About Me

My Story

Ever since I was little, I always wanted to be a teacher.  I used to line up all my dolls and stuffed animals and play school with them.  I couldn't wait to have a class of my own!

In my junior year of high school, I took computer applications.  I think this is when I first fell in love with technology and my passion was ignited.  The next year, I took the advanced computer applications class. I remember my teacher, Mr. Bayne, would use me to help install software (yes, via a floppy disk!) on and off campus at another site, as well as other various computer related tasks.

Moving on to college, I decided I wanted to major in computer science.  I quickly fell in love with programming.  I took several classes including, C, C++, Pascal, Assembly, and Visual Basic. After receiving my A.S. in Computer Science, I moved on to California State University, Bakersfield to continue my pursuit of being a computer engineer/programmer.  CSUB didn't really have a strong program, and this is when things got a little muddled for me.  I took a break from college and went to work full time for The Bakersfield Californian.  I took a job as a Computer Operator in their System Integration department. After doing this for 3 years, I really didn't see a future for me there.  Although I never lost my passion for technology and programming, it just got pushed to the side, and I decided to go back to that little girl dream of becoming a teacher.  And that's what I did.

During my 10 years in classroom, utilizing technology for my own benefit was something that always existed.  I used technology to make my life easier.  I was good at using Excel, SMART Notebook, and general troubleshooting, and people took notice of that.  I quickly became the go-to person for any technical questions.  But the thought of technology integration in my class never crossed my mind.  Although I was still good with technology, it was like I had let go of that passion.  (I can't help but wonder how different my 10 years in the class would have been if I had integrated technology more with my students!  But that's for another blog post.) 

So when the district flew a new position, Academic Coach for Technology, I knew this was a job that I would love!  And 7 years I was living the dream; my two passions, education and technology collided.  During this time my mission was to not only make my life and other lives easier by utilizing technology, but to use technology in a transformative way!

After 7 years as an Academic Coach, my position was eliminated and I was placed back in the classroom, teaching 6th grade and was able to implement technology to its fullest during this year of Distance Learning. Although it was my heart's desire to serve adult learners, especially during this difficult time, I enjoyed getting to teach my students not only how to utilize technology for productivity, but also to use it to create.

After 18+ years in education, I decided to take on a completely different challenge.... HOMESTEADING! We moved to Montana I started a homestead. While loving this new challenge, I missed the camaraderie of fellow educators. So after a 2 year leave of absence, I'm back doing what I have always loved. (Don't worry, the chickens, gardening, and sourdough will continue!)