Introduction: a little behind

["Robert Hammer" <rdhammer@tenet.edu>]

Dear Fellow Students,

Thought I better get my name out there and stop the virtual peeping I
was doing with everyone’s e-mail. I feel almost embarrassed to say I’ve
been reading every one’s mail for several days and not letting myself be
known. I do apologize.

My name is Rob Hammer, some of you I have had the privileged to meet in
person, and the rest of you I already feel like I know you, kinda in an
intimate way, you know through peeping in all. I am a campus
instructional technologist at Harker Heights Elementary School in
Killeen, Texas.

I have one of the greatest jobs in the world and I feel very privileged
to work for a school district which has done so many things right in the
area of technology it is almost scary. I work on one of 37
campuses(schools). My job entails many things as you might imagine, but
my primary focus is helping teachers integrate technology in their
curriculum. In other words, “doing something meaningful with the stuff”.
It is very challenging and frustrating but, oh so, rewarding. That's why
I keep coming back for more.

I’ve been at this job going on five years now. Previously, I was a
classroom teacher and coach. Taught 4th, 5th and 6th grades. Started in
South Dakota, moved to Illinois, and ended up in Texas. Love the weather
here. Our families, upper Midwesterners, hate warm weather winter phone
calls.

I mentioned that our school district seems to have done some things
right when it comes to implementing technology. I’ll just give you a
quick overview to make your mouths water. When the school district
implemented a technology plan five years ago, they did not forget to
include support. They did not want to just put equipment in buildings,
they wanted to put a person on each campus to help support the teachers
with technology. So they hired 30 campus instructional technologist
thus, creating the job I now hold. They also set up a teacher training
program, Computers for Teachers(CFT), so that when a teacher completes
45 hours of district led training, they would receive a computer,
printer, and software for their classroom(1800 graduates). Probably the
most rewarding and innovative idea for teachers is our Teacher Classroom
Grants(TCG). If a teacher has and innovative idea on how to impact their
children using technology, they can write a grant to the district and
receive  grant monies up to $20,000. To this date we have handed out
close to seventy of these grants. Teachers, who are motivated, have the
resources to do some fantastic things with their children. I hate to
brag, but I have yet to see this kind of commitment by any other
district our size to technology and it’s implementation. If you hear of
any I would be interested to know.

Well, I’m am sorry to ramble, getting back to business. I have created a
web page to post all the important items we been ask to gather. The IP
address is 204.56.179.12. As many of yours, it is under construction and
will be for some time. I would like to  direct you to the “Resources”
link, these are sites I have found that might be of some use when it
comes to technology planning.

 I would like to to end with a few comments. First, I feel extremely
honored to be working with such a group and to be directed by a man that
I have the utmost respect. I look forward to our days ahead, not just
for the cognitive simulation, but more importantly, the colleagueal
connections we will develop. I feel we are in the misted of a mighty
revolution in the way we educate children and we, ourselves are
educated. I feel a great deal of responsibility for harnessing tools of
the day to make a difference in peoples lives, especially children. I
have seen what technology can do when there is a caring loving
individual guiding the way. I have seen children lives changed because
someone turned them on to learning. I can truely say there is nothing
more rewarding. So I applaud you in your endeavors and your commitment
and most certainly look forward to working with all of you.


Rob
-- 
Rob Hammer, Campus Technologist
Harker Heights Elementary School
726 S Ann
Harker Heights, Texas 76548
Phone 1-254-501-2058
Fax 1-254-680-3592
rdhammer@tenet.edu

Learn as though you would never be able to master it; hold it as though
you would be in fear of losing it.
                                                            ~ Confucius
~

We must view young people not as empty bottles to be filled, but as
candles to be lit.

                                                     ~ Robert H. Shaffer
~

A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.

                                                        ~ Thomas
Carruthers ~