Graduates at Work

Here’s what some of our alumni are up to.

If you would like to contact an alumnus directly to ask them questions about the program, please contact Joe Heslin in admissions. 888-258-5665 x209. jheslin@gradschool.marlboro.edu

Alan Silverman, MAT '12

• Technical Support Specialist, SunSetter Products.

"When I was a student at Marlboro College Graduate School (MCGS), SunSetter Products recruited me for a very unique position as a Technical Support Specialist. My Capstone project was to train independent Sunsetter dealers to use a custom online ordering system. I had to become the expert at installing and repairing all SunSetter products, writing about them, and developing training programs for the people who use them. MCGS provided me the ability to create and deliver training to technical support agents in our many call centers throughout the United States, to our professional partners, and to DIY (do it yourself) homeowners who purchase and install our products on their own homes. I use many of the lessons learned at MCGS on a daily basis in my work. In late 2012 I became an adjunct faculty person at Southern New Hampshire University where I created and began teaching an online course called "Introduction to GIS."

Emily Wargo, MAT ‘11

• Instructional Technologist: Champlain College's E-learning Unit.

"Soon after graduating from Marlboro’s MAT program, I was hired by Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont as an eLearning Course Producer.  A year later, I was promoted to the position of Instructional Technologist at Champlain, and I now play a vital role in helping faculty use technology and best practices to design courses and enhance student learning. My Marlboro Graduate School education and experience were invaluable in obtaining my new job. At Marlboro, I learned how to use techniques, tools, and software that I can recommend and train faculty how to use in their courses.  Collaborating with other students who were teachers and technology people helped too, as it gave me insight into many different types of learners. At Marlboro, I found knowledgeable and passionate teachers who were able to pass on their learning and excitement about educational technology to me.  I am now able to spread that technology enthusiasm to the dedicated faculty I work with!"

 

Will Bohmann MAT, MSIT ‘11

• Educational Technology Integration Specialist at the Center For Technology in Essex. VT.

"I was hired at the Center for Technology before I graduated. The Center is a career and technical school and it is really engaging.  The school curriculum is primarily project based, so there is a lot of room to incorporate technology skills and standards into the classroom. Developing a benchmark of technology skills is so important as these teachers are guiding students into a technology filled marketplace. The staff provide another great opportunity for technology development. This year I have been focusing on professional development for the staff on topics from file management and media to digital research and Moodle. I am also active with Vita-Learn North West, run workshops in Moodle for the district and do some web consulting on the side.

I’m so grateful for the skills and education I received at Marlboro.  Both the MAT and MSIT helped me learn how to properly evaluate a project and determine the requirements to reach its completion.  I feel very fortunate to be in the field of EdTech.  I miss the small classes and personal learning experiences I encountered while at the Grad School."

Lisa Whalen, MSIT/MAT '12

"When I first came to MCGS I was looking to get my Masters in order to teach at the college where I got my Bachelor degree.  I really wanted the MAT program, but my college required the MSIT for teaching, so I started with the MSIT, but ended up getting both.  While I thought I was getting my Masters in order to teach, I ended up going down a very different path, something I never would have found had I not come to MCGS. So, what am I dong now?  My day job keeps me quite busy as the only eLearning Specialist for a company of 10,000+ employees, and I love it.  Every day I am working on something creative and finding new ways to make digital learning fun and interactive. My part time job, as owner of On My Own Reading, keeps me busy during the evenings and weekends as I work to get a learn-to-read system I created to the market.  This system was a product of my Capstone, and was started in my very first class, Human Computer Interaction that changed the way I look at things forever.  The great thing about this is that my daughters have also been creatively involved throughout the whole process. Learning is something I do every day, it never ends.  Going to MGCS opened my eyes, and it also opened more doors than I realized possible."

James Nye, MAT & MSIT '11. BSMIS '10

• Enginneer, Sovernet Communications.
• Faculty, BSMIS program.

“I’ve always looked at teachers and thought, ‘Why are they using technology here? Why are they trying to force it when it doesn’t fit?.' The MAT program helped me the questions of when to use technology and when not to, and how to evaluate them from a pedagogical standpoint. Finding out how they use technology, and coming from my place of always using technology, I was able to work with my employer to understand how IT could be used properly both in the educational environment and in my corporate environment. I used the concepts that I learned in the MAT program and the MSIT program to reevaluate the current software, and build a new knowledge database. The MAT program is not just for educators."

Drew Blanchard MAT ’10

• Technology Teacher, Winooski, VT School District.

“During my studies the MAT program at Marlboro helped me move on to the next phase of my professional career as the new technology teacher for the Winooski, VT, City School District. I was hired in my new position before I graduated. For several years I’d been looking for a program which would allow me to combine my love of teaching with my passion for technology. I’ve found the courses and content of the MAT program to be directly applicable to my own goals, and the learning network that has been created here helps me personally and professionally. My work in the MAT program allowed me to fill a need in my own school district where I've become a resource for our faculty and staff while still working directly with students. I rediscovered my own love of learning and feel rejuvenated in many ways.”

Elizabeth McCarthy MAT ’08

• Technology Integration Facilitator at Bradford Elementary School, a K–6 school in Bradford, VT. Recently created www.beschool.org a portal for parents to see what’s happening at the Bradford Elementary School, and a central resource for students and teachers.
• Board member, VITA-Learn.

“I had been on the fence about whether to pursue a degree in creative writing or technology. As it turns out, the teaching with technology program at MCGS did engage my creative side in a way I had not expected. Another reason I chose the Graduate School was its reputation within the educational community. I had looked at other programs but none of them focused on teaching with technology like MCGS.”

Karen Case MAT '07

• Coordinator of Online Learning Community College of Vermont (CCV)
• Faculty

"I took an online course at Community College of Vermont called Introduction to Online Teaching. The course excited me about the possibilities of integrating my background in art with the digital world. Before the five-week course was over, my application was in at Marlboro College Graduate School (MCGC). My MCGS program allowed me to re-invent myself. It was a very challenging year to work and go to school at the same time. The grad center experience took me out of my comfort zone many, many times, but was exciting at the same time. I learned new and cutting edge technologies at every step of the way. I also liked meeting friends I will have for life. The program was flexible and offered a Constructivist approach to learning, In other words, I applied everything I learned in some way, shape or form."

Karen's capstone was to help the Community College of Vermont (CCV) increase awareness of online eduction. During her capstone, CCV posted the position of coordinator of online learning services. Karen was hired and started the day after she defended her Capstone.

Meaghan Meachem MAT ’07

• Assistant Professor at Lyndon State College.
• Recently launched e-journalism site www.news7newslinc.net with a grant from AT&T.

“What I loved the most about MCGS was that it allowed me to take the MAT program and focus it on the skills I needed to get to where I wanted to go—which ultimately was to be in a college setting. I loved how open-minded everyone was to what I was trying to accomplish for myself.  I never once heard a ‘no you can’t do that here.’ MCGS has given me so much to bring to my job today—without it, I really don’t think I would be nearly prepared enough to teach in a college setting.”

Amy Stevens MAT '06

• Associate Vice President for eLearning at Southern New Hampshore University (SNHU).

"My division is responsible for developing all our online courses.  In 2011-12, we built 124 new courses and brought another 158 into our system, net year, we’ll develop another 240 courses.  I currently oversee a team of 26 people, including Instructional Designers, Content Architects and Course Development Specialists, an entry level position we created to bring in fresh college graduates and have them assist with the more rudimentary tasks associated with preparing courses to roll each term. There are days when I am amazed that I am in this roll and know I couldn’t have gotten here without Marlboro!"

Annesa Hartman MAT ’02

• Lead Content Developer, Center for Teaching and Learning, Kaplan University.
• Author of instructional books (19 and counting) on popular software. Author info at: Delmar Cengage Learning.
• Instructor at Modesto Junior College in Californiafor for online computer graphics, and the Community College of Vermont.

“In 2000, while I was doing a lot of freelance graphic work and teaching, I thought it might be a good idea to get a Masters in the field, so I started looking for a graduate program that integrated technology and teaching.  To my delight the perfect program was right in my own backyard of lovely Vermont – the MAT program at MCGS.  I met so many wonderful, talented people through the program and stay in contact with most of them today. In fact, my current job at Kaplan University was through an association with Will deBock (ISM '98) that started with some freelance work during my Marlboro studies and then by 2009 into a full time position.  Even 10 years after I graduated, the opportunities that still come my via my association with MCGS never cease to amaze!”

Kevin Bell MAT ’00

• Executive Director, Northeastern University Online Curriculum Development and Deployment, College of Professional Studies, Northeastern University.
• Blog

"As reflect back on my 2000 graduation, I am amazed at how the MAT program provided such a solid framework for my subsequent work in the field of ed–tech and academia. The curriculum equipped me with the tools to stay on top of developments in the field while the MCGS faculty provided a focus on analysis of technologies, principles and pedagogy that has benefitted me in my career to this day. I was hired by a Boston dot.com start up two weeks prior to my graduation and have moved on to increasingly senior academic roles, ending with my current position at Northeastern which I am combining with my doctoral studies (Ed.D) at the University of Pennsylvania. At many institutions throughout the north-east and farther afield, I see my former classmates and peers holding positions of influence and seniority. I remain a fan and a proud alum. "

 

 

Jenny Darrow MAT ’00

• Director of Academic Technology, Center for Engagement Learning and Teaching (CELT), Keene State College, Keene, NH.

"Marlboro was innovative, it was quick and it was an absolutely wonderful experience. When I first worked at Keene State, I was in the information technology department. After a few years, the provost decided that there needed to be more of an emphasis on academic technology, so a group from IT moved under academic affairs. Now I manage a small group at CELT that supports faculty teaching and student learning. Our job is getting people comfortable with technology, understanding why they should be using technology. Edtech is balancing the technical piece and the pedagogical piece, understanding technology and where technology is heading but instructional design and pedagogy—I think that is absolutely critical. I don’t think I’d be where I am now without Marlboro College. It may sound cliché, but Marlboro will support your big ideas and encourage you to take risks. The blended learning model allowed me to work when I was ready to work, and the work we did as a cohort, the bonding we did and the learning from each other were all incredible.”

 

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Our Offerings

1. A 30-credit Master of Arts in Teaching with Technology (MAT)
2. A 4-course Certificate in Instructional Technology
3. Vermont State Educational Technology Specialist (ETS #42) Endorsement Courses.
4. Professional development through our Continuing Education Program (CEP).

If you have any questions, please come visit us, email or call Joe Heslin in admissions 888-258-5665 x209, or the program director, Caleb Clark.