Did you go to Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver?
Are you surviving a cold winter in Chicago?
Do you find the World Wide Web fascinating?
If you answered YES to any of these questions, then we have something in common!
My name is Marcia Ward, and I created this webpage as an assignment for a class in eEducation. I am working on my Masters in Education at the University of Phoenix.
Over the next few weeks the look and sound of this webpage will change dramatically!
I'm a beginner at creating webpages, so I hope you will check back and watch as I learn more about creating a webpage.
Coming attractions: Sounds! Video! My Favorite Pictures! My Favorite Links! And, more!
Over the past several years I've become involved in distance learning,both as a dabbling student and facilitator/creator. It all started years ago when I graduated from Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois, with a degree in English and Secondary Education. Unfortunately, there were very few teaching jobs available, so I embarked on a long career with a major insurance company. It wasn't long before I became that teacher... albeit in the corporate training world. .....I've trained hundreds (really!) of insurance underwriters, and literally thousands of insurance agents. .....I've taught everything from insurance product knowledge, to time management, to team building, to computer applications. .....I've trained large groups and small groups, in face to face as well as online training sessions.
A year ago I accepted a training job with an innovative company that markets customer relationship management tools to car dealerships. In addition to consulting with dealership management on improving sales performance, I also train sales personnel to use a web-based lead management system. I spend a lot of time on the road, training dealers across the country.
Over the past two years I completed several online training programs. Currently I am in my eighth class at University Of Phoenix, working on a Masters in Education degree. I thoroughly enjoy these online courses, and I’m learning a great deal about how to be an effective distance learner/trainer from one of the best distance learning institutions! I've found that learning in this online environment is very exciting, and very challenging.
I was born in San Antonio, Texas, grew up in Denver, Colorado, and now live in Lisle, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. I have two daughters, one is in college and working full-time in Boston, Massachusetts....and the other is married and a new mother. My 9-month old grandson, Logan, is absolutely adorable, 25 pounds (yikes!), 6 teeth, standing on his own, and a delight! I can't get enough of him! What in the world was life like without him? A very lively resident in my home is my year old Maltese puppy,
Molly. Wow, is she a pistol!
I love to read (any good mystery), travel (Cabo San Lucas, Mexico is a favorite spot), and enjoy live theater (saw the premier of "The Producers" with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick last year). Juggling all of this is a challenge!
I am planning on moving from cold, cold Chicago to a warmer climate in the next few years. In fact, I recently bought a new home in Las Vegas which I am renting for several years before moving there as a snow bird.
The great thing about distance learning is that I can learn and teach wherever I live, and that's my ultimate goal.
