Monday, October 19, 2009

Introductions

It might help if we get started by introducing ourselves to one another. I will take the liberty of introducing the DE team from AVerMedia. Then if each of you will leave a comment to this post sharing a little about yourselves, that would be great!

Our Education Development Team is made up of three former educators: myself (Tracy Weber), Nancy Sturm, and Tom Pisano. Each of us spent years in the classroom before getting more directly involved with instructional technology and branching out in different directions. Now our purpose is to support teachers and schools as they work to integrate AVerMedia tools (and other technologies!) into the curriculum. We really want to be a resource for you all and are here to help you in this learning adventure. Don't hesitate to ever contact any of us.

I will leave it to each DE to share additional information in the comments to this post. We would also love for all of our teachers to do the same!

Happy blogging!

12 comments:

  1. A little more about me...

    I taught middle and high school social studies for 9 years in Brevard County, Florida. After getting my master's degree in Instructional Technology, I became an instructor for Florida Virtual School. I learned a lot about Web-based schooling in that position as well as educational technology generally.

    After moving to East Tennessee I became an Instructional Technology Specialist for my local school district. My primary role there was to train teachers as well as to assist them with curriculum development. That is where I was introduced to AVerMedia. I was purchasing AVerVision document cameras for my school and found it to be the most used piece of technology in the classroom. When an opportunity came up to work for them, I jumped on it!

    On a personal note, I live out in the middle of the woods in East Tennessee with my husband of 21 years. I have a son who is about to graduate from college with a degree in Criminal Justice and a daughter who just started college at East Tennessee State University. Out here in the woods I enjoy my peace and quiet, the great views, and horseback riding!

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  2. Thank you for getting this started. I hope that we will grow professionally as well as personally through our newly formed relationships.

    I am currently working on a HUGE event (1,700 people) for next Tuesday night, but once I have Reach Them to Teach Them-IGNITE! completed, I'll be able to spend more time experimenting with my new "educational toys!"

    Thank you for all your help and support!

    Amy

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  3. Greetings,
    My name is Terry. I am a 3rd grade teacher in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. I having been experimenting with the AVer Pens at home, and am anxiously awaiting permission from the technology department to have the software downloaded on my school computer. I am also anxiously awaiting word on whether or not I have achieved National Board status.

    I look forward to working with Tracy, the others from AVerMedia, and the teachers piloting the pens, as we learn how to implement them into our teaching programs.

    Amy, good luck with "Reach Them to Teach Them". What grade do you teach?

    Terry

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  4. Welcome Team!

    By way of introduction, I am Tom Pisano a DE with AVerMedia and a former public education member. I have been with AVerMedia for going on two years now and am very happy to have proposed and developed this team of expatriated education experts! I spent 14 years with Apple, Inc. in many roles within the education market place. I have always enjoyed the work I do with educators who are leading the way in the trenches.

    I have extensive experience in creating digital content for educational purposes within classroom settings. Anybody remember the HyperCard and HyperStudio days? I didn't think so! If I can assist anyone in their efforts mastering the use of AVer+ software, pens, and document cameras....do not even hesitate to call on me. You can reach me in many ways:

    phone: 720.222.0936 or 408.813.1373
    email: tom.pisano@avermedia.com
    Skype: tompisano1
    iChat: tompisano1@mac.com

    We can help you with software/hardware issues via Skype, iChat or even GoToMeeting. We can provide group training through GoToMeeting venues. Let us know what works best for you and we will employ that method as well.

    Take care, happy teching and push the envelopes!

    Tom Pisano

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  5. Welcome Amy (reachthem2teachthem) and Terry! Amy didn't share the Web site for the organization she mentioned www.reachthem2teachthem.org and didn't mention that she is the founder!

    We are so happy to have such committed and passionate teachers to work with!

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  6. Hi! I'm Ann Rose at West Liberty University in the northern panhandle (tucked up between OH and PA, north of I-70)of West Virginia. I'm in my 16th year working in higher education. While this is my 10th year at WL, I am still a high school math teacher at heart! The past 15 years have been focused working with pre-service teachers and technology.

    This year I have my dream job of working with both pre-service teachers and college faculty members as the "online learning specialist." Don't let the title mislead you. Yes, I work with faculty as they develop and teach online courses, but I also work with technologies to support face-to-face learning. I am very busy with some serious problem-solving, I but I am also loving every minute.

    I added AverMedia document cameras to our standard campus set-up about three years ago. We are just starting to scratch the surface with what they can do. The best part is my "newbies" and my "techno-savy" instructors are equally engaged with them. I am VERY excited about the new pens and am ready to do professional development for both the pre-service teachers and my colleagues. In addition, I will be sharing my experiences with local PK-12 educators.

    Let the fun begin! I look forward to learning from each of you.

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  7. Welcome Ann. I am really excited to work with you and see all the great ideas your professors and pre-service teachers will come up with using the Document Camera and AVerPens. Hope to see you soon.

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  8. Welcome to all of you! I am Nancy Sturm, part of the Education Team at AVerMedia. We are very excited about the tools we are developing to help you engage your students and enhance your instruction. I look forward to hearing all the great ideas that you will have as you get these tools in your classrooms. If I can be of any assistance feel free to email me directly (nancy.sturm@avermedia.com).
    Cheers.......

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  9. Hi Everyone! Nancy came to talk to us a few weeks ago about getting the Aver Media system. She is bringing it tomorrow and we are very excited. I teach universal pre-k. Anyone have any ideas of how I could incorporate it into the curriculum?
    Carrie

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  10. Carrie, did you get to play with the doc cam yesterday:) Please feel free to email me any questions you might have. Happy Teaching!! Let me know how your "sharing" goes with the kids using the camera.
    Nancy

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  11. Carrie,
    Welcome to the Blog! Every book becomes a "really BIG BOOK" when using a doc cam. Every object for show and tell becomes visible to all no matter how small it is. Showing kids art, demonstrating how to do a work sheet, adding a mini white board under the doc cam so that you can use dry erase markers to show numbers, letters, shapes, etc.

    There really is no limit to what you can do with a doc cam in pre school. If it can be done on paper...it can be done better under the doc cam and have more meaning to the kiddos!

    Tom

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