Maria Amparo Cigala

I had love computers since I had 7 years old. I received on Christmas a "computer" you pass punched cards with questions and the computers told you the answer. I played days and days with it, until I learned all the answers and they way it worked.
I studied a career on Information Administration and worked on business beginning as a computer´s programer and then analyst up to be IT consultant.
Here is a video of my first computer.


I came to USA interested on working on technology on education. It cost me 8 years as a Bilingual teacher to be able to have a technology position. Now I am the technology teacher on my campus, an elementary campus with 467 students. I have a full time schedule 3 days a week and half days two days. On the time I don´t have children in my lab I help teachers to integrate technology and fix their computers. Write grants, maintain the school web page.
The most of the teachers in my school use the computers. Someones only for email someones do Power Point presentations, and others make lessons through the computer.
One of my concerns are: 1) Who can help them to integrate better the technology? I don´t have time. 2) For the 2 or 3 that only check their email on the computer, when can I sit with them and give them ideas?
After school I have a computer´s club for children and late on the evening I have classes for parents using computers and Microsoft Office.
I understand why the Educational Technology department despaired, but now we need support in every campus and the principal´s are not willing to pay for it. We need hardware support on campus, and now we have a person for 17 schools.