Thing 1-A

Julie Elmore
ELL Support Specialist

As the English Language Learner Support Specialist for barrow County Schools, I work with teachers, administrators, and parents of immigrant students and students who are served through the English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program.  Before I assumed this role, I taught ESOL at Auburn Elementary for four years, working with ELL students in grades K-5.

I earned my degree in middle grades education from UGA, and I completed my ESOL endorsement as part of my undergraduate degree.  Five years later I earned my National Board Certification in English as  a New Language, Early Childhood.  I took about six months off from higher learning, then began working on my masters in Educational Administration and Policy at UGA.  Since completing my masters, I have taken on the challenge of teaching two of the ESOL endorsement courses (Linguistics and Culture) for NEGA RESA.  A big part of the reason I am taking the 23 Things course is because I have experienced just a taste of how much technology can enhance the learning process--from the iPod project with elementary ELLs to using Wikispaces and Diigo with the teachers in the ESOL endorsement courses, I have seen enough that I am thoroughly hooked, and I want more!

I've traveled to Mexico during a study abroad as part of my undergraduate coursework, and more recently to Central America (Costa Rica and Nicaragua) with UGA's Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education (CLASE) a couple of years ago.  During that trip I blogged for the first time: http://julieincostarica.blogspot.com/    Check it out--for a beginner with no help, and considering the fact that I was at the mercy of Central American cyber cafe computers whose keyboards didn't match the actual characters they produced, I think it turned out pretty well.  I hope that I will learn how to turn the sideways pictures upright someday.  :D

I grew up in Virginia, in that little wedge to the southwest that sits between West Virginia and North Carolina.  I grew up in Roanoke, a mid-sized city, and my family has a farm about an hour away in Oriskany--it's quite rural, nestled up against the Jefferson National Forest.  It might be my favorite place on Earth.

View of Craig's Creek (not really a creek, is it?) from the swinging foot bridge that you have to cross to get to the farm.  Or you can drive across the river . . . when it's low enough.  Yeah, that's right-- I've driven across.  :)

And here's the swinging bridge--this is the only picture I could find, and it just doesn't give you the sense of sheer terror that a wildly shaking foot bridge can give a small child.  Or, if I'm being honest, any life-loving adult.  The bridge is way longer than it looks in this picture.  That's my nephew, Zack.  He's a triplet and he's not afraid of ANYTHING.  (Did I confess yet that this bridge was one of my top 5 most terrifying things in life when I was a child?  Right up there with the Wicked Witch of the West.)

View from the front porch of the farm house.

My life here in Georgia revolves mostly around my two boys--Quinten (12) and Ryan (8).  I love being the mother of boys--they are so much fun!  Both play sports (soccer, baseball, cross country), and Quinten also enjoys theater.

Quinten's head shot for the Once Upon A Time production at the Winder Barrow Community Theater last Christmas.

Ryan at Auburn's Jump Rope for heart contest last spring.  Ryan has been a champion jump roper for several years now.  :D

To wrap up, I am really looking forward to all of the new things I will learn in this course.  How lucky am I to have a job that allows me to learn constantly?