Education & Professional Experience

Education

M.A. English, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. August 1986. Blacksburg, Virginia
Specialization: Writing/Teaching/Language
Thesis: Toward an Understanding of Medieval Bookmaking: The Case for Guy of Warwick.

B.A. English, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. June 1984. Blacksburg, Virginia

Professional Experience

Online Publications Developer, National Council of Teachers of English. Urbana, Illinois. June 2008 to November 2008.

Write, review, and edit K-12 English language arts and college composition and rhetoric curriculum materials, integrating Internet content and interactive media.
Serve on NCTE website conversion committee, providing staff training on "Writing for the Web"; conferencing with staff members during weekly office hours; and writing related guidelines and staff documentation.
Compose copy for sections of the NCTE website that focus on the INBOX newsletter and K–college teaching ideas and resources.
Create graphics for the NCTE website that convey NCTE’s mission and promote NCTE events, products, and services.
Serve as online community leader throughout Pathways professional development program.
Work as team leader on the NCTE 2008 Ning, encouraging NCTE members to participate in preparation for the 2008 NCTE Annual Convention and providing connections to NCTE resources on a daily basis, from August 2008 through November 2008.
Regularly investigate new ways to tap Web 2.0 technologies and propose new programs and services as appropriate.
Manage computer and network resources for ReadWriteThink’s server, maintain site integrity, and respond to technical issues.
Ensure that ReadWriteThink content has visibility within NCTE activities and that NCTE priorities are reflected in content included on the ReadWriteThink site.

Column Editor, NCTE INBOX and NCTE INBOX Blog. National Council of Teachers of English. Urbana, Illinois. August 2004 to November 2008.

Established NCTE Inbox Blog in January 2007.
Write weekly blog entries that tie to themes and issues included in the NCTE INBOX newsletter.
Compose seasonal and news-driven "Teaching Ideas" and "Announcements" columns for weekly distribution in the NCTE INBOX newsletter.
Serve as content leader on NCTE INBOX team.
Coordinate scheduled themes and promotional materials for the newsletter with the marketing, public relations, membership, publications, and affiliate and assembly services staff.

Online Content Developer and Web Manager, for ReadWriteThink. National Council of Teachers of English. Urbana, Illinois. June 2002 to June 2008.

Write, review, and edit standards-based K-12 English language arts lesson plans, integrating Internet content and interactive media and supporting materials.
Design interactive student media to complement curriculum materials, using Flash and Shockwave technology.
Manage computer and network resources for ReadWriteThink’s server, maintain site integrity, and respond to technical issues.
Design and code web-based resources with consideration for browser issues, image compression, and other elements of usability.
Author database-driven system (using Filemaker Pro) to manage lesson plan manuscript proposal, submission, and review process.
Coordinate with NCTE and Thinkfinity staff to promote resources on the ReadWriteThink site as well as NCTE products and Thinkfinity partner materials.

Online Resources Manager and Web Manager. National Council of Teachers of English. Urbana, Illinois. June 1999 to June 2002.

Design instructional materials for use with K-12 classes using classroom computers, the Internet, and handheld computers (PDAs). Create complete lesson plans with teacher’s guides as well as related templates and supporting materials. Train and manage additional lesson plan writers.
Consult and collaborate with NCTE staff and members to determine online resource needs and performance objectives for K-College web pages, Conventions web pages, new teacher resources, online enrollment and subscription resources, and books and gift order web pages. Create templates and scripts allowing NCTE staff and members to publish information in their online areas.
Design and code web-based resources with consideration for browser issues, image compression, and other elements of usability. Author active interface for ordering, proposal submission, and online registration via database-driven system.
Convert PageMaker, Quark, and word processor documents to web-based presentation, which may include re-formatting of text, assuring hyperlink integrity, file transfer and translation, and posting of new material to the page involving HTML scripting.
Prioritize efforts to meet production milestones. Analyze web logs using web analysis tools and generate effective reports on web traffic.
Analyze Internet hardware, software, and personnel needs. Prepare budget materials, project analysis, and guidelines for Internet projects. Develop, maintain and enforce established Internet security and production standards and guidelines.
Manage all aspects of site design and event activities for TeacherFest, NCTE’s online conference, including scheduling speakers, assembling session materials, managing participant registration, and writing documentation for the resources used during the conference.
Set-up computer and network resources for the NCTE/CCCC Technology Center at Conventions. Coordinate with NCTE members to provide resources, technical support, and promotion of special sessions taking place in the Technology Center. Analyze Technology Center needs, prepare budget materials, and document the processes related to the center.

Director, Instructional Services, The Daedalus Group, Inc. Austin, Texas. Fall 1994 to May 1999.

Provide technical and pedagogical support to over 600 college and high school teachers and administrators annually. Analyze calls patterns and the needs of teachers, modifying and creating materials as necessary. Create and manage customer-tracking databases and web-based databases.
Design instructional materials for use with composition classes in the computer-based classroom, including templates, lesson plans, and related software files along with teacher’s guides.
Develop web-based, computer-based, and classroom training materials on using educational software and on the use of instructional technologies in the K12 and college classroom.
Write technical software documentation (both print and online help files) for students, teachers, and network administrators. Write advertisement and marketing materials for print, email, World Wide Web, and diskette-based distribution.
Layout and edit of college and high school textbooks for online presentation in electronic format. Created internal and Internet linking and document indexing.
Manage online pedagogical discussion among teachers on the discussion list, TEACH, and in other forums.
Design functionality and graphical user interface features for software on Windows and Macintosh platforms.

Instructor, Department of English, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Blacksburg, Virginia. Fall 1986 to Summer 1994.

Taught two to four sections each term. Classes included first-year composition, business communications, American literature, British literature, and Modern English Grammar.
Advised up to 11 undergraduate majors annually, Fall 1986 to Spring 1994.
Participated in activities of the Center for Textual and Editorial Studies, serving as the secretary, Spring 1993 to Spring 1994.
Assisted in Outcomes Assessment of Undergraduate Majors for Spring 1993.
Taught the first, wholly-online Business Writing course, Summer 1994.
Served on the English Department Technology Committee and Task Force, Fall 1992-1994. Participated in resource allocation; managed evaluation of computer-mediate instruction [see "Evaluation Strategies for the Networked Classroom" (written with Margaret Downs-Gamble)], and surveyed 500+ students attending classes in the computer-Integrated Classroom to determine the effectiveness of technology initiatives.
Wrote new course proposal for English 2264: Writing by Women for new departmental undergraduate curriculum as a member of the Task Force on Undergraduate Curriculum, Fall 1992-Spring 1993.
Served on the following Task Forces: Task Force on Freshman Composition, Fall 1992-Spring 1993; Task Force on Evaluation Instrument, Fall 1992-Spring 1993; Task Force on Instructor Concerns, Fall 1992-Spring 1993; Task Force on Public Relations and Fundraising, Fall 1992 to Summer 1994.
Wrote three articles and participated in layout and editorial work for the alumni newsletter, News from NowHere; Wrote and distributed personal replies to all alumni who responded to the newsletter information sheet.

Tutor and Academic Liaison, Academic Advising, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Blacksburg, Virginia. Fall 1987 to Fall 1992. Virginia Tech Athletic Association. Blacksburg, Virginia. Spring 1987 to Summer 1987.

Writing Center Tutor, Department of English, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Blacksburg, Virginia. Fall 1986 to Spring 1988.

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of English, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Blacksburg, Virginia. Fall 1984 to Spring 1986.

Professional Associations and Service

National Council of Teachers of English, 1985 to present.

NCTE Instructional Technology Committee: NCTE Staff Liaison, October 2000 to 2004. Committee Member, 1994 to 1999.

Conference on College Composition and Communication, 1985 to present.

CCCC Committee on Computers in Composition and Communication: NCTE Staff Liaison, Summer 1999 to 2004. Committee Chair, 1999. Committee Member, 1994 to Spring 1999.