Karen's Korner 
 
 

    Resume

I am an educational technology specialist with a background in elementary and middle school education, instructional technology, and teacher training/professional development. I was with the Georgia Department of Education from 2002 to 2006, working on GeorgiaStandards.Org (previously Georgia Learning Connections), the state's curriculum Web site integrating the curriculum standards, instructional plans, Web resources, video and interactive multimedia, and assessments. The Web site also provides educators with a searchable online library containing thousands of informational documents, reviewed and categorized Internet resources, templates, and online tools. Additional functionality and services include an online Builder for designing instructional plans, a portfolio component, and a professional development center. My responsibilities  included creating, evaluating, and managing educational  resources; developing and presenting training materials and professional development resources; and assisting in the ongoing growth of the site.

Prior to working with the Georgia DOE, I taught for over 9 years in the Chicago Public School System. While there, I  developed and implemented a science resource program for pre-kindergarten to fifth grade students in which we did a lot of interesting hands-on activities and experiments.  I also integrated technology into the curriculum through the use of various multimedia, software, and Internet resources. I developed the web quests below as an exciting and challenging way to guide students in using the Internet to find information, work collaboratively to solve problems, and present their finished products creatively.