2020 Nexus

I’m a teacher who loves using and exploring technology/leading-edge digital tools to engage and motivate my students. I believe we must prepare today’s children for an increasingly digital world or we do them a real disservice. Unless we begin to make their school experiences more like their lives outside of our buildings, the education we offer will not be relevant.

I teach grade 6-8 computer elective classes and coach teachers in technology and integration. My passions are training kids and adults in computer and information literacy. I am not a programmer or network guru. I am only a novice web designer who doesn’t yet understand CSS and Web Standards; I admit it.

I hope to get my students working with blogs, wikis and podcasts in the next few weeks–I’ve been reading and listening for several months–time to take the plunge!

For now you can find me at my teaching site: www.d11.org/mann/computerliteracy or via email: shankls@d11.org. I’ll be updating this blog: www.thetechtrainer.edublogs.org and loading my professional website: www.thetechtrainer.org in the near future Come back for a visit soon and see how things are coming along!

My interests: teaching, mentoring, coaching, professional development, amateur web design, green/eco housing, reading, blogs, cooking, mountain biking, weight lifting, gadgets, my 20-year-old son and his fiance’, dancing, health & fitness, podiobooks, podcasts, science fiction, personal growth (a must!), coffee, gardening, and of course, spending as much time as possible with family and friends instead of living in front of this screen.