About TechNiche Custom Technology Training
My name is Rosalind Hardin and TechNiche Custom Technology Training was born of my desire to provide educators, entrepreneurs and administrative staff with the technology tools they need to be successful in their prospective settings. My background is diverse and affords me the knowledge base that allows me to strengthen your skill set. My education and life's work have resulted in a well rounded and unique teaching and training repertoire that can be described in three facets:
A Tech Integrated Student
Being a Tech Integrated Student was a true learning experience for me because I completed my masters degree coursework online through the University of Missouri's School of Information Science and Learning Technology.
My initial foray into the wonderful world of distance learning was challenging but proved to be very rigorous. Being encouraged to use the provided learning management system to "attend" classes helped me to understand them from the perspective of a student and, later, an instructor. My graduate education was a rewarding experience and led me to desire to teach others in a non-traditional setting.
My required coursework included:
As a tech integrated student, I learned about instructional technology in theory and practice simultaneously.
My initial foray into the wonderful world of distance learning was challenging but proved to be very rigorous. Being encouraged to use the provided learning management system to "attend" classes helped me to understand them from the perspective of a student and, later, an instructor. My graduate education was a rewarding experience and led me to desire to teach others in a non-traditional setting.
My required coursework included:
- Technology Leadership in Schools
- Learning with the Internet
- Introduction to Digital Media
- Introduction to Technology in Schools
- Instructional Systems Design
- Intermediate Web Development
- Diffusion of Educational Technology
As a tech integrated student, I learned about instructional technology in theory and practice simultaneously.
A Tech Empowered Teacher
Four memorable assignments constitute my experience as a Tech Empowered Teacher. I have served as a business education instructor, an instructional technology trainer, a student management training support analyst and my current assignment is as a Media Specialist and Teacher at The Potter's House Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Florida.
I began my career as a business education instructor for Norfolk Public Schools and Virginia Beach City Public Schools in Southeastern Virginia. I taught middle and high school Career & Technical Education courses including Keyboarding, Business Principles, Office Administration and Desktop Publishing. I coordinated and taught Virtual Enterprise, a lively course that transforms the curriculum of a Business Principles class into a real world e-commerce simulation. As an Office Administration instructor my students were eligible to take various Microsoft Office Specialist certification exams and I also coordinated the student work co-op program.
As a Curriculum Technology Trainer for Shelby County Schools in Memphis, Tennessee, I provided instructional technology support to students, faculty and administrators. I facilitated the use of technology into class assignments and lesson plans and demonstrated how to best utilize the resources that were available in the district. Fourteen months of my six years with Shelby County Schools were in the assignment of student management support analyst. I assisted with training administrators to use PowerSchool, the district's student management system of choice. I had the pleasure of working with my colleagues and developed a passion for assisting adult learners with technology.
My web presence during my previous two assignments was in the form of an informational website called Rozz Hardin Tech. My current ed tech website is Rozz Hardin Tech 2.0 and it is an information resource for my students and their parents at The Potter's House Christian Academy.
I began my career as a business education instructor for Norfolk Public Schools and Virginia Beach City Public Schools in Southeastern Virginia. I taught middle and high school Career & Technical Education courses including Keyboarding, Business Principles, Office Administration and Desktop Publishing. I coordinated and taught Virtual Enterprise, a lively course that transforms the curriculum of a Business Principles class into a real world e-commerce simulation. As an Office Administration instructor my students were eligible to take various Microsoft Office Specialist certification exams and I also coordinated the student work co-op program.
As a Curriculum Technology Trainer for Shelby County Schools in Memphis, Tennessee, I provided instructional technology support to students, faculty and administrators. I facilitated the use of technology into class assignments and lesson plans and demonstrated how to best utilize the resources that were available in the district. Fourteen months of my six years with Shelby County Schools were in the assignment of student management support analyst. I assisted with training administrators to use PowerSchool, the district's student management system of choice. I had the pleasure of working with my colleagues and developed a passion for assisting adult learners with technology.
My web presence during my previous two assignments was in the form of an informational website called Rozz Hardin Tech. My current ed tech website is Rozz Hardin Tech 2.0 and it is an information resource for my students and their parents at The Potter's House Christian Academy.
A Tech Savvy Instructor
As a tech savvy instructor, I have had the privilege of maximizing the use of the University of Memphis' eCourseware (Desire2Learn) learning management system. While teaching IDT 3600 (Technology in Education), I introduced fundamentals of instructional technology to undergraduate education majors. The course included face-to-face and hybrid/online sections. In both instances eCourseware was the underlying structure for the classes: The learning management portal was used for dissemination of lectures and class information, submission of student assignments, grade posting and discussion forums.
The IDT 3600 course is a project based learning experience that gives future educators real world experiences with incorporating technology into daily lesson plans. In my role as a facilitator, I provided assistance/guidance to my students in a lab (face-to-face) or a semi-flipped (hybrid) setting.
The IDT 3600 course is a project based learning experience that gives future educators real world experiences with incorporating technology into daily lesson plans. In my role as a facilitator, I provided assistance/guidance to my students in a lab (face-to-face) or a semi-flipped (hybrid) setting.