technology. I understand how technology can be utilized to improve efficiency and make things better for everyone. I want to continue to learn more about using technology to improve performance.
How Did I Get Here?
Fifteen years ago, I switched from the business world to become a mathematics instructor. It was the best decision ever! I was able to pass on my love for math to others while learning how to enhance my love of learning new things. The issue I found while working in education is that there are many new tools available, but not many educators utilize them due to lack of knowledge with how these tools work.
After completing my master's degree in Educational Leadership, I felt that my skills would be utilized in making sure administrators knew of these new tech tools and how to use them today to improve their students' achievement levels. I knew I could do more with my passions and wanted to learn effective strategies to combine them all.
I began searching for programs half-way through my master's program and was excited to find that Mizzou's Learning Systems and Design program was ranked as one of the top programs in the country. The program was learning by doing, which is much better than just learning how to theorize educational concepts. I feel the new name change to the program, Learning Technologies and Design, was much more succinct and appealing to my future employers.
Where Am I Going?
I currently work for Humana, and I am looking forward to opportunities in the instructional design/education technology field. I hope these opportunities offer a way to apply the knowledge and skills I have gained throughout my career and in education.