Who "We" Are!
Beth Balkus
I am a secondary education major working on an endorsement in language
arts. I am looking forward to graduating in May 1998. After college, I
hope to get a job teaching middle school English. I know how important
the use of technology is in the classroom, so I am working on becoming
more adept in this area. Although it seems easy to get lost on the internet
and books are still my resource of choice, I was pleased to discover the
amount of teaching resources that can be found on OWLs.
Shelley Carter
My name is Shelley Carter, and I am a UN Omaha Education Major. This is
my third year in the program, but I was an English Major for three years
prior to that. I changed majors because I wanted to teach English instead
of reading and writing for the rest of my life. My goal is to teach English
Composition to middle or high school aged children. With the rise in computer
use and the writing as learning pedagogies that exist in today's schools,
I believe that the study of this new wave of OWLs may force teachers to
look at the ways in which writing is taught. I believe that the use of
OWLs will spill from the university to primary and secondary schools before
we know it. As a future teacher, I look forward to using them as tools
for students in my compositon classes.
Julie Dawson
Julie is a senior at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, graduating in
the Fall of 1998. An education major, Julie is pursuing a teaching certificate
as well as a B.S. in Secondary Language Arts. She is a lifetime member
of the Golden Key National Honor Society and is an experienced elderly
care giver. Her future plans include employment in the field of community
education.
See Julie's paper on tutoring.
Bernard J. Duis
Age: 36
Major: English
I was able to teach English as a Second Language in South Korea for
five years before coming to the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1996.
After finishing my bachelor's I plan to continue my studies in the Master's
program here and return to Asia and resume teaching. As someone who plans
to make a career in English, I am aware of the difficulties many students
experience when it comes to producing an original, clear piece of writing.
Since all of us on this project are in the same Rhetoric class, the OWLs
were a natural area of interest. Unlike some members of the class my computer
experience is limited to academic and work programs as a user only. Frustration
and pleasure are emotions commonly experienced simultaneously while I work
with computers. But I am resolved to not let them beat me up and at the
same time learn all the ways they can save me time and trouble.
See Bernard's analysis of OWLs, Link-up or
Walk-in: Critical Thoughts on OWLs
Brian Hoover
Hello, I am a secondary education major with emphasis on English and speech.
I am an honors student and am expecting to graduate in Fall of 1998. I
like long walks and picnics on the beach (JK). I was lucky enough, as most
college students I know were, to be brought up being taught that creativity
was the most important element to English. As long as I had intelligent
ideas (judgment call) on the page it didn't matter if a comma was missing
or not. Well I have struggled with grammar in college. I still have "intelligent"
ideas, but now instructors are making me write them intelligently. That
is the reason I like the OWLs so much. I am a senior in college, and I
should know all of the grammar skills I have questions about. OWLs allow
me to look up this stuff on my own, and I don't get an instructor forcing
his writing style on me. I hate people telling me what to do. I also like
being able to look up information by subject. Instead of flipping through
a book, I can click on any problem I might have. Maybe someday they will
have "grammar check." God knows "spell check" has gotten me through this
year.
Jimmie Hudson
I am currently a non-traditional student at the University of Nebraska
at Omaha (UNO) in the College of Education. My major is Secondary Education;
Language Arts with an emphasis in English. I hope to teach English Composition
while working on a Master's Degree, which will enable me to obtain my ultimate
goal as a high school guidance counselor. I love young adults and have
a strong desire to help guide them through high school and assist them
with important decisions that will make a positive impact in their future,
and in society. My children informed me that I was a strong motivator in
their lives and should do well in either profession since I love and relate
very well with people of all ages. I believe this to be true since I currently
am working with second graders and high school children every day before
and after classes at UNO. I believe I can make a difference in the lives
of students I work with in the classroom and in the office as a guidance
counselor.
Lisa Ihle
Hello! My name is Lisa Ihle. I have a bachelor of arts in English from
the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and am currently working on a degree
in secondary education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. I should
be done in the spring of 98. I enjoy reading, walking, and spending time
with friends and family. And, as you have probably guessed, I am a HUGE
Husker fan!!!
Christine Nelson
Christine is a senior at University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her major is
Secondary Education with the endorsement in Language Arts. Her future plans
include obtaining a master in High School Counseling.
Erin K. Olson
Erin is a senior Secondary Education major specializing in English and
Educational Media. She is a member of Kappa Delta Pi Educational Honor
Society, Golden Key National Honor Society, and the University Honors Program.
Her research interests include process-based writing, the treatment of
female students in the English classroom, and the integration of technology
across the curriculum.
Sarah Schafer
I am a Senior at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. I will graduate in
May of 1998 with my Secondary Education-Language Arts degree. I am the
assistant debate coach at a local high school, and enjoy working with my
students.
Dana Sweetwood
I am in my second senior year and an English major. I enjoyed learning
about the OWL sites because I believe anything available to help students
with their writing is wonderful and well worth using.
Stefanie VanTieghem
I am a Junior at U.N.O. majoring in Secondary Education with an endorsement
in Language Arts. When I started this project I did not know anything about
OWLs but now I think they are very effective and fun! I chose to review
handouts because I enjoy grammar and I am always looking for new things
to learn about the English language. I hope to encourage my students to
use OWLs but I may not use them in my classroom. I will encourage others
(i.e. colleagues) to take advantage of them as well.
Dr. Joan Latchaw
I joined the UNO faculty Fall Term of 1997 as a composition specialist
and am enjoying a mild winter, having migrated from the blustery plains
of North Dakota: Fargo to be specific. The rolling hills, the ethnic restaurants,
and the garrulous students have enriched my life significantly. Designing
real rhetorical situations, such as the OWL project, has been among my
greatest rewards. While teaching at Shepherd College, a small liberal arts
school in WVA, a rape occurred on our campus. My Basic Writing class requested
(about 2/3 through the term) that we abandon our syllabus and research
rape, abuse, and addictions. The final "product" was a pamphlet called
Houses of Pain, featuring facts, personal narratives, and research
on these issues. Some students interviewed a prison psychologist, some
investigated medical treatments for pedophiles, and others wrote a grant.
The project culminated in a 2-day panel discussion organized for the entire
campus, TV and radio interviews. The student body and the community at
large benefited from this experiences that touched so many lives. Other
professional interests include intellectual property on the WWW, critical
thinking, and poetry writing.
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