Hello my name is Amanda Wolfe and welcome to my blogspot Amanda’s Technogogy 422. Get it? It is a combination of Pedagogy and Technology. This is my first blog ever so I feel the need to be clever... Please enjoy my posts as I work my way through the world of fun and interesting technology tools for educators.
I grew up in the now large town of Encinitas. My education, K-12th grade was entirely through the local public school districts of Cardiff and San Dieguito. My time in these schools was idyllic. However, when I really became an engaged student was when my high school became the San Dieguito Academy. The block schedule helped me to focus on the subjects and it felt more like preparation for college. All of the teachers and students had chosen to be there and the entire school population went from 4,000 to 1,240 students. After high school I attended Mira Costa Community College and transferred to Cal State San Marcos (CSUSM) to finish my degree. I received my Bachelors of Arts in Biology and Environmental Studies from Cal State San Marcos in 2002. I wanted to go into the field of conservation and so I bolstered my degree with a year of post baccalaureate course work in the Natural Resources Department at Humboldt State University. After working through a couple of internships as a research assistant and biological monitor I signed on for 2 years of service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco.
My experience with technology has really been ramped up in the last couple of years. After my relative hiatus from technology in the Peace Corps I returned to work for a small business whose internal workings of multiple databases, an online store and accounting software I organized and ran. In the evenings I returned to school to learn Geographical Information Systems (GIS), which combines map making and database management. This is a powerful tool that I love and after taking a few courses I landed a job as a Project Manager with the Soil Ecology & Restoration Group of the SDSU Research Foundation. I am still a PC user because that was what I could afford when my old computer kicked the bucket. On my new computer I installed Windows Office 2003 because I find it more intuitive. I use technology on daily basis although, I try to unplug myself entirely from my computer and cyber space (cell phone and camera OK) for one day each week.
I decided to apply for the CSUSM credential program because of its great reputation for giving hands on experience and useful methodologies for classroom management. Also having received my undergraduate degree from CSUSM I know that they hire excellent professors. My decision to apply is further heartened by the College of Education’s mission statement. The focus on, "educational equity, reflective teaching, and student centered education", fits warmly into my core beliefs about education. When I imagine myself as a teacher I see myself as facilitating my students learning. I hope that in my class the students have a chance to own the material and to become engaged in learning in their own unique way. Perhaps being hip with the technology will help me keep up to speed with them!
