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Hi all!

My name is Crystal Pullman. I was born in Ontario and lived there for nearly a full 22 years (having turned 22 just two weeks ago).

The following autobiographical sketch may seem a bit disjointed, but I’m not sure of the best format to follow, so I have pulled some of it from the sketches already available.

My background is in English, Contemporary Studies, and Criminology (BA), and I also have my BEd for J/I with a teachable in English. I completed the aforesaid degrees in the last 4 years, going directly from high school to university (Laurier/Nipissing), and now straight back to university again for an MET.

During my BEd I had the opportunity to teach all subjects to grades 5 - 8, and English to grades 9 - 11. I also traveled to Italy in April and there taught kindergarten through to grade 5, and it was an amazing experience! I have also had classrooms with SmartBoards in them, and have found that many teachers simply use them like a blackboard - they write up questions and answers, homework, etc. but don't use the SmartBoard to its full potential.

After completing my degrees and graduating in June along with my partner (CS degree from UW), we moved down to California for him to pursue a short-term career with Google (an excellent opportunity, but we prefer Canada to the US).

In high school (it seems more relevant for me than others, it was only 4 years ago!) I took various computer courses and learned programming in Java and Qbasic (I know, I know, it isn't *really* a language, but it was fun!).

Unfortunately my background doesn't qualify me for any jobs down here, but hopefully with an MET I too will be able to find a job at Google. Until then, I am a full time student. My previous employment included working at Accessible Learning at WLU. This entailed mostly transcription, as well as updating the Student Services website, creating new pamphlets etc. for them, and using Acrobat to create new forms. I've also been the go-to person for many at Nipissing (very small campus with no IT staff), including helping them with their websites, and fixing computers.

As I mentioned earlier, I am native to Ontario, although I also consider Wales and Ireland to be my home. I've spent a fair amount of time in the US travelling, and now enjoy California, although the weather here never seems to change (30 - 35 degrees everyday, and sunny skies. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a cloud).

I'm taking this particular course as it seemed interesting, and of course is a requirement! I also however have a fairly firm grasp of theories and theorists, as my professors at Nipissing constantly drilled Piaget, Vygotsky, Bruner, and countless others into my head. And I have learned that seen in the right context, nearly everything can be linked to Scaffolding!

I have many interests in the area of technology-supported teaching and learning. Most specifically I suppose is the Smartboard, and like others, web-based content. I’ve had the opportunity to use Markbook, and learned all that it could do in a seminar. I am disappointed that many teachers in Ontario that use it don’t use it to its full potential either (it gives teachers the ability to very easily post assignments, homework, notes, etc. online for students. Many teachers have the best of intentions, but never have the time to use it). Students are increasingly becoming more familiar with new technology than the old (i.e. pencil and paper), and it is necessary to be able to teach to students in ways that help them to understand, and will give them the best foundation for their futures.