The idea of ​​writing a 1,400 word biography, reflecting on my computer knowledge, is extremely scary and difficult. I can honestly say that I don't have enough technology knowledge or experience to produce 1,400 words, but I'll try. I have been involved in the field of education since 1984. I received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Georgia, in the field of mental retardation, in May 1984. I began my teaching experience in a very rural area of ​​South Georgia. The work was in an elementary school that had a “center” of students with IQs ranging from 25 to 55. The ages of the students in this “center” were 5 to 18 years old. (Please note that segregating students in this way today is against the law). We worked on simple academic subjects, but our main focus was daily living skills such as: basic financial management, housekeeping, shopping and cooking. At this point in my career, we were using a computer to create simple budget sketches. We printed the budget and the students learned to check off certain items. We also printed out a shopping list and they learned to mark items and make "ticks" to indicate how many items they needed. In 1986, I was transferred to a specialized classroom at a middle school. This class was set up in a trailer at the back of the school. To access a computer, my paraprofessional or I had to go inside the school. The only thing we used the computer for was to write an individual educational plan, but there was no template at the time. In 1992, the school system built a new school and moved special needs students into the main building. At that point we were given our own Apple computer and some floppy disks to go with it. I actu... middle of paper ...... the appropriate company. This process used to take up to two weeks, now it only takes 2-3 days. I am able to communicate with all Easter Seals centers via computer using the intranet and we have a webcam (Logitech) on each directors' computer so we can video conference when needed. I can honestly say that my computer skills have improved just by attending high school. I am proficient in Microsoft Word and Power Point, but I am very uncomfortable with Excel and have never opened Access. Luckily, I have two kids in college and an electrical engineer for a husband, so my resources are plentiful. I'm learning not to be as intimidated by the computer as I used to be. My daughter said something to me in my statistics class that I thought was brilliant: "Mom, remember, you know more than your computer, it's just a machine.”.