As Thanksgiving approaches, I have the
opportunity to reflect on where I am and how I’ve gotten here. The things in my life I’m most thankful for
are my family and my friends – life truly wouldn’t be the same without them. Career-wise, my path to eLearning development
has been an enjoyable one that seems like it could have been derailed by a
single missed opportunity. For that
trajectory and the people who have helped to guide it along the way, I am truly
grateful.
Logo Writer
In elementary school, we had weekly computer
class. Parading down the hall to the
room filled with Apple IIe machines (and a single Macintosh for the teacher),
seemed like something that didn’t happen frequently enough. When I speak to others about their computer
class experiences, they have tales of adventures on the Oregon Trail and
munching numbers. In my school, only one
disc was ever used: Logo Writer.
I enjoyed moving the turtle around the screen
and making stars and other shapes using simple commands. I could control the turtle, move him forward
and back, turn, pen up, pen down, and repeat.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was learning computer programming. Sequence and iteration were words that were
never mentioned, but once I had the knowledge to think about what we were
doing, I had appreciation to add to my memories of enjoyment of those times
with the little white turtle.
Art, Math and BASIC
In high school, like everyone else, I
struggled to fit in and stand out. From
my freshman year, the one constant in my academic endeavors was my art classes
with Mr. Burns. Freshman year, we drew
bottles. Literally, 80% of the class was
spent drawing bottles with quick curves to add dimensionality. We also drew blocks and buildings to work on
perspective (single point and two point).
Our culminating project was drawing a self-portrait. In what seemed to be cruel and unusual
grading, the freshman teachers were invited into the studio to look at the
pictures. If they could correctly
identify who you were, you did well.
Sophomore year was painting, junior year sculpture, senior year a
combination of the previous years. As
the years went on, only a portion of the students were allowed to move to the
next level. By senior year, fewer than a
dozen remained. By that point, you had
formed friendships and an appreciation of the skill of the others in the
group. Throughout the years, Mr. Burns
guided us, inspired us, and pressured us to do our best. He always used to say, “if you have an eye
that can see and a hand that can move, you can draw.” I wish it were that simple, but that was a
great way to break down the complex task into two simple steps – see, draw.
Junior year, I had a fantastic pre-calculus
teacher, Mr. Wendling. I always enjoyed
math as a concept and a challenge. There
was a single right answer that you could work toward. At the end, you were either right or wrong – it
was all very clean. However, Mr.
Wendling’s pre-calculus class was an enjoyable, entertaining period. Class was an enjoyable experience of stories,
talking, and parabolas. When he started
a computer programming class my senior year, I was excited to enroll in any
class he was teaching, although the topic was enticing, too. I wanted to take Visual Basic, but
unfortunately, it conflicted with my art class, so the only programming class I
could take was Basic – even then it was outdated.
Despite the fact that writing code was
looking at text on a screen in order to create an application that was text on
a screen, I was hooked. My love of a
single final correct answer was multiplied to every line of code. As we progressed through the class, Mr.
Wendling was a day or two ahead, at best.
Each lesson consisted of a handout with a brief description of what we
were learning about followed by a simple code example. First, we had to replicate the example, then
we had to create something on our own that included the concept we were
learning about and any others from previous classes. The atmosphere of learning, from both the
teacher and the students was a very enjoyable one. You never got the feeling that the teacher
was the expert and you had to memorize everything. Instead, when you had a question, you would
ask and he would help point you in the right direction (typically to a dusty
book or to the guy who ran the computer lab – it was pre-Google) and see if he
could work through it with you. This
responsibility for figuring things out on your own resonates with me to this
day – and frustrates me when I see others lacking the passion of investigation.
College & the Real World
In college, I switched majors a couple of
times. The only constant was that I knew
I wanted to be a high school computer teacher (thank you, among others, Mr.
Wending). I started as a computer
science major, taking several classes in C++.
As I realized this wouldn’t get me a teaching certification, I changed
to a math major – which, as it turns out, it way too much math. Ultimately, I ended up as a theology major
(not a type-o), with a minor in computer information systems. In the CIS minor, I was able to take more
programming courses (javascript and Visual Basic) as well as database courses.
When I graduated, I entered the real world
and got a very enjoyable job teaching. I
was able to teach multimedia, graphic design, desktop publishing, and computer
programming. Additionally, I was the
school’s webmaster. As I was an
uncertified teacher, I began looking for programs where I could earn a Masters
degree in Education. While it still
wouldn’t give me a license, it would allow me to be credentialed enough to
continue safely in the private school system.
MEd Instructional Technology
When I finally found a Masters program that
was geographically desirable and had a program related to technology, I had no
idea that it would ultimately inspire me to get out of the classroom. At the time, the program at the University of
Louisville had two different tracts: teachers and trainers. As a teacher without a license, I took the
trainer core with teacher electives.
Through this program, I realized that there was the perfect job out
there for me that would blend my loves of teaching, programming, and visual
arts: eLearning. Not only that, but
through one of my courses, I found the perfect program that allowed me to
combine these things: Flash.
The course was actually taught by a teacher
at a rival high school who was also a webmaster. As such, we developed a friendly rivalry that
has turned into one of my best friendships.
Although Hardy and I took slightly different tracks, both he and I are
now in similar roles at Humana, where we are able to collaborate with each
other and help continue to push the other to learn and develop.
My First eLearning Job
When I was a bit more than halfway through my
program, I realized that I was outgrowing my classroom duties. At that point, I began to look for an
eLearning job. I was fortunate enough to
find a great position at National City Bank, creating operations training. I am forever grateful to Dave Hare, the
hiring manager, who looked at my portfolio from my program and my classroom
experience and took a chance on me. With
the perspective of being on the other side of the table, I realize now what a
risk he took in taking someone who was untested as a developer and had no
experience in the corporate world.
The job was great (other than the fact that
it was a bank in the mid-2000s). I
enjoyed the people with whom I worked, I was able to contribute in valuable
ways, and I was able to learn a ton of new information on the job. As the bank went up for sale, team members
were offed severance packages or looking for other jobs. It was tough to see the inevitable as we all
began to abandon ship.
Thanksgiving
As I reflect on the strange road that got me
where I am today, I can’t help but think of all the places it could have fallen
apart. I have a career now that combines
my love of logic and programming with my passion for art. I have the opportunity to teach and connect
with people who are in similar roles as well as create eLearning to educate
associates across the company. I love
the people with whom I work and I have been able to keep up my personal and
professional relationships with many of the important individuals who have
gotten me here.
On the eve of Thanksgiving, I am certainly
thankful for those teachers who have gotten me where I am today. Mrs. Muskoff’s Logo Writer classes paved the
way. Mr. Burns kindled a love of
art. Mr. Wendling showed me that
computers are something that you can use to create programs, not just use
them. Hardy Mackenzie showed me that
there were unbelievably wonderful applications out there to combine my
interests in creating with my interest in teaching in order to have a job I
love every day. While not a teacher in
the formal sense, Dave Hare, the hiring manager at National City, took a chance
on me and provided the opportunity to learn and develop in a great field.
There are many more today for whom I am
thankful and work with every day. I
continue to learn from and contribute to my network. I have no idea where my journey will continue
to lead, but I am certain that those from my past and present will play a large
role in exposing me to ideas and concepts that I will someday wonder how I ever
lived without.
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