EDUC 8848: Emerging and Future Technologies

My name is Cathy Marziali. This is the 6th class that I have taken in my Walden doctoral program and the only class that I am taking this term. I try to only take one class per term because I am realistic about the balance that I must maintain between my job, Walden classes and my personal life.

I am an Assistant Principal in a Department of Defense school located on a military base near Ramstein, Germany. This is my 23rd year in education and I am finishing up my second school year in this position. Before this job I was a teacher specializing in foreign language in elementary school, having taught Italian immersion and Spanish to grades K-1 at a base in Italy for five years. I also spent many years teaching Kindergarten and in various positions at district and county offices of education in California.

I'm married to a man who I met in Florence, Italy during a study abroad program in college and we have now been married 26 years. Our two kids are in college now, one in California and one in Oregon. It’s hard to live a world away from them. I am thankful for the technologies that keep us in close contact despite our geographical distances. I have also always been drawn toward the use of technology in education which explains why my Ph.D specialization is Educational Technology.

The motivation for my interest in Educational Technology was most likely born from my quest as a parent to see my own children more engaged, motivated and successful in school. My kids, who are both in college now, are right-brained kids who struggled to survive (and continue to struggle) in the traditional left-brained oriented classrooms. My goal is to help teachers transform teaching and learning opportunities so that they are relevant and teach students in the way that their brains are wired to learn. Technology can be a simple, yet powerful, tool that has the potential to provide more meaningful access to learning and success in the 21st century. While it is not the solution or an alternative to best instructional practices, it is a tool that teachers must utilize to connect with the children of this era. My current world is a school full of PK-6th grade children of U.S. Military personnel who are on the front lines of the war in Afghanistan. Approximately 90% of our students have a parent who has deployed within the last few months or so, so they need lots of hugs and TLC these days. These families are making huge sacrifices for our country and I consider it an honor to try to make the educational experience of these children the best that it can be.
I plan to have the month of July off and spend some time with family on the West Coast. I am looking forward to this class... hoping that I will be able to juggle family time and have reliable internet connections while I travel. I look forward to working with you all this term.