Authors

Authors	Volume 2 No.1, Summer 2003
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Elizabeth R. Bowen (Betty)	Contact the Author... bbowen@forsyth.k12.ga.us Article: *Student Engagement and Its Relation to Quality Work Design* Download Article (PDF)

Elizabeth (Betty) Bowen is an eighth grade language arts and reading teacher at North Forsyth Middle School in Forsyth County. She has been a classroom teacher at the middle school level for 27 years. The first two years were in Barrow County, and the remaining years of experience have all been in Forsyth County, teaching seventh, eighth, and ninth grade language arts, reading, and social studies. Betty has served as team leader for the last four years. She is a member of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators. She was named Teacher of the Year 1997-1998 at her school. A goal of Betty’s is to create engaging lessons for students using technology effectively. Betty has been happily married for 31 years to Lamar and is the mother of three children, two of whom are also VSU alumni. Educational background: AB English, University of Georgia, 1972 MS Middle Grades Education, North Georgia College and State University, 1992 EdS Instructional Technology, Valdosta State University, 2003

Stacy Daly	Contact the Author... no email address available Article: *The School Technology Coordinator: Impacting Teachers’ Use of Technology* Download Article (PDF)

Stacy Daly received her B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Auburn University in 1992. In 1998, she received her M. Ed in Instructional Technology (with an emphasis in Media) from Georgia College and State University. In 2003, Stacy received her S. Ed. in Instructional Technology from Valdosta State University. Stacy spent the first 9 years of her teaching career in Crawford County, Ga. At Crawford County Elementary she was a kindergarten teacher for 4 years and then served as the media specialist there for 5 years. In 2001, she moved to Houston County to serve as the school technology coordinator for both Northside and Tabor Middle Schools. She currently maintains this position and loves her job. She enjoys helping teachers integrate technology into their classrooms. Stacy currently resides in Warner Robins, Georgia with her family. She is married and has a 5-year-old daughter.

Lynn Downs	Contact the Author... ldowns@ware.k12.ga.us Article: *Using Technology in the Extended Learning Time in* *Mathematics Class* Download Article (PDF)

Lynn Downs is currently an eighth grade mathematics teacher and team leader at Ware County Middle School in Waycross, Georgia. She is in her 14^th year of teaching middle school. In addition to her duties as a teacher and team leader, Lynn currently serves as the head of the math committee for the School Improvement Team and was the School Improvement Team Chairperson for the past two years. Lynn also spends hours after school as the Ware County Middle School Cheerleading Coach. Lynn was born and raised in Valdosta, Georgia. She received her B.S. in education from Valdosta State College in 1989 and her M.Ed. in middle grades education from Valdosta State University in 1992. Lynn is currently in the Ed.S program at Valdosta State and hopes to graduate in May 2003. Lynn has been married for 12 years to her husband, Patrick who is also a teacher and a coach. Lynn has been honored to receive the Teacher of the Year award in two different school systems. She received Teacher of the Year in 1997 for the Lanier County School System. She also received Teacher of the Year in 2002 for Ware County Middle School. Former students nominated her to Who’s Who Among American Teachers in 1996, 1997 and 2002.

Kimberly Goodson

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Bkc4goodson@msn.com

Article: Writing Workshop with a Technology Twist

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Kimberly B. Goodson has been teaching high school English for 13 years. She received an Associate of Arts degree from Darton College (1986), a B.S. in English Education from Georgia Southwestern State University (1988), a M.Ed. in English Education from Georgia Southwestern State University (1993), and an Ed. S. in Curriculum and Instructional Technology from Valdosta State University (2003). She has taught freshman, sophomore, and junior English, as well as journalism. Presently she teaches 10^th grade Honors Literature/ Composition and 9^th grade Principles of Literature/Composition at Lee County High School in Leesburg, Georgia. She currently resides in Leesburg with her four children and husband of 18 years. Kimberly plans to pursue library media certification.

Annitta Lewis:

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Contact the Author: getnikki@bellsouth.net

Article: Using Communications Technology and Parental Involvement to Improve Homework Completion and Quality Download Article (PDF)

Annitta “Nikki” Lewis has been in education for six years and holds a BSEd (1997) and MEd (2000) in Middle Grades Education and an EdS (2003) in Instructional Technology from Valdosta State University. She is currently employed at Lowndes Middle School as a sixth-grade language arts and social studies teacher. She is also a team leader. Nikki lives in Valdosta, Georgia with her husband and two daughters. She also has three stepsons. When she isn’t pursuing academic endeavors, Nikki enjoys reading and spending time with her family. In the future, she hopes to obtain a position as a school media specialist and pursue a PhD in Educational Leadership.

Teresa Nalls

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tnalls@tiftschools.com

Article: Getting Students and Teachers to Board the Reading Train

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Teresa Nalls graduated summa cum laude from Shorter College in 1976 with a B.S. in Elementary Education. She continued her education by graduating in 1994 with a M.Ed. in Instructional Technology from Valdosta State University and was awarded the 1994 Outstanding IT Graduate award. Teresa will graduate with an Ed.S. in Instructional Technology from Valdosta State University in May of 2003.

Teresa has been the media specialist at Charles Spencer Elementary in Tifton, Georgia since 1994. She was selected as teacher of the year in 1997-98 when the school was Kindergarten through 4^th grade and again in 2002-03 when the school contained grades 4 through 6. The Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence awarded Teresa the Excellence in Teaching Award in 1997. The Tifton chapter of the International Reading Association gave her the Outstanding Contribution to Reading Literacy and Literary Appreciation Award in 1997-98 and the Merlyn B. Harris Award in 1998-99. Tifton’s Mayor and city council named November 15, 2000, as the Terri Nalls and Mike Brumby Day for their contributions in helping to make Tifton the “Reading Capital of the World.” She is past secretary for the Beta Omicron Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma.

Teresa is one of the interpreters for the Deaf Ministry and plays viola in the orchestra at Northside Baptist in Tifton. She is also an active member of the library/media committee. Teresa and her husband Craig have been married for 28 years and have three children, Ashley, Christopher, and Rebekah.

Renee Stewart

Contact the Author: iteachrgs@yahoo.com

Article: Motivating Gifted/Advanced Readers in Middle Grades

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Renee Stewart has been in education for 6 years. She holds an Associates degree in secondary education, journalism, liberal arts, and English from Abraham Baldwin College; a BSEd in Secondary Education and a MEd in Middle Grades Education from the University of Georgia, and an EdS in Instructional Technology. Earning her gifted endorsement, Renee has been teaching advanced language arts and reading for the past four years at C.A. Gray Middle School in Moultrie, Georgia, and she has served as the department head for Gifted Education for the past three years. In addition to her regular school duties and responsibilities, Renee volunteers her time to serve as the academic bowl coach, and the drama coach, and she has helped to coach an Odyssey of the Mind team.

Renee is a member of the National Association of Educators, the Georgia Association of Educators, the National Council of Teachers of English, the Georgia Council of Teachers of English, the International Society for Technology in Education, and the Colquitt County International Reading Association. She was nominated to Who’s Who Among American Teachers in 2002 and has received many awards from within her school. Over the past six years, she has been named Rookie of the Year; received the academic leadership award twice, the school leadership award, and the C.A Gray Spirit Award. She was recently nominated as an “Outstanding Student” by the faculty of VSU.

Renee currently resides in Moultrie, Georgia, with her 15-month-old son, Bryce.



Susie T. Strange	Contact the Author: unavailable Article: *Motivating Readers Using Accelerated Reader as a Component of a Balanced Reading Program* Download Article PDF
Susie Strange earned a B.S. degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Georgia in 1992. Susie became an avid reader from the day she learned to read. Her dedication to reading only intensified as she became a teacher and naturally led to a M.S. Ed. in Reading at Valdosta State University. As Reading Renaissance Coordinator, Susie worked very closely with the media specialist at her school connecting literacy instruction with the media center. From this experience, she chose to play a vital role in developing a strong link between traditional and informational literacy through the media center. This interest led her to pursue an Ed.S. in Instructional Technology and media certification at Valdosta State University. Susie is currently teaching first grade in Moultrie, Georgia at Odom Elementary where she was named 2002 Teacher of the Year. She serves on the Technology, Accelerated Reader, and School Improvement committees. Her classroom was chosen as a Reading Renaissance and America’s Choice model classroom. Susie is also an active member of the International Reading Association and the Moultrie Junior Women’s Club.



Andrea Thigpen	Contact the Author: Athigpen@ureach.com Article: *The Impact of Computers on the Writing Processes of First Grade Students* Download Article PDF
Andrea Thigpen received her B.S.Ed in Early Childhood Education from Valdosta State University in 1997. She went on to receive her M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from Valdosta State University in 2000. She later received her Ed.S. in Instructional Technology from Valdosta State University in 2003. Andrea has taught first grade at Wacona Elementary School in Waycross, Georgia since 1997. Beginning in the 2003-2004 school year, she will serve as Media Specialist at Wacona Elementary.

Patricia H. Tillman

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tillpat@classicsouth.net

Article: Computerized Phonological Awareness Training in Kindergarten Students with Speech-Language Impairments

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Patricia H. Tillman graduated from Valdosta State University with a B.S. in Special Education in 1992, an M.Ed. in Speech-Language Pathology in 1993, and an Ed.S. in Instructional Technology in 2003. While at VSU, she was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa honor society in 1992 and was awarded the Outstanding Instructional Technology Ed.S. Student Award in 2003.

After working as a speech-language pathologist in the medical setting for five years, Patricia began employment in 1998 in the Columbia County School System in Appling, Georgia. In 2002, she co-authored the Columbia County Speech-Language Pathology Manual and was selected as Teacher of the Year at North Columbia Elementary School. During her tenure at North Columbia Elementary, she served as Special Education Committee Chair, Grade Level Chair, and Media and Technology Committee member.

She is currently the school’s Professional Development School Building Coordinator with Augusta State University.

Mrs. Tillman is a member of the Georgia Speech-Language Hearing Association and the Council for Exceptional Children. She has served as the president, secretary, membership chairperson, and scholarship chairperson of the Augusta area Speech-Language Pathology Consortium. She is a certified member of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association and has received the ACE award twice from this organization.

Sherry Windle

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swindle@ware.k12.ga.us

Does Accelerated Reader Make Johnny Want To Read?

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I have been in public education for thirteen years, and I am currently the media specialist at Ware County Middle School in Waycross, Georgia. Prior to coming to Ware County Middle School, I was the media specialist at St. George Elementary School in Charlton County. My teaching experience includes teaching science and social studies at the middle school level for eight years. I received my B. S. in secondary education social studies in 1989 from Valdosta State University, and I became certified to teach middle school in 1994. I earned my M. Ed. in Instructional Technology in media in 1998 from Valdosta State University. In addition, I have taken several computer courses at Okefenokee Technical College in Waycross. Currently, I am pursuing my EDS in Instructional Technology at Valdosta State University.

As the media specialist at Ware County Middle School, I am responsible for the daily functioning of the media center as well as the purchase, distribution, and maintenance of media items. Also, I am the administrator of the Accelerated Reader and STAR Reading computer software programs for my school, and I serve on the technology/media committee. As a media specialist, I enjoy working with technology and helping students and teachers learn how to use different forms of technology and helping teachers incorporate technology into their curriculums. But, my first love is children’s literature. I want every child to understand the importance of being able to read well and develop the necessary literacy skills to compete in today’s world. I enjoy helping children selecting books to read, and the greatest pleasure I receive from my job is helping students discover a new author or a new book and to help them to become lifelong readers.

My husband, Dale, and I have been very happily married for twelve years, and I have four stepchildren. In my spare time, I love to read especially middle school fiction, and my favorite children’s authors are Gary Paulsen, Beverley Cleary, and Christopher Paul Curtis. My favorite adult authors are Mary Higgins Clark and John Grisham. Also, I love to walk, and my husband and I are avid NASCAR Winston Cup race fans.