Welcome to EME2040! (Blog Post #1 Sample)

Welcome to EME2040! My name is Lauren Bagdy and I will be your instructor this semester. I am a doctoral candidate in the Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies (ISLT) program in FSU’s College of Education. I hold a BA in psychology from Elon University and an MA in educational technology leadership from the George Washington University. My primary research focus is social media networks as formal and informal learning spaces. I live in Tallahassee with my husband and two mini goldendoodles.

I have a long history of using tech in an educational setting, so I’ll provide the abbreviated version. Computers started to make their way into the classroom when I was in elementary school. We took basic typing courses; however, we primarily used them for academic reinforcement games/activities. However, when I got to high school, we started taking courses centered around programming and design. When I started my job as a school administrator, I was tasked with helping the faculty and staff with tech needs (I was the youngest on the staff, so obviously I knew everything about tech… right?). This sparked my passion for educational technology. Now, here I am teaching EME2040.

I use multiple resources as part of my personal learning network. Many of my resources are people, including mentors and colleagues. Before COVID-19, I frequently attended conferences to network with these people. Now, we are networking online via email and social media. There are many social media tools that I use as part of my personal learning network. Although I don't post very often, I frequently view information on Twitter and follow multiple hashtags. I am also a member of many Facebook groups where people frequently ask questions and share information. I am also a big fan of using Reddit and YouTube as resources to learn from and network with others.

I sincerely hope that you enjoy this class. I know many of you are not education majors or minors. That’s okay. Please keep an open mind. I promise you’ll have takeaways that are relevant to your future career goals.

I am looking forward to a great semester!