Hello, my name is Amy Dellar and I am on the verge of entering my 41st year as a native of San Diego County. My parents both came from families that wanted nothing more than to live by the beach. They planted themselves in Leucadia, and that is where I came into the world. I attended Kindegarten and First Grade at Capri Elementary in Encinitas. My parents became enchanted with the idea of a "suburban track house" and so we packed up from our life in the avocodo grove and into the world of track house living. As a result, I then attended school in Oceanside. I continued the rest of my Elementary years at Garrison Elementary in Oceanside. I liked school! We built rockets, went on field trips, danced and sang. School offered all kinds of variety and activity. Even though I completely failed at the weekly times table tests, all the negativity seemed to be minimal in comparison to the opportunities for fun and success. I attended Jr. High in Oceanside as well. Jefferson Juinor High was no fun at all. I began to dread school. Then, my parents finally decided that suburbia was not for them and we returned back to Leucadia. I attended one year at Diegueno Middle School and then High School at San Dieguito High School. I graduated in 1989 with every ambition of attending college. After a few bumps and bruises along the way, I finally completed my B.A. at CSUSM with a degree in Liberal Studies with a minor emphasis in Beat Literature! I received my L.H. and Multiple Subject Credentials in 1995 from CSUSM and have worked as a Special Education Teacher ever since. The first five years I worked for San Dieguito Union High School District at Earl Warren and then Oak Crest Middle School. Currently and for the past 8 years I have been with the Oceanside Unified School District. Throughout my career as a student, I have always felt unsure of my ability to be successful but I always found educators who supported me through those hard times and support staff that constant redirected me to the path of success that would most ensure my confidence to be independent. This experience is what leads me to know that I need to be that same advocate for future students. I still love school and I enjoy the daily challenges and the flexibility that the job requires.
My experience with technology is that it is all around me. I have to use technology everyday as a part of my job. However, our computer systems are antiquated and our ability to access resources is limited and confined. It has impacted my professional development. I do not fine technology overall, as my go to tool for curriculum enrichment because it seems to add more aggravation than support. Things are constantly breaking down. What we do have, is minimal and generally dominated in use by my more "agressive" and "dogmatic" staff members who tend to exercise a general philosoophy that "their students" are the only ones who deserve it. Therefore, to me technology is and can be amazing, I feel we just need to figure out better ways to make it an even playing field in access quality. However, despite this, many of my collegues and I have created some great opportunities to incorporate technology into our students academic day as both enrichment and support. Universal Design, provides great access to a free website where kids can actually create their own story books. I also collaborated with collegues on Digital Storytelling projects. To speak to my own grasp of technology, well.. I am afaid of it. That's why I appreciate collaboration with my collegues! I think that my insecurtiy has partly to do with the fact that I never had access to good computers myself. My fist computer was a recycled Comodore 64! I still save everything every 5 seconds and I panic at any mistake. I want to learn to feel more confident. I also have a problem paying attention to anything that requires more than three steps( in regards to technology). As the daughter of a person with a physical disability as well as a Special Education Teacher, I have seen what miracles in independence, technology has brought to people who otherwise had difficulty establishing it for themselves.
I have recently returned to CSUSM after a 16 year absence. However, the mission statement appears to have maintained relatively, the same values that drew me to the University in the past. The need for people to be educated at the college level and have an understanding of their responsibility to social justice and awareness is great. Booksmarts, do not equate to much if you are unable to establish relationships and maintain them. The theme of collaboration is also a drawing force in my desire to maintian affiliation with CSUSM. Lastly, I find that the staff still reamins approachable and personable. I find this an immense gift at this level.
The important thing to remember with technology is that it is always evolving and you have to put in the time (who has free time now a days??) to stay current with it. Embrace it, I can guarantee anyone will help you at any moment. I am always helping and sharing my knowledge of technology with others and it feels great to teach someone something new. I also love learning new shortcuts and new gadgets that will make our lives easier. Remember when you got paged a phone number and then had to pick up a house line to call them,? seems so ancient, now we have everything at our fingertips. I agree though, technology can be frustrating!
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate the, "Booksmarts, do not equate to much if you are unable to establish relationships and maintain them" comment in your blog. To me, being an educator is a way to make change, but it's a team effort.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the "Booksmarts" comment as well. Oceanside native myself, South Oceanside and Lincoln though. Glad to hear someone else remember when they were still Junior Highs and not Middle Schools.
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting that I grew up in Oceanside and never did hear of Garrison Elementary school. Other than that I felt the same way about Jefferson Middle school, and thinking about it those were the most difficult times of my life. In regards to middle school I used to work there a few years back whre I was an AVID Tutor, and let me say those were the years of my days as an AVID tutor. Amy I read your first paragraph and I feel that I have some of those attributes in my life because there are times when I am uncertain of myself, but I have always had mentors (past teacher, professors, and employers who support me so much that I am greatly appreciative of all of them). I found it very interesting on your comments about technology, and I think I would use technology to incorporate learning. I think the big question that I have found in regards to technology is how much is too much use of technology in regards to teaching. I feel that the CSUSM college of Education Mission statement basically goes back to why this university produces great teachers because of its great mission statement.
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