How I am where I am

Like many people I speak with of late, where they are now is a long way from where they intended when they left university, armed with a degree that would enable them to shape the world. It's funny how life works out isn;t it?

I studied Classical Civilisation and English Literature and Language at college. When I started uni I wanted to be a journalist, had done since I was about 8 years old. But then as college wore on and I realised that my love for all things ancient was taking over and that in actual fact I hated the dissection of books by professors who were only too happy to tell me that my interpretation of the modern novel was not what it should be, (it's fiction for God's sake, everyone has a different experience when reading a book) and the European and British paparrazzi were turning journalism in a direction I didn't want to go, when I left college I had no idea what on earth to do with my freshly received joint honours degree.

So I went to Germany for six months and then ended up in the corporate world, in international logistics which I loved. Eventually I ended up in the USA and working for a technology company that made a lot of the first wireless technology (tablet pcs, etc) and was behind some of the cool technology used by Microsoft. That was an incredible experience, working with some amazing minds. Then I moved to international relocation, really back to international logistics just moving people this time rather than things. It was at this company that I ended up as the International Learning Specialist responsible for training all our relocation offices all over the world. That job I really loved but corporate America is hard. I worked long hours - 12 hours days were not unusual and although I loved the people I worked with the people I worked for...well, let's just say corporate politics are not fun to put it politely.

Technology is such a huge part of corporate teaching, particularly in an environment where you're teaching people in different countries, different timezones and even different languages. Technology can be both a hindrance and a help...as I know you'll discover during this semester and during your years in the education system. I hope that I can help you see technology as a help - realise that it can used to capture a child's imagination or to allow them to experience a side of their personality they didn't know existed. And so now I'm here ensconced in the realm of university education and loving most minutes of it. I'm so excited to be teaching you guys and look forward to learning as much from you as you will from me.