Our global footprints show what we have done with our lives. My global footprint includes travel, adventures, experiences, and learning I have had which lead me to the perspectives I have today. I present some of these in my digital portfolio on YouTube.
It is challenging to find times and ways to communicate what we learn in our travel and adventures. I want to think about ways to work with this rich tapestry of travel, experience, and learning to find ways to share that will invite others to share, to become inspired, and to learn from my experiences.
Showing posts with label digital portfolios. Show all posts
Showing posts with label digital portfolios. Show all posts
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Friday, September 11, 2009
Reflections--My Life since September 11, 2001
September 11, 2001--The events of the day were a wake-up call for me that has had profound impact on my life. That morning I went to a water aerobics class at the wellness center associated with my local hospital. As I came out of the shower I saw the news broadcast of a plane flying into the Twin Towers in New York. Our first thought was that it must have been an awful accident. In just a few minutes, the second plane hit and it became clear that it was no accident. The day progressed in slow motion. I was due for an annual physical at my doctor's office later in the morning and was there when I heard about the atack on the Pentagon. While in the doctor's office, I was advised that I needed a biopsy because I had an elevated PSA level in my routine bloodwork. The biopsy revealed that I had prostate cancer in six of the twelve cores they tested.
Attacks from without and from within--this was truly a wake-up call for me. A few days later (once the flight ban had been lifted) I flew to New York City for a second opinion about my condition. I decided to have my prostate completely removed and, once I was cancer free, I also decided that it was time for me to make a difference for K-12 students. I delayed my surgery only long enough to freeze some sperm at the University of Illinois at Chicago sperm bank, then had my surgery in November. It was completely successful.
When I had recovered I went to the local Regional Office of Education in Kane County, Illinois (where I live) and offered my services. I had a doctorate in education, though it was for teaching adults rather than children. I was advised that, because I had a doctorate, I must also have a bachelors--the degree required to be a substitute teacher. I mentioned that I also spoke Spanish and was advised that, if I could pass the Target Language Proficiency exam for Spanish, I could get a provisional bilingual teaching certificate (a T-29 certificate) which would allow me to be a full-time teacher of English language learners (ELLs) for six years--with a possible extension of two more years while I worked on getting my credentials to teach children.
I substitute taught until I could take and pass the Target Language Proficiency exam in Spanish. My passing scores came back in November, 2002, and in December, 2002, I was invited to be a mid-year replacement bilingual (Spanish) teacher at Larkin High School in Elgin (school district U-46). I began my teaching there and have since then earned a post-doctoral Master of Arts in Teaching and have earned Illinois certification to teach children from Kindergarden through ninth grade (K-9) (an Elementary Teaching Certificate with endorsements to teach in middle school in the areas of language arts and social studies. Last summer I completed five three-graduate-hour courses at the University of Phoenix Online to add to some coursework completed with my doctorate degree. At the conclusion of those courses the state of Illinois gave me approval as a bilingual (Spanish) teacher and as a teacher of English as a second language. I am now fully certified to teach in Illinois through ninth grade.
Beginning at Larkin High School, I have now taught in two high schools, an elementary school, and two middle schools. I am still cancer-free and, in the six years I have been teaching, it has become a high priority to be available to spend quality time each day with my now 94-year-old mother who lives nearby.
Visit the profile page on my website to access a multimedia version of my digital portfolio for education. For a copy of the digital portfolio without narration, visit http://joelmonty.wikispaces.com/ and scroll down to the digital portfolio for education link.
On September 11, 2009, I am still cancer free. I have learned much from my years of teaching English language learners (ELLs) and have built what I have learned into the framework I offer to schools and businesses. Visit my business-related digital portfolio on the same pages listed above for the education version of the profile.
Attacks from without and from within--this was truly a wake-up call for me. A few days later (once the flight ban had been lifted) I flew to New York City for a second opinion about my condition. I decided to have my prostate completely removed and, once I was cancer free, I also decided that it was time for me to make a difference for K-12 students. I delayed my surgery only long enough to freeze some sperm at the University of Illinois at Chicago sperm bank, then had my surgery in November. It was completely successful.
When I had recovered I went to the local Regional Office of Education in Kane County, Illinois (where I live) and offered my services. I had a doctorate in education, though it was for teaching adults rather than children. I was advised that, because I had a doctorate, I must also have a bachelors--the degree required to be a substitute teacher. I mentioned that I also spoke Spanish and was advised that, if I could pass the Target Language Proficiency exam for Spanish, I could get a provisional bilingual teaching certificate (a T-29 certificate) which would allow me to be a full-time teacher of English language learners (ELLs) for six years--with a possible extension of two more years while I worked on getting my credentials to teach children.
I substitute taught until I could take and pass the Target Language Proficiency exam in Spanish. My passing scores came back in November, 2002, and in December, 2002, I was invited to be a mid-year replacement bilingual (Spanish) teacher at Larkin High School in Elgin (school district U-46). I began my teaching there and have since then earned a post-doctoral Master of Arts in Teaching and have earned Illinois certification to teach children from Kindergarden through ninth grade (K-9) (an Elementary Teaching Certificate with endorsements to teach in middle school in the areas of language arts and social studies. Last summer I completed five three-graduate-hour courses at the University of Phoenix Online to add to some coursework completed with my doctorate degree. At the conclusion of those courses the state of Illinois gave me approval as a bilingual (Spanish) teacher and as a teacher of English as a second language. I am now fully certified to teach in Illinois through ninth grade.
Beginning at Larkin High School, I have now taught in two high schools, an elementary school, and two middle schools. I am still cancer-free and, in the six years I have been teaching, it has become a high priority to be available to spend quality time each day with my now 94-year-old mother who lives nearby.
Visit the profile page on my website to access a multimedia version of my digital portfolio for education. For a copy of the digital portfolio without narration, visit http://joelmonty.wikispaces.com/ and scroll down to the digital portfolio for education link.
On September 11, 2009, I am still cancer free. I have learned much from my years of teaching English language learners (ELLs) and have built what I have learned into the framework I offer to schools and businesses. Visit my business-related digital portfolio on the same pages listed above for the education version of the profile.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Digital Portfolios--A Better Way to Communicate?
Earlier posts talked about the challenge of resumes in today's multimedia environment. A digital portfolio with voice-over capability seems to be a more engaging alternative--possibly backed-up with more traditional documentation.
SlideShare.net houses a variety of Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, including a few digital resumes. The digital portfolio combines graphics and words to communicate ideas in a more concentrated form. When someone wants more details, they can follow-up using links contained in the digital portfolios.
Take a look at my digital portfolio for business and at my digital portfolio for education. (The Safari web browser doesn't want to open Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) files in the browser. The link works with both Internet Explorer and Firefox.) To see the entire site, go to http://joelmonty.wikispaces.com/.
The digital portfolios with voice-over are shared in Adobe Presenter and can be found on my website following this link.
SlideShare.net houses a variety of Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, including a few digital resumes. The digital portfolio combines graphics and words to communicate ideas in a more concentrated form. When someone wants more details, they can follow-up using links contained in the digital portfolios.
Take a look at my digital portfolio for business and at my digital portfolio for education. (The Safari web browser doesn't want to open Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) files in the browser. The link works with both Internet Explorer and Firefox.) To see the entire site, go to http://joelmonty.wikispaces.com/.
The digital portfolios with voice-over are shared in Adobe Presenter and can be found on my website following this link.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
