The first assignment for my course asks class participants to include the following information:
- A general introduction; academic background and any interesting details
- My interest in narrative and storytelling
- My interest in media
Well, I’m pretty boring, I think, but I have a wicked sense of humor. My average day either begins or ends with the gym. I’m on a wieght loss program ( 17 pounds so far; 15 more to go) and I work with a trainer twice a week. I’ll probably gripe about him in the personal section of this blog if I have time. I’m usually out of bed at 5:15 am. Not awake, mind you, but up. I work an average of 50 hours a week as a distance learning manager. My job is a lot like herding cats. I am taking two graduate classes this summer. My other course begins in June.
Let’s start with my academic background.
After completing my Associates in Applied Science in Business Computer Programming at a local Michigan community college I could not find a programming position and found myself working at McDonald’s as a manager (they have a great management training program). The work hours (and pay); weekends, nights, holidays; inspired me to return to school in order to pursue a degree in computer science secondary education teaching.
I quickly realized that I wouldn’t be able to feed, house myself, and pay student loans on a teacher’s salary. Therefore, I decided to pursue my second choice. I graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Information Systems. After two years I was laid off from programming job so I moved to Florida to be with The Boyfriend. I spent a year and a half as a programmer/analyst before I was laid off from that job in December of 2001. Job market turned to, well manure, comes to mind.
I decided I need to pursue jobs in the public sector but found myself competing for entry level positions with people who had 10 – 15 years experience. I started taking courses of interest in Web and graphic design and secured part-time employment at a community college in the Distance Learning department. Now I have full-time employment in the distance learning department at the same community college.
After securing full-time permanent employment and having experienced some instructional design techniques through my work; I decided to pursue a Masters degree in Instructional Systems Technology at Indiana University. I choose Indiana because of their reputation in this field; I could attend a well respected program online, AND pay in-state tuition rates even though I reside in Florida. Instructional Design allows me to pursue both of my professional interests; technology and education.
I am very comfortable with technology, but I tend toward linear thinking because of my programming background. I need to be more creative and think globally; not to be confused with world wide; more big picture. I tend to focus on the details of getting things accomplished, which isn’t surprising considering my background and my current role at my institution. I use the Internet several times daily for work and pleasure.
I am a life-long reader. Nothing beats a good book for a plane ride or a lazy afternoon by the pool. Before grad school I would generally find myself in a bookstore a couple times a month and I’ll generally read just about anything (except horror) that looks interesting. I tend towards fiction with strong characterization and humor. My choices tend to be lighter contemporary fiction as I read a lot of technical stuff for my job and classes. Some of my favorite authors include: Janet Evanovich, Sara Paretsky. Recently read books include: An Accidental Cowboy, Jameson Parker; Lucia, Lucia, Adrianna Trigiani. My to be read pile includes: Aristotle’s Poetics; For One More Day, Mitch Albom; Little Earthquakes, Jennifer Wiener. On my buy list are:Beautiful Evidence, Edward Tufte; Lean Mean Thirteen, Janet Evanovich.
Currently most of my reading is academically or professionally required (Flow; The Experience Economy; Handbook of Training Evaluation and Measurement Methods; Educause; Tech Trends).
I don’t usually play video games but I was an avid Sims player for a few years. I will pick up a Nintendo Game Cube controller occasionally to play hockey. I also have been in search of the Nintendo Wii for the better part of 6 months. I think the games will be much easier for occasional players like me besides, The Boyfriend wants one.
I’m a huge fan of television; I just don’t have time to watch it. Again, I like strong characterization and humor. I also like the prolonged character development and the development of relationships between the characters. My interest in narrative and storytelling is directly tied to this realm of media. The shows I make time to watch right now are, The Wire, House, and Bones. Previous favorite shows include The West Wing, and Sports Night. My other interests include travel and photography.
I am hoping this course will provide me with ideas on how to incorporate narrative and storytelling into instructional design.
