My name is Pamela, but I prefer to be called Pam. I have 6 grown children and 6 grandchildren and one on the way. I love camping, reading, sewing and spending time with my family.
Growing up, I remember when all telephones were rotary dial, wired into the wall and you may have been on a party line. They came in one color, black. Televisions were in black and white and actually went off the air after the news. Most families did not have dryers and hung their wash out to dry. Dishwashers were two handed, did not use electricity and was usually assigned as a chore.
If someone had told me that one day, I would use a computer for most of my work, be able to communicate with someone from another country at the touch of a button, and talk on a wireless phone, I would have thought that they had watched too much “Twilight Zone”.
The use of technology as well as other electronic devices has been a learning experience for me as well as making the transition from my typewriter to a computer. That was an event that I will never forget as they pried my typewriter from me and replaced it with a desktop and told me I had to learn DOS.
Of course that was many years ago and much has changed since then.
Currently I am a Program Chair for the Medical Assisting Program in the Health Science Division at Ivy Tech Community College, the Southern Indiana Campus in Sellersburg, IN. It is a little commute, but worth the drive. In addition to administrative type duties, I teach the advanced classes in the program, primarily medical laboratory procedures, like drawing blood, performing basic hematology testing, urinalysis as well other clinical skills. I also teach several classes online using Blackboard and that was a challenge all in it’s self. Yes, I was forced to learn more technology. I have been with Ivy Tech for almost 15 years and truly love teaching.
Before Ivy Tech, I worked in the health care field as an office manager for both small and large practices. I am a registered LRT, Certified Medical Assistant and certified phlebotomy instructor. (I could not make up my mind when I was youngerJ ) The opportunity to teach was motivating and exciting and something I discovered that I truly enjoyed and made the transition well.
Family life is busy with all of our children and grandchildren. Our oldest daughter is new pilot with the U.S. Air force and flies C-130’s. I was honored to be able to pin on her “wings” this past March.
Our son did survive being surrounded with all of those sisters, is also in the Air force and is an Arabic translator. Our other children are busy with, one an HR director, one a systems analysis and one a household engineer, as she calls herself.
The youngest daughter is an RN, who is expecting our seventh grandchild.
Sewing and making crafts is a hobby that I truly enjoy when I have the time. My most recent project was a squirrel costume for one of our granddaughters for her school play. My husband and I used to be part of the craft show circuit with my parents and have had booths all over Kentucky and some in Indiana. My parents made and sold ceramic pieces and I made stuffed animals as well as other “soft’ crafts.
My decision to begin the Master’s program with the focus on e-Larning is due to the desire to learn more about this type of format for education and will help me reach one of my future goals when I retire.
Retirement is five years away and my future goals are to “teach from the beach”, camp as much as possible and maybe returning to the craft show circuit.
