This month, TTT's new regular feature, "Meet
the Experts," features Lorna Wong. She is UW-Whitewater's representative
to the Learning Technology Development Council.
TTT: Please describe your work at UW-Whitewater.
LW: I am currently responsible for managing the production operation
of the LTC Lab, and support of the faculty in deploying technology in teaching.
I am the site-administrator of the Course Management Systems on campus.
We primarily use Blackboard, but we also support WebCT, and a few faculty
members are experimenting with Prometheus. I do one-on-one consulting and
conduct workshops for faculty on technology topics related to instructional
use, and I support faculty on development of web sites and web-based applications
for instructional purposes. I am basically a generalist who answers to faculty
on their technology needs.
TTT: How long
have you been in your current position?
LW: I have been in my current position formally for about 18 months,
even though I have been with UW-Whitewater for over fifteen years. I started
in the academic computing area as a data analysis consultant; later I
was involved in computing lab support and faculty technology training.
Then I moved to the networking area as campus webmaster, and worked with
email and internet services setup and support for six years. I recently
moved back to the Instructional Technology Services area with my current
position.
TTT: What do
you enjoy most about your job?
LW: I enjoy all the various hats I have worn over the years at
Whitewater. I enjoy the opportunities and the freedom to explore and experiment
with new technology and be in a position to implement new software and
technology where appropriate. In my current position, what I enjoy most
is working with faculty to solve their technology problems and coming
up with technology solutions to serve their instructional needs
TTT: What's
the most memorable thing that has happened to you at this job?
LW: It is almost impossible to pinpoint one single most memorable
thing that has happened with the variety of activities, accomplishments,
frustrations, and challenges that happen everyday. Perhaps I can cite
the following: Through the Title III grant that we received, the LTC has
conducted 4 two-week (80 hours) faculty technology workshops the past
two summers and winter breaks. A lot of work is involved to prepare and
run these workshops. At the end of each workshop, there is a presentation
session when each participant describes what he has accomplished over
the two-week period. These sessions are memorable and gratifying as I
witness some techno-phobic faculty members overcoming their fear after
two weeks of training. Some have successfully gotten their course material
on Bb, some have created their first web site, and most have plans to
expand their use of technology in their classes in the future.
TTT: What do
you enjoy doing in your free time? Any hidden talents you'd care to tell
our readers about?
LW: Since I was holding two positions for quite a while, I have
almost forgotten what free time means! I do enjoy reading, especially
biographies, watching movies and traveling. I am not a food connoisseur,
but enjoy eating and love to try ethnic foods and new restaurants. I love
classical music. I played the piano for many years in my younger days
but have not kept up with it over the years, thus it is more a hobby than
a talent by any means.
|