Once a teacher, always a teacher.

When I left the classroom, I didn't know what direction I was going, but I knew it was time for a change. I also knew I had SO MUCH knowledge, experience, and done so much research in technology integration that others could benefit from that I had to get it out there. I knew I could continue to empower teachers to transform education and prepare students for a technology-rich future even if I wasn't in a classroom. 

One day I sat down at my computer and started putting it all together. After many long days (ok, months) at the computer, lots of edits, versions, and proofreading (I'm sure there are still errors), I had nearly 250 pages of content. Then, knowing the potential technology has, I decided to use it to do my own formatting, design my own cover, and self publish it too. Since I'm a "Geek", I couldn't just write a text book. I had to integrate technology into the book and share some of the projects I wrote about. So, I created this website to hold links and share resources that pertain to the book. 

This has led me to creating even more resources for teachers and my site continues to grow! It has connected me to educators all over the world, given me a broader perspective and my classroom has grown to be world-wide. 

When people ask me what I'm doing - I'm still teaching! It just looks very different than before. I'm teaching many things, to many people in many different ways. If you are a teacher, you know it's just "in" us. 💜

Jill Outka-Hill: I grew up in a small town in northeast Wyoming called Gillette. I was in elementary school when I was chosen to be a part of a pilot group of students that spend two weeks testing out the new computer lab of Commodore 64s. I took computer classes for my high school electives and was the only student I saw at the University of Wyoming carrying a laptop to classes to take notes. That Macintosh Powerbook 100 got me through some tough classes! I fell into my master's degree by being at the right place at the right time but had no idea I would ever use it. 

When my hometown school district received a grant to hire technology facilitators for all school buildings, it was a perfect opportunity for me. I was on the ground floor of a quickly rising industry. We muddled through technology that came and went while some continued to stay and improve. Devices got smaller and faster and did more for the user than ever before. But this was not always a good thing. I saw the look of despair in the teachers' eyes when things didn't go as expected, or when a student knew more than they did. Some fought the rise in technology and eventually left the profession. Others became frustrated and refused to use it, while others would simply say they used it but allowed the dust to collect as each device slowly went out of date. 

Fast forward fifteen years and those teachers have been replaced with students that grew up using the technology. They were excited to use it and saw the value in their students using it as well. But another problem arose - the market was saturated with tools, websites, apps, and gadgets guaranteeing incredible results. 

How do you know what's out there? Which is the best? Where do you start? 

This was my job. I helped students and teachers learn what technology is available, and how to use it and I helped them when things didn't go as expected. 

I found out our local community college taught a class to preservice teachers about exactly what I do all day. I was in the right place at the right time again when I found out they needed an instructor. I enjoyed teaching ITEC 2360 for three years before the pandemic shut things down. While teaching this class, I was amazed at the inhibitions toward implementing technology into a classroom by the digital native students as well as digital immigrant students. I was also surprised at the lack of resources available to these students and current teachers. They were often left to do their own muddling through the technology conglomerate. So I started combining what I knew and the things I had learned over the years onto a website and eventually a book. 

As technology rapidly changes, there are some basic principles that when applied, can dramatically improve the outcome of both teacher and student success. 

• Success in productivity. 

• Success in creativity. 

• Success in everyday routines and relationships. 

• But most importantly, success in the mindset to use technology today and use whatever technology may be in the future. 

I empower educators to transform their classroom with technology integration.