I have been using computers since 1972, and received my first Apple in 1979. I have taught students using Commodore 64, TRS80, Apple II, HP, and all Apple Technology since.
My passion for education and technology are what this site is all about! I love helping others get the most out of their Apple devices. While I have had experience in the alternate universe of PC, I prefer to focus on the use of Apple devices to enrich others’ lives.
My first experiences with computers was at California State University in Fullerton, which was where I completed my Bachelors degree in Psychology. On the seventh floor of the Humanities Building was a massive computer. We needed to do statistical studies and we used punch cards to enter the data into the mainframe computer. When I competed my Bachelors, my Mother gave me her used TRS-80.
My first teaching position was at the Middle School in Jurupa, teaching Mathematics to 6-8 grade. I was also persuaded to assist with the management of the Math Lab, which used Commodore 64 computer for Math lessons. In the classroom I used the TRS-80 as an incentive for students to compute their work. The TRS-80 used a tape player as a data input. I had one game, called Klingons that used coordinate graphing to shoot down the Klingons.
During my teaching at Jurupa, I enrolled in a Masters of Arts program in Educational Leadership at LaVerne University. My mother then gave me her used Apple IIe, which I used to complete my Master’s thesis on compiling evaluations of Substitutes at the district level. Less than year after I completed my Masters, I took maternity leave with my first child. During this time I did everything from selling Motor homes, World Book Encyclopedia, office management for the Advertising department at the Orange County Register, and of course substitute teaching.
One of the schools that kept calling me back to substitute, invited me to apply for an open position teaching 3rd grade. This turned out to be a gift of a lifetime. At the first Faculty meeting, the Principal and the district Technology Director requested volunteers to work on a State Technology grant. The focus of this grant was to use technology to integrate Science and Math. Since I loved both Math and Technology, I immediately volunteered.
Project VIM (Video Instruction in Mathematics) started with the use of Apple IIe computers to program lessons that integrated the use of LaserDiscs with Math and Science. The hours were long but the benefits made it worth the work. During the second year of the Project, I purchased my first Mac. We were now programming the lessons using HyperCard on the Mac and producing the manuals using Adobe’s PageMaker. One of the benefits of the Project was going to several conferences to present our work to educators.