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Participant Biographies
Name: ann lane CommentsI live on a small farm 25 miles north of Gainesville, Florida with my husband, various dogs and cats, horses and a llama. I an an ARNP ans worked doing medical anthropology research for about twelve years. The past seven I was on the birth-3 developmental assessment team out of U FL. I am now self-employes doing early intervention in natural environments birth to three. I love to travel, ride long distance , and I also do Pet Assisted Therapy with one of my dogs and a horse. Name: Melanie Tidman MA,OT/L CommentsHello to all, I am an Occupational Therapist practicing here in Albuquerque for the past 22 years. Many of you have heard of my OT/Hippotherapy practice in the North Valley. I feel this course will assist me in working more effectively with my clients with behavioral challenges. I often don't have as many as most therapist's do because my clients really connect with the animals in my unique therapy setting. Many of them began talking with the horses first then include the staff in their conversations. It is a rewarding career and one I feel very blessed to be able to direct. Come by and visit any time! Name: Anne McGovern CommentsHello everyone! Six years ago I moved to Santa Fe from Maine, where I worked in my youth as a camp counsellor on the waterfront for seven summers and later taught swimming in a local summer rec program. In the early 80s I worked for six years overall as educational assistant (tutor) of individuals and small groups in a small elementary school and taught GED through adult ed. The school superintendent encouraged me to earn my teaching license, but I didn't want to deal with the politics of teaching. By luck and divine guidance, here in Santa Fe I fell into an educational assistant position in a residential (now day) treatment program, La Madera, in Santa Fe. After three and a half years there, I transferred this year to Ortiz Middle School and am teaching 12 students receiving maximum level services for learning disabilities. I'm now completing my final semester for licensure in special education (at age 53!!). I'm a natural teacher and have always been drawn to the most needy kids, so I may as well do what I'm good at and love. Teaching inspires me. making a difference in our future motivates me. This course will help me to understand kids better. If I understand their needs and motives, I can better serve them. After completing 45 credits at NMHU (by the end of this semester) in two and a half years and teaching at-risk and learning disabled kids fulltime, I am spending the entire summer in the Mediterranean! Name: Karen CommentsHi everyone, This is the first time I've ever taken a course over the Internet and really not too experienced with the Internet. I'm the mother of four grown boys and presently working for the UNM CASAA program as a Case Manager and also the office manager for a trucking-welding business. I'm hoping the course will make me more aware of different behavioral problems children are experiencing. I enjoy reading and walking in my spare time. Hope that I can keep up with this course and be able to navigate through the Internet.--Karen Name: Walter Crawley CommentsI live in Aztec, New Mexico and I work at Rio Vista Middle School in Bloomfield, NM. I am a special education teacher A & B Level 7th grade. I have been married for 40 years and I have two children and two grandchildren. I hope to have a better understanding how to do a behavior assessment after completion of this course. I am retired from El Paso Natural GasCompany with 35 years. I went in to teaching to try to make a difference. I completed my degree in Dec. 1999 at age 60, so I am an old new teacher. My hobbies are Karate and Chess; I have a black belt in Karate. Name: Walter Crawley CommentsName: lucy collier CommentsI live in Chimayo, work at CDD at the university in Albuquerque where I am part of the Early Childhood Assessment program, with Ed Diagnostician my role on the assessment team. I have been the coordinator for the NE region for this program. Previous to this job I was an early interventionist at Las Cumbres in Espanola. My husband stays at home building kitchens for custom jobs, and running our place and managing the garden and pets. He also does Oral Histories, at the moment a big project interviewing Los Alamos retired workers, mostly blue-collar types, about their work experience and health problems. I suppose I ended up in the field of special education/social work as a result of my family history going back to my grandfather who was a social worker in New York City in the 1910's and 20's , working with immigrant groups. (He later went on to become an anthropologist and the Commissioner of Indian Affairs under FDR). My parents both worked in the New Deal, for the WPA and the Conservation Bureau. I have developed a healthy interest in the period, and one of my pet projects was recording people's life stories who have grown up in Trampas and penasco and who were photographed as part of the Farm Security Administration documentation during the depression and war years. I have many interests which are on hold at least for a while, because I spend much too much time commuting, but some day...not too far away.......I'll be doing some of those things again. Meantime I am trying to learn as much as I can about children with autism. Name: Bethann Schantz CommentsI am a former Pennsylvanian and have been living and teaching in the Southwest for the last 6 years. I will be marrying a native New Mexican this June. We are planning on staying in this area for sometime. I love the sunshine, miss the green grass but not the rain. I enjoy the outdoors and go hiking with my three "res" dogs on the week-ends. My finacee and I also enjoy the performing arts. He is a Music Ed Major and looking forward to having summer's off. I teach emotionally disordered students grades 6-9 and definately look forward to summers off. For the last 4 years I have helped develop and also teach in the Behavior Intervention Program at Rio Vista Middle School in Bloomfield, NM. It is a behavior therapy program that focuses on using positive reinforcement and a consistent warning system to help students make better choices and learn appropriate behaviors to replace inappropriate behaviors that keep them from being successful in a less restrictive environment (LRE). Students "work" their way out of the classroom and into LRE's that are appropriate for their academic needs. We also focus on accademic and social deficits that the students have. Reinforcing and practicing appropriate social skills are part of the program's daily curriculum. The program is not a Crain-Reynolds program. Our program is based on Tough Kids and Best Practice. We modeled the program from the Children's Behavior Therapy Unit in Salt Lake City, UT. Name: steve Funston CommentsI am a Educational Assistant at Rio Vista Elementary School in Bloomfield,New Mexico. I live in this town with my wife and son. I hope to become a full-time teacher, for I love to teach. I have Bachelors Degree in Ministry. I like to go up to the mountains and relax with my family. I also like hamburgers from Blake's Lotaburger, who doesn't. Name: Frank Chiapetti CommentsI am born and raised in the Gallup area. I am currently a special education coordinator facilitating programs and compliance in nine different schools in the Gallup McKinley School District. Previously I taught special ed. for nine years at the both the elementary & secondary level. level. I have two wonderful kids (at times) and have been married for twelve years. I hope to gain more of a tool pack to use when attending Functional assessments & Behavior plan meetings. I am currently finishing my second masters in education and am considering a doctorate after my kids get a little older. Hobbies are anything out doors, especially boating and hunting. Name: Pepper Skodack CommentsHi, my name is Pepper. I am the Special Education Resource Specialist for the Northeast Regional Center Cooperative in Las Vegas, New Mexico. (To see more about NERCC see Mary Schutz bio, I have the pleasure of working in the same office). I received my Masters in Special Education from the University of Colorado and then taught in Colorado for a few years before moving to New Mexico. I have been a special education teacher, site coordinator for special services and literacy coordinator during my 6 years in beautiful New Mexico. It is my hope that through this class I will gain a greater understanding of the Functional Behavior Analysis process. Name: Laura Ryan CommentsMy name is Laura and I am an alien. Howzitgoan? (A Glasweigan welcome!) I grew up in Glasgow, Scotland and taught in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland for 18 years before moving to New Mexico, just over 2 years ago. (A long story...) Most of my past 20 years' experience has been in special education and I have worked in a wide variety of positions. I presently teach in the sp.ed. department in Bloomfield High School and recently married a fine American citizen. Not a Scot, but a Scott. So I am now a legal and very happy alien! I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge of special education through taking this course. I love to learn and discover, and this is mirrored by a wide range of ever-increasing interests. (Hiking, biking, skiing, boating, dancing, drumming, reading, yoga, cooking, gardening...) I have also taught movement and dance over the years and this winter I was introduced to the hardest teaching assignment of my life - working as a ski instructor for children's ski school. My bruised and battered body is now ready to settle down for some more sedentary learning experiences! Name: Rick Warden CommentsI have taught special education for the past eighteen years in classrooms that had students with varied eligibility categories. In addition I worked for the Special Education Division of the Arizona Department of Education. I authored several different manuals while there including a Positive Behavior Support Manual, Educating Students with Severe Disabilities, Assistive Technology, Inclusion Practices in the Schools, and Transition to Post School Life. Currently I work at Santa Fe Public schools as a teacher resource specialist and at consultant. Name: Steven D. Peretti CommentsI live in Gallup NM. I am a native of Gallup but I work for the Zuni Public Schools as an academic counselor So far, I have 21 years experience working with Navajo and Zuni children. I am also an instructor at UNM-Gallup. I have never taken an on-line course before so this is kind of scary. I am 9 years divorced with 4 teenage children (probably why I am still unmarried!). Last year, I took a year off to sell cars but I wasn't crooked enough to make a living so i came back into education. I am hoping this course will provide alternative strategies working with special populations. I became a teacer (then counselor) because I really enjoy children and i am very good at what i do. Hope to meet all of you in the chat room. Name: Irene Lake CommentsHi Classmates, I live in Western Montana on the Salish Kootenai Reservation and work for UNM CASAA Research.I am the site manager of the Flathead Site. I work with Wendy Kalberg on the FASER project and am interested in theis course to help understand the kids we test in the project.
Name: Daly, Jim CommentsI'm in my fifth year as principal of Rio Vista Middle Sch. in Bloomfield. I have been in education for 25+ yrs., most of them in administration. I've recently been elected to the position of Special Services Director and see a need to expand my knowledge base. My wife and I have two grown boys who live in Denver. We just purchased a Pop-up Camper and plan to spend some time camping. My hobbies inclued: writing, bee keeping, and graphic art. Name: Kathy Bulle CommentsSecond e-mail address: leia@totacc.com Hello everyone, I am the diagnostician/testing coordinator at New Mexico School for the Visually Handicapped in Alamogordo and our preschool in Albuquerque. I have been in this postition for 4 out of my 23 years in education. I have taught regular education at the middle school level, special education at all grade levels, instituted an inclusion program that worked, been a presenter on the law, IDEA, etc. Needless to say, I have been a busy person. In addition to the above experiences, the last couple of years I participated in designing the New Mexico Alternate Assessment with Pat and Maryann. That was a wonderful experience. This is my second time taking this class. I participated in the original on line class. I have completed FBA's on students and attempted to complete FBA's on others. I learned a lot from doing these things and am always interested in learning more. My family consists of my 16 week old puppy, Snoopy. He is a full blooded dacshound (I can never spell that word correctly-smiles) He is a mix of a red and dapple. I enjoy playing with him. Most of my hobbies are needlecraft oriented except for my love of Precious Moments figurines. I have over 400 figurines at this time. I look forward to working with everyone. Name: pamela Tucker CommentsShare about myself?! I keep telling people that I have been teaching for 15 years. HA HA HA! My husband pointed out to me at breakfast that I have been saying this for 7 years too long. I guess I have been teaching for 22 years. I have been having so much fun that time has passed me by. I am currently a special education teacher and I love my class of 6 D-level students. My educational goals are to continue to be taught as well as to be a better teacher. I have just about every teaching certificate under the sun--certificate in Early Childhood Education in Pennsylvannia; certificate in Elementary Education in Pennsylvannia; Therapeutic Horseback Riding Teaching Certificate in California; Elementary Education Teaching Certificate in New Mexico; Special Education Teaching Certificate in New Mexico. Looking at all of these certificates one wonders why I still don't make $30,000 a year. I guess I am proof --It is not for the money. I feel that I need to continue to grow professionally and let's face it folks--This will be fun. I began teaching when I was 16 at barn in Upstate New York. I have always managed to teach whether it be my children, my school children or my husband. When I was younger, My parents encouraged me to follow my dreams and so I tried out for a group called Up With People. I travelled around the world and visited 11 different countries as a dancer and singer. Why special Education--I have a knack of seeing the good in everyone. I am extremely patient, flexible, and I laugh often. A funny story--I said George, your shoes are on the wrong feet. A perplexed George replied "Mrs. T I don't think I can change my feet." Stifling my giggle, I said "George I have an idea--What if we took off your shoes and switched them really fast." George looked unsure but he took off his shoes. We switched the shoes. He looked at me in amazement--It worked. He stated "Mrs. T that 's why your the kindergarten teacher." Name: Jim Conyers CommentsI am employed as a school counselor at Bloomfield High School and am completing 27 years with the district. I have also worked as a teacher and principal and teach as an adjunct faculty member at San Juan College. My wife also teaches at the college on a part-time basis. Name: Mary Schutz CommentsHi there!! My name is Mary Schutz, and I work for the Northeast Regional Center Cooperative (NERCC), or Region 4, which is based in Las Vegas, New Mexico on the New Mexico Highlands University Campus. Our office works with six school districts in our region: Pecos Schools, Santa Rosa Schools, Mora Schools, Wagon Mound Schools, Las Vegas City Schools, and West Las Vegas Schools. I was an English teacher, then a K-12 Principal, prior to my working for the NERCC. My duties primarily involve technical assistance to our districts for ADS reporting, along with general data collection in order for schools to make data based decisions. My husband Don and I live on a ranch near Wagon Mound, New Mexico. I have two boys, ages 28 and 26, who both live in Seattle...(earthquake and all!) I am very excited about participating in an online course, as computers are my hobby... I am also eager to learn more about functional behavior assessments and positive supports. As a regional center, we are constantly providing technical assistance to those in the schools that deal with students with special needs. I am always eager to learn anything which will help us help those that are working with children who are special. Name: Sharon Wood CommentsI live in Bloomfield, NM and teach Special Education at Bloomfield High School-this being my 22nd year to teach. I have three grown, married children: Duane(31), DuAnn(27), and Daniel(24). My husband, Jim, is also a teacher at Bloomfield High. Ten years ago I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis so I am searching for new hobbies all the time. I enjoy church work, camping in a travel trailer, and water therapy swim class. I am excited about sharing ideas with others in this on-line course, which is going to be a new experience in itself. Name: Joni L. Lloyd CommentsHi All! My name is Joni and I work at the Center for Development and Disability as a Program Coordinator/Family Specialist. I am the mother of 2 children Jennifer and Judd. Jennifer is 18 and will graduate from high school in May and Judd is 13 and is in 7th grade. Judd has Cerebral Palsy and cognitive delays. My husband, Jerry and I have had quite a few struggles with Judd's educational program. Judd has also experienced some depression related to and affecting his school program. His depression has been exhibited in new and different behaviors at school that we have never seen before. Through this course I hope to gain more general knowledge about Functional Behavior and Positive Supports as well as some specific ideas that might help Judd and our family in supporting him in this difficult period of his life. My hobbies include acting here in Albuquerque productions, crafts, and reading. I'll also admit to loving the "Survivor" show. Name: Wendy Kalberg CommentsHi, this is Wendy Kalberg. I work at the University of New Mexico at both the Center for Development and Disability and the Center on Alcoholism Substance Abuse and Addiction. I am interested in all children and especially in children who have greater challenges in life. This online learning process is new and exciting and I have much to learn about it still. That is why I am a facilitator again this year for the functional behavior course. So, good luck to all of us and I'll "see" you in the virtual conference rooms!!! Name: Maryann Trott CommentsI am a behavior consultant for the Albuquerque Public Schools and will be one of the facilitators for the course. I started as a special education teacher 26 years ago. I have loved learning about children of all kinds but especially those with severe disabilities. I really like to talk about behavior. I also like toilet training - some of my co-workers call me the toilet queen! I have also had the wonderful experience of being a mom for almost 20 years. I have 2 children. Dan is 19, a sophomore at UNM and a swim coach. Elise is 16 - she goes to the Albuquerque Academy, loves art and plays the piano and guitar. My husband, Wayne works at Sandia - now there's a place for some interesting behavior! I love being with my family, being involved in my church and thinking about strange behaviors. Name: Karen "Cal" Wright CommentsI am one of the facilitator's for this course. I live in the east mountains outside Albuquerque and am enjoying the cool mornings and sunny days recently. I work for the Center for Development and Disability and enjoy training and facilitation work. I have 3 young children who keep me active and enjoy camping, gardening and travel. |
