Introduction Letter - Kim McNeil - NETS-T 3c

MODEL DIGITAL - AGE WORK AND LEARNING
- communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats

The introductory letter models how a teacher could use digital media to communicate personal information about themselves to students. The introductory letter was created by writing the narrative directly into a "new post" on my Blog. The letter incorporated the use of text formatting around photographic images that were added to the document as well as the choice of font sizes and styles. The photograph was taken using iCamera on the Macintosh computer.

My name is Kim McNeil and I am originally from the east coast. I was born in New Jersey, spent five years in Connecticut, and then moved to California when I was in the second grade. I spent most of my elementary grades, middle school, and one year of high school in Walnut Creek, California. Then my family was transferred to southern California, and I spent the rest of my three high school years at Laguna Hills High School. After high school I went to college and graduated from UCLA with a degree in economics.
I have some experience with technology using solely PCs and never MACs. So this utilization of a MAC is a new experience for me. I use my computer on a daily basis to check email and do any necessary homework. I use the Internet to find information on a variety of topics and check for baseball game times for my son who plays travel baseball. I have the latest Microsoft Office 07 version on my computer. I also have Windows 7 which I find much easier to use than previous versions. Technologically speaking, I also use my cell phone. I would be lost without it. I love being able to make a phone call from virtually any location. I can also leave the house without worrying about missing a call because people of importance have my cell phone number. I receive my substitute jobs via my cell phone. In addition, I've just added texting to my phone, which is wonderful. If I need to ask my son a question and he's at a friend's house, I can just text him. If I need to change an appointment with a friend I can send a quick text.
In regards to the mission statement of the College of Education at Cal State San Marcos, I feel it is important to provide educational equity and actively engage in life-long learning as an educator. First, educational equity is extremely important. All Americans have a right to receive the best education possible regardless of their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or religion. As an educator I will always try to provide my students with a rigorous curriculum, and I will constantly have high expectations of them. I will try to be a mentor to them, and I will always do everything in my power to help them attain their personal academic goals. I will try to create a classroom community where all of my students feel that their ideas are equally represented and considered. Second, I feel it is vital for me to continue learning throughout my life, because new ideas are constantly being discovered and technology is forever changing. I can only become a great teacher if I am open to new ideas and am willing to learn new things.