One of the series of short courses Alma developed, as Digital Media Specialist at Loyola University Chicago was on Adobe Photoshop. The courses covered topics from Adobe’s desire to eradicate the use of “photoshop” as a verb and common photo retouching actions as well as some tools for photo manipulation. Some of the features that were highlighted are:
In an effort to promote Digital Media Services support services and wider use of digital media on campus, Alma and one of her colleagues developed an structure to deliver short courses in six different tracks. These tracks included Computer Solutions, Web Apps, Media Theory, and Mobile Computing as well as a track that focuses on equipment and software available through Digital Media Services and a Contest Track.
The tracks were developed to tie course topics together and enable students to become “certified” in an area, with the exception of the contest track. The contest track intended to tie together short courses that would benefit students interested in entering one of the planned monthly contests.
All short courses were developed to be 60 minutes long and be conducted within the Digital Media Lab at one of Loyola University Chicago’s Lakeside campuses. Continue Reading →
-10-101Loyola University Chicago: December 2011 to September 2016
While working in Digital Media Services, under Loyola’s ITS department, there are many opportunities to reach out to students of all majors, faculty in all colleges and staff from all departments. By encouraging the use of digital media and technology, Alma feels that DMS encourages the development of a more well-rounded digital citizen in all members of the Loyola Community.
In addition to her regular duties, which are listed below, Alma has undertaken many other initiatives and projects detailed throughout this CV.
-10-101In developing annual tutor training with her colleagues, Alma sought out different resources and even non-academic approaches for inspiration. Many tutors in attendance would have had multiple years of training, so adding some variety to the training repertoire would be worthwhile.
Tutors must build a rapport and constantly read the comprehension level of those they’re working with. Comics must, similarly, know and adapt to their audiences while maintaining a quality of performance. Why not apply some advice from stand-up-comedians to tutoring situations?
Some topics may include: Continue Reading →
-10-101This presentation was to be delivered at a start of school faculty and staff mini-conference. The slides pick twelve simple technology tools that can change the way you present ideas, save ideas, quiz yourself, and enrich yourself. Alma had highlighted each tool previously in a weekly Tech Tip email she sent to her department in order to foster more interest in technology and comfort with technology.
-10-101Alma met crucial deadlines on a regular basis to establish and maintain an up to date and well organized website for the OCC Learning Center. She posted staff schedules and regularly updated them for holidays, and added copy for special events, new articles and media. Based on recommendations from the area Director, content was reformatted within the existing web templates to drive more use of the content.
-10-101Oakton Community College: September 2010 – December 2011
Alma supervised and scheduled tutors for all Foreign Languages, Computer Topics, Humanities and Social Sciences courses. She participated in a team with other supervisors in developing and implementing quarterly training activities for all tutors.
Alma developed and provided asynchronous in-services on technology topics for the staff and administrators of the Learning Center. She investigated and proposed an online tutoring platform and integrated other technology resources into daily operations. Alma also provided basic maintenance to the on-site computers and copy machines. She maintained the online tutoring schedule and all other contents of the Learning Center website and marketed Learning Center events.
-10-101After graduating, Alma volunteered as an Structured Learning Assistance Leader for the pre-algebra portion of the Viking Academic Boot Camp. This was the second summer she had been part in the program, having been a leader for pre-algebra during its inaugural year (2009).
This was a summer-only program organized by University Advising and Tutoring and Academic Success Center that allows at-risk incoming freshmen to place into a credit-bearing, non-developmental math or English class during their first semester at Cleveland State University.
-10-101Graduated from Cleveland State University Magna cum Laude: 3.79 GPA
Projects and Papers:
Took Courses:
-10-101Alma wrote this paper in my final semester of Graduate School for a Linguistics Special Topics course, covering the History of the English Language.
Abstract:
During the mid-fourteenth century there was a shift from the Old English form of adverb creation to a new form that we recognize in the English we use today. This transition was hastened during the fifteenth century by the increase in creation of original English Literature. Further, the change was solidified in the late fifteenth century with the arrival of the printing press in England. This paper examines the shapes of seven adverbs that existed during the five generations that passed between Chaucer and the first published dictionary.
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