When I started this blog, I was inspired to write as an outlet for thoughts and ideas that did not often appear in the national media or as a prime focus of the greater edublogger community. Over time, I've realized that The 21st Century Centurion is simply my venue for contributing a the larger conversation in which passionate and visionary educators wrestle with the transformation of schooling for the 21st Century.
I am acutely aware of a higher purpose for my work and am deeply motivated and driven to reshape education to best serve the children and students in the modern world. I am confident that each of my personal and professional experiences have worked together to create a unique "filter" that now influences my perspective and action initiatives. I'm excited about sharing my perspective with you through The 21st Century Centurion, with the expectation and certainty that your returned insights will guide and inform me as I continue to learn and grow as a part of our learning community.
This is a bit of background information that may provide insight to the professional experiences that shape my thinking.
I'm a professional learning specialist with extensive background in schooling and in the design and delivery of educational professional development programs for pre-kindergarten – post-secondary educators at local and state levels and for corporate industries including International Business Machines (IBM) and Lexia Learning Systems.
With thirty years experience in teaching, schooling, education agency leadership and professional learning, I have designed curricula for elementary students, pre-service and in-service educators and school administrators. I have managed customized professional development programs for schools, school systems, and state certification initiatives and coordinated training and curricula for a state network of educational technology training centers.
As a consultant and conference presenter on topics related to innovations in education, I have been an invited guest speaker at the National Governor’s Association Policy Conference, the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia and at the National Educational Computing Conference. I was a contributing member of the Writing Committee for the International Society for Technology in Education’s (ISTE) National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) and have authored articles published in ISTE’s official journal Learning and Leading with Technology and in NCREL’s NewsWire magazine.
My more focused interests and specialized areas in education include Reading, Instructional Technology and 21st Century Teaching and Learning.
I look forward to getting to know you as we interact through the The 21st Century Centurion. I also eagerly anticipate reading your blogs and experiencing the world of education through your eyes and unique perspectives. Thank you for being a part of my professional learning community. You are important to me!
Beth
