Introductions

[Steve Hargadon]

Welcome! Please introduce yourself, let us know who you are and where you are from, and, if you are already using Ning in an educational setting, how you are using it.

[Mary Kuterbach]

I teach general music k-8 at a Catholic school in Dallas, Texas. I am new to Ning but I hope to find lots of resources here to help integrate technology into my classes. I believe that it is our responsibility to guide students on how to responsibly merge their online world at home with their learning at school.

[Scott Habeeb]

My name is Scott Habeeb. I am an assistant principal at Salem High School in Salem, VA. My 2 main professional development interests are Freshman Transition and Assessment FOR Learning (formative assessment).

I have started a ning called The Freshman Transition Network if anyone on this ning is interested in Freshman Transition as well.

I am also a partner in an educational consulting firm called Solutions, etc. We work with a lot of school on Freshman Transition. My Solutions, etc. partners and I recently had a book published. It's called The Ninth Grade Opportunity: Transforming Schools from the Bottom Up.

With my own school I have been very involved in helping our faculty work to include Assessment FOR Learning (formative assessment) strategies into their classrooms.

I would be very interested in connecting with other educators who have similar interests.

[Ruth Abatzoglou]

HI,
I am Ruth Abatzoglou a High School science teacher from Southern California working in a large urban school located in Santa Ana. I primarily teach Biology and Earth Science. Most of my students are English learners. My school has implemented Small Learning Communities and I am on the Teach and e-Business Academies.

I like to include the use of technology in my classes as much as I can, but I have not used a Ning before with my students. I am working on my MS degree in Instructional Media and am interested in learning how to use all types of technology to increase learning.

[Shannon]

Hi! My name is Shannon Kistler. I live in Northampton, PA and teach at Northwestern Lehigh School District. I was introduced to Ning last year at the KTI Summit but honestly have not used it since. I am in this group to learn about Ning for a class that I am taking through Wilkes University, entitled Web 2.0.

[thomas mohan]

My name is Tom and I teach history in New Jersey. I am taking a graduate class which requires me to sign up for NING accounts, which I otherwise would not have. I just completed my 10th year in the classroom and look forward to implementing more technology into my lessons next year.

[Dolores Bluntschly]

Hello,
I am Dolores and I teach second grade at rural school in Ohio. This will be my tenth year of teaching. I am currently taking a graduate class that required me to sign up for a Ning account. I have been a member of Classroom 2.0 and love it. I have learned a great deal from them. I am lookin forward to learning much more and creating new friends and colleagues!

[Joanie Beckenhauer]

Greetings from the Jersey Shore! My name is Joanie and I live in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. I love teaching and am a certifiable beach bum! Not really... but if I could.... I have been living in Point with my hubby of 19 years and our 16 year old daughter since 2002. Days like today remind me of how blessed I am to live 2 blocks from the beach!

Anyway, I am new to Ning but am excited about using it in my classroom and am eager to hear what others are doing. I am starting my 9th year of teaching. Prior to that, I worked in the corp world as a network tech and admin. I am currently working on my Masters in Ed at Wilkes University (in Wilkes Barre, PA) Ironically, I graduated from Kings College (also in Wilkes-Barre). It's funny how life throws us some interesting twists and turns!

[Ed Hostetler]

Hello! My name is Ed Hostetler and I am from Mifflinburg, PA. I teach first grade at Selinsgrove Elementary. I have been married to my beautiful wife, Libby for 3 1/2 years now. We have a son, Grant, who is 15 months old and we are expecting another little one in the beginning of December! I am currently working on my masters degree through Wilkes University on Instructional Media. I have never used Ning before, but I am excited to use it in my classroom.

[Heather Lorigan]

Hi. I teach 10th grade English in Berkeley Springs, WV. I will be starting my second year of teaching in the fall. I just learned about Ning at a workshop at WVU a few days ago and I am planning on using it in my Honors English classes as a way to extend our discussion. Hopefully it works out well!

[Breanne]

My name is Breanne, and I teach at D.H.H. Lengel Middle School in Pottsville, PA. I graduated from Shippensburg University in May ‘07 with a B.A. in English. I received a teaching job in the same school that I attended not too long ago. I work with many of the same teachers that taught me, which is an interesting situation. I feel that even though I am a new teacher, I am able to help the “veteran” teachers because I am more experienced with computers. I think that technology in the classroom is very important, and is a tool that should be used as much as possible. I was one of the few teachers that received a “SmartBoard” this past year, and have been finding ways to use it daily. I want to find new and exciting ways to have the students be more hands-on in my English classroom. I am currently enrolled in the Instructional Media program at Wilkes University to reach these goals. I am creating a Ning account for my students to discuss the books that they are reading.

[Cynthia Brown]

Hello, my name is Cynthia Brown and I am a high school Social Studies teacher from Delaware County, PA. I received a B.S. in Secondary Education, Social Studies from Penn State University and just completed my first year of teaching in a very large suburban district located in Bucks County, PA. Next year, I am returning to my former high school where I will teach 12th grade Economics and Politics.

During my first year of teaching, I quickly realized that I learn and think in many of the same ways as my students. My passion for using technology in the classroom led me to pursue a Masters in Instructional Media through Wilkes University. I am eager to create meaningful learning experiences for my students using web 2.0 tools. I am new to Ning, but look forward to using it as an educational social networking resource.

[Scott Habeeb]

If you ever end up teaching Modern World History and would like some resources to use, just let me know. As a former Social Studies teacher (now administrator) I have a lot I could share.