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Why I Wrote This Book
Before I became a teacher a few years ago, I had a 14-year career in technology and communication, most of it at a university level. I learned to harness the power of the Internet for learning and communication, long before most people ever heard of "the web." When I entered the teaching field, I observed first-hand how many teachers (especially veterans) are still afraid of technology, but I think that's only because they don't understand how to find anything useful among the Internet's six trillion pages.
More and more, teachers are required to incorporate technology into the classroom. I wrote this book to save time for busy teachers by organizing the "best" sites and to simplify "Internet basics" for those who haven't used technology much.
According to the U.S. Dept. of Education, the Internet is no longer a luxury or optional activity for our students--it is an essential component of their formal education. Students must become proficient in using technology to find information and solve problems, so they are prepared to live and work in the 21st century. As educators, it's our job to model it, teach it, and use it, so our children may compete effectively in the "information society" of tomorrow.
About the Author
Karla H. Spencer had a 14-year career in marketing, publishing, and technology before she went into teaching in 1998. She received more than 20 state and national awards for writing and marketing expertise. She has an M.B.A. from the University of Louisville and an M.A.T. from Bellarmine University.
Prior to becoming a teacher, she held management positions with Kentucky's largest mental health agency, a nationally known hospital in the Louisville Medical Center, and Kentucky's second largest university.
Her knowledge of computer technology began in the mid-80s when she introduced desktop publishing to her first employer. A few years later she became a marketing/communication manager for the University of Louisville, as well as a network administrator, overseeing a department network of Macintoshes and PC's. She helped oversee the development of the university's first website in 1992, giving it a customer-oriented focus. Through a consulting company she formed in 1995, Spencer also helps nonprofit and corporate clients create, modify, or overhaul their websites.
In 1998 Spencer began making a career transition into elementary education. She earned her M.A.T. in five semesters and graduated with a 4.0 GPA, and she recently achieved Rank 1 certification in Kentucky.
She owns Spencer Communications, a marketing, consulting, and freelance writing company, and she also teaches full-time at St. Raphael School in Louisville, Kentucky.