About Me

 

Hello, I am a graduate student from Northwest Arkansas taking online classes at Liberty University. I am a special education teacher working mostly with students with intellectual and developmental disabilities even more specifically students with an autism spectrum disorder. I am working towards a Master of Education degree in Leadership in Instruction and Curriculum.

Our family lives in the beautiful state of Arkansas, Bentonville, the home of Wal-Mart's home office. The bike trails are amazing here. People can bike the nature trails across Northwest Arkansas. I enjoy taking photos of nature. The views around this area are breathtaking. My husband is a fan of all the fishing locations and the water sports. Even though we love it here and enjoy hiking and biking we also enjoy traveling and sightseeing across the US. 

I have two children who have a level 3 autism diagnosis who are non-verbal. We use AAC devices and even the PEC system at home to support their communication needs. It is my children who have inspired me to go into education. My children have been blessed to have great educators who have graciously partnered with our family. I have experienced first-hand how a multidisciplinary team is a huge component in any success my children experience educationally. Speech/language pathologist, Occupational therapist, and ABA/behavior specialist are key in support my of my children's needs as well as others with additional needs in their learning experiences. 

Educational leadership is needed to improve learning opportunities for students of all abilities. From my perspective, improvements are desperately needed for students accessing special education services. I hope to take what I know about my children's needs and those of the students that I serve in the classroom to improve learning experiences and strengthen the support students receive. 

Technology is sometimes viewed as a "necessary evil," but the context for technology in the classroom is essential for this day and age. Students need to learn how to use technology and how to use it ethically. I grew up utilizing programs like Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excell, Microsoft Powerpoint. I have used these programs since Middle School to do classroom projects and various assignments. This year I have enjoyed learning about how to best use Google Classroom for virtual learning during the pandemic of COVID-19. I have also utilized applications like Classroom Dojo for behavior management. Many of the google applications I enjoy using for many different tasks in the classroom. Boom Cards for a digital hands-on learning activity has been fun. These can be made using Google slides. I utilize google docs to assist me with data collection as well as Google Sheets for easy graphing and charting. Google Meet for virtual parent and professional conferencing has been huge for our schools this past year. Google has made these resources cheap and easy to use. 

In working with students with language delays, knowing how to program and utilize AAC devices in the classroom is just as valuable as knowing how to use Google and Microsoft programs. This past year I was introduced to LAMP, an application utilized for nonverbal communicators with an emphasis on linguistics. 

The growth of technology is exciting. Innovative educators will utilize technology to enhance learning opportunities within their learning environments. The discovery of technological tools is half the fun for me as an educator.