About Me EDET 620

Where you grew up

My name is Patrick Smith; I was born in a hospital in Henrico, but I grew up in a small town
called Heathsville Virginia. The population of this town is roughly 1400 and my graduating class
consisted of 85 students. Also Heathsville is located in a little known area called the Northern
Neck. Funny thing about the Northern Neck is that for most part people who havent grown up or
had family members who lived there have never heard of it and have no idea where to point it
out on a map. I often think that the federal government sends people who are in witness
protection to the Northern Neck because once youre in the Northern Neck no one will ever find
you. Now for those who are curious the Northern Neck of Virginia is located on Virginias most
northern peninsula; that is right Virginia Beach is not Virginias only peninsula as people most
often forget.
Education
I started my college career at Rappahannock Community College and finished at
Christopher Newport University in Newport News. I earned my bachelors degree in
Communication Studies and then took some time off from school. I needed some time to work in
the real world and figure out my strengths, weaknesses and figure out what I really wanted to do
with my life.
Current Family Situation
I currently live and work in Williamsburg Virginia which is about two hours away from
the Northern Neck and has quite a lot more people and employment opportunities. While I live
with one housemate I still keep in touch with my mom and dad back home and my brother who
lives in Radford.
Professional teaching experience
I knew from an early age that I never wanted to be a school teacher. I didnt have a good
experience going through public school and I have no desire to return to that kind of
environment. I remember having some very good teachers along the way and some very bad
teachers as well. I also remember having to deal with some very nasty children. Later during my
summers off from college I worked as a lifeguard the local YMCA and found that children and
teenagers really hadnt changed much since I graduated from high school.
Graduate degree you are pursuing and how you will use it
I am currently pursuing a graduate degree in Educational Technology; my hope is to
become either an IT trainer or software trainer for a company or work as an instructional
designer for a college or university. In the next five years I hope to be moving up in one of the
aforementioned fields, possibly becoming a homeowner and enjoying life.
Things that are important in my life

My personal values include: family, personal growth, spirituality, health, relationships, and
having adventures.
Hobbies/interests
Reading, writing, geocaching, biking, canoeing, running, swimming, camping, folk lore,
mythology, psychology, history, technology,
Answer the following question: how will you use technology in your teaching?
Suppose you are in a job interview for a position in education. This might be your first
professional teaching job, or a position that appears more desirable for you if you are currently
teaching. You are in the prospective school's office and the person interviewing you is the
principal of the school. She/he asks the following question:
How will you use technology in your teaching?
Write a paragraph or two the represents your answer to this question.
In the field of study I would be pursuing the question would be worded differently. I am in
interested in working as an IT trainer/software trainer for a corporation or as an instructional
designer for a college or university. I believe that if I were applying for a job as an IT
trainer/software trainer would ask me how I would use what I have learned to effectively teach
people how to use their technology for their company or organization. As an instructional
designer I would be asked how I would utilize the technology available to create an environment
where students will be able to effectively learn the desired material.
The answers to both questions are very similar and start from the same place. The first step is to
make it relevant to those who are learning. Not too long ago I read a book called How to Win
Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. One of the principles I have taken away from
that book that has helped me as salesmen is that people are not interested in what you want; they
are only interested in what they want. If you are unable to make the learning material relevant to
the learners then they will become disinterested.
As an IT trainer/software trainer making the technology look relevant may simply look like
emphasizing the benefits of using this technology for their business. For example if I am creating
a presentation to show learners how to use a new database platform designed to store medical
records then I need to first list the benefits of using the product before I jump into the instruction.
For instance if the database is able to transfer data faster than its predecessor, or is simpler and
easier to utilize, or perhaps it interfaces with other databases that will allow users to pull up
information that delivers a wider scope of a patients medical history then all of these are features
that will make the learners lives easier and thus be relevant to them specifically.
As an instructional designer one of the first steps is to analyze the target population, or know
your audience. If your audience is a bunch of eleven year old children and your goal is to teach
them about the civil war then you probably wouldnt open by saying that this event in our

nations history that happened a long time ago and everyone who was alive at that time is now
dead. You would want to make it relevant to the students. You would want to make history come
alive for them. You would want to make them understand that this part of their heritage and that
much of it is still very relevant in todays society. History can really come alive when you supply
the right kind of videos and read the right kind of stories. An instructor can list dates and major
events until his classroom falls asleep or the instructor can wake up their students with a gripping
documentary or historical fiction series that makes the material relatable. I remember when I was
in fifth grade and our teachers used a teaching strategy in which every student took on the role of
a character living around the time period of the civil war. Some of us found ourselves as
landowners other soldiers, some slaves or abolitionists. The goal was to make us do research on
these characters and give a presentation on what everyday life would have looked like for our
assigned character. It was a very effective assignment.
So once the subject matter has been made relevant then you need to make the learners
comfortable using it. Many people in this day and age are afraid of using technology for its
complexity. One of the things I do every day at my job is help people understand and become
comfortable with products that use technology. The best way do this is to walk them through how
it works. Lead them step by step until they are comfortable and confident using the product. The
same can be said in education. If learners are unfamiliar or intimidated by the subject matter then
it will stifle their ability to learn the desired content. Everyone has different learning styles some
people do better with reading instructions out of a textbook while others learn better from
listening to instructions. The best way to have a student learn how to do a math problem, in my
opinion, is first to show them how to solve it and then make them do it either alone or in groups
and supply them with feedback. Once the student is able to solve the math problem the next job
is to build up that skill with repetition until it becomes second nature.
As an IT trainer/software trainer I would show learners how simple it is to use the technology
and then I would invite them to use it on their own. I would be present to supply feedback and
make sure they are comfortable and confident using the technology. Once the technology is
implemented repetition would simply build memory and confidence with the product or service.
As an instructional designer I would create a learning environment in which professors would
explain the subject matter and then using technology allow a way for students to really engage
with that subject matter. For instance if they are learning about American foreign policies in
political science class then a presentation including news broadcasts from recent or current
foreign policy issues would peak interest, reinforce relevancy and give students an example they
will be able to remember of particular policies and how they impact our world today. When it
comes to learning about government and the way policies work it is best to use real world
examples and attach a story to it so that it will be remembered and recognized more easily later
when it comes up on a test question.
So in a nutshell I believe the most important elements of using education in technology or the
practice of educating people how to use technology include: making the subject matter relevant,
making the learners comfortable and confident in the subject matter and using learning
techniques like repetition and feedback to ensure the learners accomplish the desired results.
These are the tools I believe I would use most readily in my profession.