Hello Walden Scholar-Practitioners!

Hello Walden Scholar-Practitioners! Hello Fellow Scholar-Practitioners!My name is Derek Atchison. I relocated from Chicago to Phoenix, AZ two years ago and have been homesick except for the snow! I am divorced and the father of five grown/nearly grown children. I am seeking a Ph.D in Educational Technology and plan to become a consultant for schools and school districts. I am currently a high school science teacher ( all courses except chemistry) who has grown weary from the daily struggle to teach. Sadly, our children are not learning in the 21st century in spite of our technological advances. I hope to use technology to identify and remediate skill gaps for improved achievement on high stakes tests. Since the NCLB Act was introduced, minority students have consistently scored poorly. Since school funding is tied to test performance, the most impoverished schools and students have been set up to experience a continual cycle of poverty. It is my hope to provide a template to schools to address and reduce achievement gap disparities. I look forward to working with you and collaborating on projects. I am fairly competent with most technologies but still require occasional direction if I am unfamiliar with a new modality. I believe that this class will provide the opportunity to learn about the new and exciting emerging technologies. I will send you my personal contact info upon request. I wish all of you much success in your scholarly journey.