Introduction
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| Photo Attribute to my friend, Vanessa |
About Me
Hello! My name is Lauren Johnson and I am 23 years old. I have two brothers and am the middle child of my family. I am a lifelong Illinois resident, although I will never get used to Chicago winters.
I am a Graduate Intern for the Office of Accommodations and Disability Access at Dominican University. I work with college-level students who are identified as having disabilities, mental health needs, and/or chronic conditions.
On top of interning and finishing my Master's Degree, I am currently planning my Spring 2023 wedding. (Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh My!)
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| (Gif retrieved from GIPHY) |
Education Experience
I have been labelled a "Professional Student" by friends and family. It could be due to entering my 6th year as a student at Dominican University.
I earned my B.A. in History (Secondary Education) with a minor in Theology and American Studies from Dominican in 2021. Currently, I am in my final semester for my Masters of Science in Special Education (MSSPED) with an LBS1 Endorsement.
Hobbies
- Adaptive Bowling: The Beauty Behind Adaptive Bowling
- Drawing/Painting: I have done portraits, murals, and even a giant acorn!
- Going to Museums: I highly recommend the First Division Museum in Cantigny!
As a current remote worker, I am very excited to learn how I can include more technology into my department so we can improve how we support students at Dominican University. We are a small office compared to other universities in the nation, so taking advantage of these opportunities is valuable for us.
I am also interested in exploring how to create educational digital content. I was diagnosed with Severe Rheumatism, making full-time work in a classroom difficult. With my background in art and education, I would love to create more resources for both educators and students to share online.
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My reaction to being in EDU 776 (GIPHY) |
Technology Use
Personal Life
Most people are surprised to find out my phone is not permanently glued to my hand. As a Gen Z adult, technology is a major part of my life. I use technology in two major ways: Social Media and Medical Administration.
Social Media
I am an artist, so I use technology to gather references, draw digitally, and share my art with others. Since I am no longer taking art courses, I rely on digital spaces to share my art. Technology has also enabled me to keep up with family and friends since I have not been able to engage in social activities due to the risk of contracting COVID-19.
I have noticed a trend in teacher Instagram's, commonly referred to as a "Teachergram". It has caused a fast diffusion of resources, but has also led to issues of identity protection. How can we balance creating digital content while protecting the privacy of our classroom?
Medical Administration
I heavily rely on technology as a chronically ill adult. I use technology to communicate with my health providers, house my medical documents, set my medication reminders, and receive on-call support.
At Work
During my student teaching placement, I never stepped into a physical classroom. I was one of the many candidates who had to do their placement virtually due to COVID-19. I had to adjust to the technological demand very fast while teaching my mentor teacher how to master the new digital tools we needed to use.
I used the following digital tools with great success:
- Flocabulary, a platform combining core area subjects with rap
- Gimkit, an Among Us inspired quizzing game
- Junior Scholastic, which contains levelled texts and activities
- CNN 10, a current events playlist
- Flipgrid, a video sharing platform
As a current remote worker, I would not be able to do my job without access to technology.
Here are some ways I use technology at the Office of Accommodations and Disability Access:
- Communication with students, publishers, and faculty/staff is done via email
- Zoom is our platform for intake meetings and 1:1 support
- We use assistive technology such as Kurzweil, Glean, Otter.ai, and Bookshare
- Star Tracker is a closed, online platform for housing student records and case notes
Image References
- Wizards of Oz [Gif]. (2013). Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/wizard-of-oz-dtBjNKf61Wqqc
- Excited Pumped Up [Gif]. (2019). Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/nba-dance-8rFgzA7aBR0aomiOMj
Great to meet you, Lauren. Thank you for sharing such a detailed introduction (and including a picture of a giant acorn!). I enjoyed learning about your relationship to technology and look forward to learning more this fall.
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