Patti Weeg

Salisbury, Maryland
USA


July 21, 2002

Hello!

Yes.... I am this Weeg person who is actually making Web pages faster than my family can fill the laundry baskets! Now you_know_that means some *real* fast work. The editor of The Shore Journal, who has featured The Global Classroom has dubbed me: Patti www.eeg

I started this Web site back in May of 1995 and went full steam ahead during the summer months. Once school began again in September my energies were redirected to my 6, 7 and 8 year old little ones in my computer lab but you can see that I .html'd them in a heartbeat! My 10, 11 and 12 year old 'adopted students' have invaded my lab, too. These are my KIDLINK kids who come to me during their recess time and after school. I think they love telecom because they 'call the shots' and the lab is student centered. They make the decisions about the Internet projects they want to do and the keypals they want to write to. They can even decide if they want to come to the lab or go outside to play. The choices are theirs. You would be surprised...

Though I was born in Fresno, California, I have lived most of my life in Maryland. My husband, Jim, comes from Oregon but we love our home on Maryland's Eastern Shore between the gorgeous Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Our global address is: 38:22:19N 75:35:20W

Jim and I lived in Augsburg, Germany when we were first married and had a chance to visit my extended family in Salerno, Italy. This was a special treat and one I'll always remember. We were not able to visit my other relatives in Poland nor the country of Jim's ancestors, Norway, but maybe someday in our retirement we will.

I began teaching in 1965 in Philadelphia. Ouch! That's many years ago! ;-) I took time out to move to Germany as a bride, to have our children and to complete a Masters Degree. So... I have not really been teaching for 33 years.

In 1988 I began a totally new career in the computer lab using computer assisted instruction and Jostens software. I barely knew how to turn on the computer at that time but was eager to learn and had incredibly wonderful teachers in the business world who gave tech support for our lab.

In 1989 I changed from parochial school to the county school system and went back into the classroom for two years before returning once more to the Title 1 computer lab. While teaching math for those two years I had one Apple computer and AppleWorks. My 6th graders relished the powers they found in creating databases and spreadsheets. We all love computers for the power they give us, right? I tell mine to 'print' and it prints. I tell my 19 year old daughter to be home by curfew or to clean her room and I get 'bad command or file name!'

In 1990 I began to use telecommunications within our state of Maryland. By 1991 I had reached the Internet and was pointed in the direction of KIDLINK by a dear young university friend who was studying with his wife in Spain. Diego.... you lost your Internet access when you returned to South America but if you ever read this... bless your heart!!

If I am really honest I have to say that computer mediated communication has changed the way I live, the way I teach, the way I think. I am part of a world community now and anchor my days in GMT. My computer lab at Delmar is tiny... only made for 8 computers and maybe as many humans... but my classroom is 'global.' It extends far beyond the limits of my computer lab walls. My students and I live in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres all at the same time. If only we could learn to speak more languages...! Ahh well... my children have to play sometimes and I suppose I must sleep a few hours too. We just can't do it all though we try hard!

When not in my computer lab or here at home on my keyboard you might find me speaking at conferences or giving training classes in telecom. Every now and then I'll leave my kids to do that but only for just a while. My heart is really with my students. That's where it is *happening* and nothing can compare. I spoke in London in March of 1995 but of course you know where I spent my days when not at the conference.... yes... at The Cedars Primary School with Mike Burleigh and his kids.

In August of 1996 I flew to Brazil where I joined many KIDLINK friends and spoke at a conference in Rio de Janeiro. The Hawaii Education and Research Network (HERN) invited me to speak at their Summer Institute on the islands in July of 1997. In October of 1997 I joined 30+ KIDLINKers in Denmark for the Third Annual KIDLINK management meetings and conferences held for Danish teachers as part of Netd@ys Europe 97. In July of 1998 I again flew to Hawaii where I did workshops for teachers in the Aiea Complex on Oahu. I climbed to the top of Diamond Head crater! In August of 1998 I flew to Lima, Peru where I joined other KIDLINKers for our meetings and to speak to Peruvian teachers. While there I went to Machu Picchu and Cusco to see the Inca ruins. Out of this world! My next stop in 1998 was Stockholm, Sweden, in October, for Links98 and a presentation about my online work with my younger students. In September of 1999 I gave the keynote presentation at the Millennium Minds Conference in Cape Town, South Africa. By mid October I was on my way to San Juan, Puerto Rico and the 5th International Kidlink Conference. Jim says when I go out it is usually to the grocery store or out of the country! To see where I have given presentations and/or workshops since 1999 [Hawaii, Chicago, Norway, Maryland, Florida] take a look here:

Patti's Place

The exploding popularity of the World Wide Web has reached us too. Since I am a visual person I long to put images with the text I read on the screen. The Web suits my personality. ;-) It has great appeal for one who randomly jumps from one thought to the next. That's me. It also allows for the more analytical thinkers to follow a thread in an orderly fashion. How wonderful to have a tool for both sides of the brain!

Come visit our site often for we are always changing and growing. That's our promise to you. If you ever travel to Maryland's Eastern Shore, please stop by. Once you get our sand in your shoes... you'll always return... that's what they say...

Warmest hugs,
Patti
[battery included]
KIDPROJ Manager for KIDLINK
Curriculum Vitae